Don Cherry on Sean Avery and his play in game 4. How is he still the league? (Am I the only person...

Don Cherry on Sean Avery and his play in game 4. How is he still the league?

(Am I the only person who missed the stick in the throat? )

about 3 years ago Ovechwin 33 comments 0 recs |

Comments

Sean Avery doesn’t bother me. His impact on the series thus far has only helped the Caps. I’m of the old school that says let the players police themselves…the refs have done a pretty good job handling it thus far…and the Caps have done a remarkable job restraining themselves. I wouldn’t be upset with the Caps though, if during Game 7 it looks like the Caps are going to lose that they start policing themselves….or better yet take his number for next year (assuming he’s still around).

by Yoshietree on Apr 23, 2009 5:32 PM EDT reply actions

The non-call on the first ranger goal of the series changed the series. That non-call was on Avery. Avery has impacted the series. He helped the caps in game three, but the rangers were already down 2 or 3.

For me it’s gone beyond me wanting him to remain in the game to shoot the rangers in the foot, I’m genuinely worried for caps player safety.

I’ve defended Avery in the past but putting his stick to someones throat was the last straw, He is clearly playing to injure.

by Ovechwin on Apr 23, 2009 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Sean Avery will bother you when he puts one of our guys in the hospital. Police themselves? Shit does not work like that anymore. If any of our guys does ANYTHING to that freak they’ll get kicked out of the game. The refs have been completely inconsistent in calling his penalties and it will get players hurt.

They missed him threatening Ovie, they missed him tripping green, they missed him spearing Erskine…he should have 30 PIM a game the way he’s playing.

by snowburnt on Apr 23, 2009 9:13 PM EDT up reply actions

But he keeps giving the Caps gifts, so as long as he isn’t putting our boys in the ER, he’s helping us. So far.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Apr 23, 2009 9:21 PM EDT up reply actions

How is he still in the league indeed

It’s a sad day in this world when this asshat is the voice of reason, but there isn’t another professional sports league on this continent that would tolerate Avery-like conduct. I honestly don’t understand the rationale for keeping this guy in the league. He has made illegal contact with the Caps after the whistle quite literally every single whistle. He’s going to hurt someone. He’s clearly breaking the rules. He’s not breaking the rules in the flow of the game. Hitting Ovie in the throat. His gruesome backfist/stickbutt into Jurcina AFTER whiffing on the first attempted late hit. Hitting Semin after the period ended in Game 3. He’s an awful human being and an awful, malicious cheater.

I don’t like the way the No Fun League bans celebrations, but I do give them credit for not tolerating illegal play that puts others in danger.

Really, there’s no rationale, unless this is some kind of hick sport played in barns between teams of local goons who’d just as soon fight as play the game fairly. Oh, wait a minute.

I’ve actually been to a Swedish league game. Granted it was a sample size of one, but the game wasn’t any worse for their being absolutely no chance of there being a fight, and it wasn’t any worse for being played cleanly.

by CarlosLA on Apr 23, 2009 9:57 PM EDT up reply actions

My big thing is Avery is clearly playing to hurt people. It’s not some coincidence that these things keep happening to him.

by Ovechwin on Apr 23, 2009 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions

“asshat” – that word kills me every time…

uhh...uhh...uhh...

by hotdog88gt on Apr 24, 2009 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions

a gifts like a minus one. He was much to thank for the win, but the line he’s walking between deliberate injury and deliberate douche baggery is too fine…particularly with what the refs haven’t been calling and for the weak penalties they’ve been assessing for obvious deliberate play.

more than half of the minors he’s gotten should have been majors.

by snowburnt on Apr 24, 2009 9:00 AM EDT up reply actions

I mean gifts like two power plays in the third period of a game the Caps trailed by one. His meltdowns have provided opportunities.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Apr 24, 2009 9:06 AM EDT up reply actions

Missed calls happen every game…hockey by nature is a game of cheating. The key is doing it quietly enough not to get caught. Do you really believe that there aren’t any penalties in the scrums around a goalie? Or that a good number of OV’s checks aren’t charges?

And just for the record, I would sacrifice a Brads or Brash for the game if it meant the teams policing themselves tomorrow night. I’d also sacrifice one of them for taking a run at King Henrik. Personally, I thought someone should have done it after the first period last night to get him out of his groove.

by Yoshietree on Apr 23, 2009 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions

so much for a game of honor…It’s not a game of cheating. Any sport where competition is involved you’ll try to bend the rules as far as possible. The reason there aren’t penalties for scrums around the goalie is that’s in the heat of the moment, people flailing trying to do so many things at the same time. No one (maybe Avery) is trying to deliberately hurt they other person, they’re just trying to get the puck in the net. There’s also 5 people there. There would be a riot if the refs played that close to the rules. And Ovies checks are still on the right side of the law than anything we’ve been talking about.

Avery’s hits are cheap shots and deliberate, that’s the difference between what he’s doing and the rest of your examples. It’s again and again.

I wouldn’t mind them taking a run like crosby did on biron a few nights ago.

by snowburnt on Apr 24, 2009 9:06 AM EDT up reply actions

No matter how you look at it, hockey is a game of cheating. That’s what “bending the rules” are…when in actuality it’s breaking the rules. And the scrums around the goalie are not just tyring to get the puck in the net. THe puck is already dead, whislte blown, when the scrums ensue. The scrums are deliberate attempts at getting under the other players skin. The punches to the head hurt..even with gloves on. The cross checks to the back are still cross checks. The slash to the calf is still a slash. Call them whatever you want, but they are still against the rules…thus cheating.

