Dallas Stars Daily Links: Shanahammer Comes Down On Marchand, Jacques; Spares Ott And Sutton?

by Erin Bolen on Jan 10, 2012 6:02 AM CST in Dallas Stars Daily Links

The NHL's disciplinary czar was given more than enough opportunity to come down hard on several NHL players who tiptoed around, or in the case of Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins, went crashing completely over the line the past few games.

And come down hard he did. Marchand was handed a five-game suspension for clipping Vancouver Canucks defenseman Sami Salo, a hit that landed Salo on in the injured list with a concussion.

I think the best part of the mess was how Marchand and the rest of the Bruins tried to claim self-defense because the defenseman was about to check him, but Shanahan systemically broke down why that was full of hot air here in the NHL.com video.

Watch the video. It's awesome.

Marchand respond via this blog for ESPN Boston, which may have been written before he got the news but was posted late Monday night. Here's the money graf.

OK, the play with Sami Salo. It technically wasn’t a clip. Clipping is when you hit someone at the knees and I did not hit him at the knees. Anyone that has seen the video will see that I hit him in the upper thigh under the buttocks. They can call it a clipping, but they obviously don’t know the rules of hockey.

That's one way to endear yourself to Shanahan, buddy, and the referees. Nice work.

Anaheim's Jean-Francois Jacques was also handed a three-game suspension for an illegal check to the head, which will be covered more in the links after the jump. But notably for the Dallas Stars, there was no news of a hearing with Steve Ott for his questionable hit against Anton Lander of the Edmonton Oilers. Although Ott could technically be suspended today, they almost always do it the day before the next game to enable teams to make any necessary call-ups.

If we're going to hear anything about Andy Sutton for his hit to the head of Loui Eriksson, therefore, it will likely come down today. But with so little national attention to either hit, which seems to be just as much a factor as injury and repeat offender status, I kind of doubt either garners anything now.

After the jump, more on today's game against the Anaheim Ducks, the Columbus Blue Jackets fire their coach and Dustin Penner has a new mortal enemy - pancakes.

Dallas_stars_news_and_notes_medium_medium_medium

Kari Lehtonen has been a little bit up and down since returning from his groin injury, but the team excepts him to round back into form, as Mike Heika details in this paywalled article. [DallasNews.com]
All the notes and numbers you need going into today's game against the Ducks. [ESPN Dallas]
The Benn brothers made some BCHL history as Jamie Benn and Jordie Benn became the first pair of BCHL brothers to appear as NHL teammates. [The Progress]
This was written before we knew Mike Ribeiro would miss tonight's game to get an MRI on his knee (thank you Theo Peckham), but it is a nice little roundup of how many things are trending for the better in Stars world at the moment. [DallasNews.com]
Mac Engel argues about why the Stars should make a serious run at the face of the Columbus Blue Jackets franchise, Rick Nash, who put himself on the trading block. I'm not sure I would want to pay what it takes to get him, but it is an intruiging possibility. [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]
And speaking of those Blue Jackets, they fired coach Scott Arniel on Monday after they got squashed by the Anaheim Ducks and replaced him with Todd Richards as an interim head coach. To their credit, several of the players did say the blame was on them (I'm looking at you, Los Angeles Kings). [Puck-Rakers Blog]
And now speaking of those Kings, Dustin Penner just makes it too darn easy to make fun of him when he admits to straining his back while eating a plate of delicious pancakes. [Puck Daddy]
The Stars get a brief mention in the NHL's 12 things to watch in the second half. [NHL.com]
Mike Modano was doing good things without a lot of media attention earlier this week. Stick tap to reader DFWFan for posting this. [ScoreBoard Daily]
In a really, really tragic development, another teenage hockey player - this time 18-year-old Jenna Privette - may have been paralyzed while playing in a high-school hockey game in Minnesota. Making this even sadder is that she was wearing the number of Jack Jablonski, the teenage boy who was paralyzed just before New Year's, on her cheek when it happened. Guh. [St. Paul Pioneer Press]
Meet the enemy, part the first: After leaving Sunday's game with a groin injury, Jonas Hiller has been listed as day-to-day (aren't we all?) by coach Bruce Boudreau. If he's unable to start, since Dan Ellis and his problems are out four weeks with groin issues, then the wonderfully-spelled Iiro Tarkki would probably get his first career NHL start. [Ducks Daily Blog]
Meet the enemy, part the second: The Shanahammer actually struck twice on Monday, also suspending Anaheim Ducks forward Jean-Francois Jacques three games for a really obvious illegal check to the head. Defenseman Francois Beauchemin had a hearing with the league but was not fined or suspended. [NHL.com]
Around the Pacific Division: The Los Angeles Kings finally found their offense, and got a notable goal celebration from Jack Johnson, in a 5-2 rout of the Washington Capitals. [Los Angeles Times]
The Royal Half might get a bit too sarcastic and goofy for my taste at times, but I had to laugh at how they made use of Penner's adventures with breakfast. It's down near the bottom. [The Royal Half]
It slices, it dices and it might even break a misbehaving stick. Yes, it's Steve Ott bobblehead night as advertised by this fabulous commercial.

