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[Drewcifer]

Fleury with 5 shutouts on the season.. tying his career high.. interesting fact..

Since Bales (Pens goalie coach) was hired, Fleury has 10 shutouts in 83 games. From 2008-2013, Fleury had 12 shutouts in 294 games. Fleury has 5 shutouts in 19 games so far this year. His highest amount of shutouts in a season was 5 in 64 last year and 5 in 67 in 06-07.

Maybe he's turned a page? I can only hope.. the real test for him will be the post season.

[orange]

Brody is a Blue. Oh well, so what! I hope he gets lots of playing time and even out-performs their current goalie and everyone's expectations. Go Marty!

The Devils can't catch a break. Or, for that matter, score more goals. Drop a shoot out loss the Redwings after leading 3-1. Drop a shootout loss to the Flames after leading 4-1. (I might have those scores switched up). They played well against the Islanders, lost 3-1 including an open netter at the end. They played well against the Pens, and lost 1-0 after a 3rd period Malkin goal. This is a frustrating season.

How about that Bortuzzo hit on Jagr?! I didn't even know this guy's name until now. I dislike the Penguins, but really screw this guy. Hit was pretty blatantly high and late, if you find a good video shot of it. But out of anyone on the Devils, you hit Jagr like that? A legendary ex-penguin? Only thing I would have liked to see is more retaliation from the Devils, or at least a Win.

[Drewcifer]

Brody is a Blue. Oh well, so what! I hope he gets lots of playing time and even out-performs their current goalie and everyone's expectations. Go Marty!

The Devils can't catch a break. Or, for that matter, score more goals. Drop a shoot out loss the Redwings after leading 3-1. Drop a shootout loss to the Flames after leading 4-1. (I might have those scores switched up). They played well against the Islanders, lost 3-1 including an open netter at the end. They played well against the Pens, and lost 1-0 after a 3rd period Malkin goal. This is a frustrating season.

How about that Bortuzzo hit on Jagr?! I didn't even know this guy's name until now. I dislike the Penguins, but really screw this guy. Hit was pretty blatantly high and late, if you find a good video shot of it. But out of anyone on the Devils, you hit Jagr like that? A legendary ex-penguin? Only thing I would have liked to see is more retaliation from the Devils, or at least a Win.

It was not blatantly high. Jagr was leaning over and Bortz is over 6'.. His elbow was tucked and he did not jump into the hit or leave his feet. It was a nano second too late. If there was no injury on the play this wouldn't have been a suspension. You see hits that are much later than this one every game. It sounds like Jagr isn't going to miss any games and Bortz got a fair 2 game suspension for it.



Just because he's Jagr means he is untouchable for hits? Bortz and Jagr have been josseling all night.. Jagr gave him a slew that was uncalled earlier in the game.. Which if Bortz didn't catch his balance could've resulted in an injury... and immediately after attempted to spear him
Also why wouldn't you want a player like Bortz to be up in the face of the other teams star players? (who cares if he's an ex Penguin, he's not a Penguin now)



Here is the ruling. Suspended for interference.
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/?id=689462

[jer]

i have no dog in this fight, i don't care about Pens or Devs, but that's a really nasty hit, man. you're really downlplaying it here, Drew. 2 games was generous.

[Drewcifer]

Im not saying it wasn't a nasty hit.. it was.. a semi-late (By ruling it was late, but you see hits this 'late' all the time with no call or suspension).
It's suspendable because there was an injury if no injury.. I don't see a suspension here.. They even say in the video the suspension was for interference and the predatory nature of the hit. They make it a point to say he glided into the hit, did not jump, and kept his elbow tucked.

My argument is that it's not "blatantly high", it wasn't targeted to the head, though there was contact to the head because of Jagr leaning and Bortz being tall.

It was dirty and deserving of the suspension, perhaps deserved more games (who really knows, they;re not consistent with this), but based on the explanation to me the only thing wrong with the hit was that it was a little late.

But I am a Pens fan and I probably do have some homer goggles on. However, I am ecstatic to see this team start playing on the edge, it's something we needed for a long time, especially with how Dubinsky and Marc Staal treated Crosby in the playoffs last year with no retaliation. My favorite signings of the offseason so far have been Downie and Comeau.. both play on the edge and stick up for their teammates and contribute to the scoresheet..
I can't believe we had to deal with Tanner Glass for the past few years.. Now if we could only get rid of Adams and Scuderi... oh and get some top 6 wingers.

[jer]

It's suspendable because there was an injury if no injury..

It's suspendable because it's a blatant headshot

I don't see a suspension here.. They even say in the video the suspension was for interference and the predatory nature of the hit. They make it a point to say he glided into the hit, did not jump, and kept his elbow tucked.

You can tuck your elbow in all you want and stay on your feet, but that doesn't make knocking someone's head off with your shoulder any safer. It was in fact predatory. It was a cheap shot and a dangerous one.