Yes, Avery’s cheap shots are different, but not because they’re deliberate….everyone’s cheap shots are deliberate. Avery’s cheap shots are different because he sometimes takes things to the next level…but most of the calls that have been against him are no different than the calls that are against hte Caps..he’s juts under a microscope right now.

And just for the record…OV’s checks are often times not on the right side of the law….either because he has left his feet or because he has lined the player up from across the rink.

by Yoshietree on Apr 24, 2009 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions

i’m probably ignorant here. is it against the rules to “line someone up from across the rink,” even if you come into contact with them while (or just after) they are in contact with the puck? why does the additional distance matter?

by Natty Bumppo on Apr 24, 2009 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions

By definition charging is….

“A minor or major penalty shall be imposed on a player or goalkeeper who skates or jumps into, or charges an opponent in any manner. Charging shall mean the actions of a player or goalkeeper who, as a result of distance traveled, shall violently check an opponent in any manner. A "charge" may be the result of a check into the boards, into the goal frame or in open ice.”

Typically, when a charge (minor) is called it’s when a players leaves both feet during the act of checking or a certain number of strides leading into the check. I’ve never been able to figure out what the hard number, if there is one, of strides is.

by Yoshietree on Apr 24, 2009 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

thank you, sir.

by Natty Bumppo on Apr 24, 2009 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Who’s Lundstrum?

THW

by Simply Sensational on Apr 23, 2009 5:58 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

haha thats what I was thinking…

by JustJeff on Apr 23, 2009 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions

No doubt. Cherry's losing it! (or lost it a while ago)

by bigeugene on Apr 23, 2009 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Exactly. We rip on this guy (Cherry) all year long, and rightfully so especially considering that blazer, and then we suddenly listen to what he has to say because he states the obvious?

Everyone knows Avery is a nuisance. So much so that he is helping our team. The fact that we haven’t parlayed that into victories in this series is puzzling, if not frustrating beyond belief.

I hope what I just wrote makes sense, and that I spelled everything correctly, because I am depressingly drunk. No regrets. God bless the Capitals.

by ninefttall on Apr 24, 2009 1:11 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

I hate it when Don Cherry makes sense. It messes with my worldview.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Apr 23, 2009 8:26 PM EDT reply actions

He made sense while looking completely confused.

I guess it happens 1% of the time.

by bigeugene on Apr 23, 2009 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Don Cherry may be a bombastic, xenophobic blowhard on the verge of dementia, but he has been around the game of hockey for decades and can make a good point occassionally.

by kellyn on Apr 24, 2009 1:53 AM EDT up reply actions

If you talk as much as he does, eventually, just by chance, you are going to say something that makes sense. Thats my approach to commenting ;)

by Sct112 on Apr 24, 2009 9:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Good point – even the blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Apr 24, 2009 9:29 AM EDT up reply actions

He must be blind to choose those jackets

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Apr 24, 2009 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Cherry occasionally has a point, and Avery’s antics nearly cost the Rangers Game 4. If Torts wants to send him a message he should scratch him for game 5. Think about the situation. You have a third-line player taking 2 penalties to put his team shorthanded in the last 10 minutes of a one goal gamet against the #2 power play in the NHL To me, if I’m the coach, he’s wearing a jacket and tie to the next game. That the Rangers killed the penalties isn’t an issue, that they had to play shorthanded 4 of the last 10 minutes of a close game is the issue. If a top line player did it because the opponents were buzzing about the attacking zone, then fine…but one of Avery’s penalties was committed behind the Caps net (when he smacked Jurcina).

Cherry is right, because this is too obvious for even him to overlook… Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if Avery is benched tonight, or, if he isn’t and the Caps win and he does something stupid, that he doesn’t get benched for the rest of the series…

Let's go Caps!

by MikeL-Pivonka on Apr 24, 2009 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions

No I totally missed it too. I guess the camera angle prevented me from seeing it last night. But Don made an interesting point that maybe Tortorella still has him out there because he’s trying to prove he can control him.

by Caps1Fan on Apr 23, 2009 9:38 PM EDT reply actions

I'm sorry

I can’t concentrate. What the F is that jacket?
Avery will not be suspended by the league unless he kills someone because that would be tantamount to the league admitting they were wrong to give him another chance.
I worry about his actions on the ice too. The guy is getting more reckless again.

by DebCapsFan on Apr 23, 2009 9:44 PM EDT reply actions

Yes, we are better off with Avery playing because he’s likely to draw penalties and obvi we do well on the PPs. However, I’m afraid this guy is going to really hurt someone.

by Caps1Fan on Apr 23, 2009 9:56 PM EDT reply actions

Job for Brashear

I have a suggestion for how Brashear can earn his keep should the Caps find themselves either down 2 very late in the game, or up 2 very late in game 7. Beat Sean Avery to a pulp.

by CarlosLA on Apr 23, 2009 10:00 PM EDT reply actions

The first time around on the fist to Jurcina's face play...

I didn’t realize Avery almost catches the linesman with the end of his stick. He almost trips him with his left skate too, but moves it out of the way… however the linesman still ends up on his butt.

You would think the NHL officials association might even start to care at some point.

by superjuan on Apr 24, 2009 1:23 AM EDT reply actions

Ted Leonsis on Elliot in the morning paraphrased: He should be suspended, he’s not tough, he would run like a girl if even bradley would try to fight him.

by snowburnt on Apr 24, 2009 9:08 AM EDT reply actions