My argument is that it's not "blatantly high",

Take off your homer glasses, any higher and it would have flow over the top of him.

it wasn't targeted to the head,

The head was the principal point of contact, which isn't even allowed if it wasn't intentionally targetted. But it clearly was, and you can tell by how he lifts his shoulder up into his head well before contact is made to ensure that this is the principle point.

though there was contact to the head because of Jagr leaning and Bortz being tall.

I can't roll my eyes hard enough at this. Watch your own screen capture. Bortz is watching his Jagr the whole time, knows exactly where his head is, and could easily have avoided the head contact. Instead, he thrusts his shoulder up to intentionally make sure he lands an illegal hit.

It was dirty and deserving of the suspension, perhaps deserved more games

yep.

they;re not consistent with this

yep.

but based on the explanation to me the only thing wrong with the hit was that it was a little late.

Bortz's actions speak more to me than the league's nice way of side stepping the phrase "headshot" so that they don't get more grief about how ineffective they've been on head injuries. Wheather they said it or not, this was a dangerous, illegal hit. I don't care if it was late or not.

But I am a Pens fan and I probably do have some homer goggles on.

yep.

However, I am ecstatic to see this team start playing on the edge, it's something we needed for a long time, especially with how Dubinsky and Marc Staal treated Crosby in the playoffs last year with no retaliation.

fair.

[Drewcifer]

Fair enough, I still don't believe it's a blatant headshot.
Im not denying it's a dirty hit and that he shouldn't have done it. But I just don't see it as a blatant headshot.

The principle point of contact is to the chest and follow through to the chin, this view shows it slightly better. Bortz clearly targeted the chest not the head.

Here is another angle of the hit.
https://zippy.gfycat.com/CourteousEnragedBactrian.webm

All this said, I hope Jagr doesn't miss any time, regardless of my feelings towards him he's a great player and you never want to see someone go down like that.

[jer]

There is not way to look at that and see the chest being the principle point of contact. He lifts up to make sure the head is the first thing his shoulder hits and only touches the chest on the follow through as he's already taken the brunt of the headshot. That second look only confirms what your first screen grab shows us.

[ramblinrabble]

Gfy URLs have the best randomly generated names. 

[kw]

can we take a second to marvel at keith ballard's mastery of the hip check? its the only reason i miss having him on florida.

http://zippy.gfycat.com/PerfectJealousEasternnewt.webm

[orange]

I feel like your screen grabs helped the argument for the hit, Drew. But we're over that, Lol.

That's an awesome hip check, KW!

Jer, why at the Ducks so great at winning in the regular season? (And, can they teach the Devils?) 47 points and leading the way, very impressive number.

[Drewcifer]

holy dive batman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lctRlYjnQck

[jer]

first player fined for diving under the new rules.

[kw]

god i can't wait for the next time the ducks play the panthers.

[Drewcifer]

Oh yeah.. Fleury with 6 Shutouts on the season.. Career high..
He's playing some of the best hockey in his career right now.. I'm just hoping to god he carries it over into the Playoffs..

Noticeable differences in his game
- He's not scrambling around in the net, flopping in desperation
- He's cool calm and collective
- Controlling his rebounds, and when he does give a bad rebound the defense in front of him box out the opponents
- Mike Johnston's system finally coming into full swing and it's a breath of fresh air.. It doesn't leave Fleury hanging out to dry multiple times a game like Bylsma's

The true test though will come in April.

[Drewcifer]

https://mtc.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/DEDF7F9AF01158252275064811520_33593ae119c.1.4.13760824767502895192.mp4?versionId=zEIzgtslq1Q.YSUCBHNuee5B_YCTsdda

Suspendable? it should be.. but doesn't look like anything will come of it.

[kw]

i love willie

[jer]

Man, that should definitely be supplemental discipline, but nothing came of it. There's precedent though, as nothing happened a while back when Evander Kane did the exact same thing to Alexei Emelin and nothing came of it.

Stupid.

I guess the real lesson is don't take runs at Luongo, Pens ;)

[ramblinrabble]

Dorsett did the same at the start of the season, but because it was Dorsett doing it everyone just found it hilarious and nobody even mentioned suspension

[kw]

I guess the real lesson is don't take runs at Luongo, Pens ;)

preach it!

[orange]

How about Tootoo giving it to Bortuzzo! In my mind, that's for that Jagr hit a few weeks ago.

Still rooting for my Devs in spite of things. Could do worse than 2 Hall of Famers behind the bench...

[orange]

Jaromir Jagr with the quick goal after the penalty kill! The "wiley old veteran" as Danyko said!

That Crosby goal in the first was a pretty sick backhand too!

[orange]

Woo hoo! Devils beat the Penguins.

[kw]

time for everyone to show respect to my wily panthers. glad puck daddy, tsn, sportsnet and espn have finally taken the "holy shit the panthers are for real" route

[jer]

who?