Tweet Comment 21 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Mac Engel is a joke

Us trading for Nash, the lunatic. They would want Benn or Eriksson coming back… no… just no

by can we get hatcher back on Jan 10, 2012 6:10 AM CST reply actions

depends on who Nash is willing to waive his NTC for...

but i’m in general agreement. He’s just too pricey.

"He punched the highlights out of her hair.... He punched the HIGHLIGHTS out of her hair!!!" -- Young Neil

by Tsudbury on Jan 10, 2012 7:45 AM CST up reply actions

I agree.

plus you have the whole Richards angle … why do I want to take a bunch of firepower out of my new team? Though Nash isn’t coming up on free agency so that isn’t really a factor. But as a new team you got to wonder is he committed to us or to his old team??

by 1paniolo on Jan 10, 2012 8:59 AM CST up reply actions

I agree to an extent...

Columbus would undoubtedly want Benn and/or Eriksson, but history will show you that deadline deals rarely include star-caliber players being sent in both directions. The BJ’s are going to get picks, prospects, and NHL-ready talent or nothing at all. Regardless, I don’t think the Stars have the ammo to make a deal for Nash, but clearly the front office in Columbus doesn’t have a clue. So, maybe GM Joe can swindle these guys like the Sharks stole Jumbo Joe from the Bruins? Hey, it could happen.

by carlito99 on Jan 10, 2012 12:33 PM CST up reply actions

Regarding the B's (and I don't mean Bruins)

Seeing Claude Julien’s rant on the B’s website about the suspension and the hypocrisy of the league for their selective enforcement of the rules against his team leads me to think that maybe he should get his fat a— suspended for encouraging the gutless, headhunting play of his band of thugs.

There, I said it. And I feel better.

Unidentified, but reliable sources have informed the Times Herald that a St. Petersburg, Florida retirement community is negotiating with the Hicks Sports Group for the purchase of the Dallas Stars. "I don't believe it. Dickie Dunn wrote that. It's gotta be true. That's fantastic!"

by WhoMe? on Jan 10, 2012 7:05 AM CST reply actions

If you want to stop those blatantly dirty hits like Marchand's, and I mean REALLY stop them...

You suspend the little turd for however long the player he injured is out, plus one game.

Under these rules, Bertuzzi would still be suspended.

"He punched the highlights out of her hair.... He punched the HIGHLIGHTS out of her hair!!!" -- Young Neil

by Tsudbury on Jan 10, 2012 7:27 AM CST reply actions

The majoy issue with that is some guys are more prone to injury than others.

A hit to one guy could put him out for months while the exact same hit to someone else might not even result in a missed shift. Not to mention the hit putting a guy out for months may have just been the straw that broke the camel’s back if he’s been playing hurt (no pun intended). It would be tough to justify to one person that he’ll be suspended for a few months while someone else only gets 1 or 2 games for the exact same act simply due to injury. For sake of argument, let’s say Salo’s career is over (here’s hoping it’s certainly not); do you also end Marchand’s because he made a low check?

In my opinion, injury should never be brought into the equation. Either the hit is illegal or it’s not, regardless of whether the other guy is injured (see Sutton on Loui, which unfortunately may not be addressed by Shanny).

by LilEagle on Jan 10, 2012 7:47 AM CST up reply actions

I don't like basing suspensions on injury.

For the reasons you stated. I guess I can see factoring injury into the discussion as one factor of many.

But frankly, it seems the NHL is basing a large part of supplemental discipline on whether there was an injury. That and the national attention a hit gets. You can guarantee that Ott would be out several games if Lander had been injured. I like the explanations, but basing suspension on injury is tough to adjust your play to.

by 1paniolo on Jan 10, 2012 8:09 AM CST up reply actions

I'm not talking about regular illegal hits that happen in the heat of the moment. Those are "understandable" and I wouldn't want to base off of injury for those.

But for repeat offenders who go after a player with intent to injure — that’s when it needs to count. I sure as heck think Marchand deserved more than 5 games.

"He punched the highlights out of her hair.... He punched the HIGHLIGHTS out of her hair!!!" -- Young Neil

by Tsudbury on Jan 10, 2012 8:20 AM CST up reply actions

I hear what you are saying.

There is definitely a satisfaction to an ‘eye for an eye’ justice. But things like that become a real slippery slope. If Lander had suffered a concussion and missed a month … or more you know a ton of people around the NHL would have been screaming for repeat offender, dirtiest player in the NHL, Ott to get that level of suspension on a pretty basic hit.

by 1paniolo on Jan 10, 2012 8:56 AM CST up reply actions

Injuries

having anything to do with discipline with this stuff is one of the stupidest things ever. It makes my vision blur it pisses me off so much. It makes no sense. Like you said, THE SAME EXACT hit in the same EXACT spot on the ice..one might break a guys neck, one the guy might continue his shift. Penalize based on THE INFRACTION not whether someone is injured. What if someone doesn’t get hurt from something vicious, and not penalized. Then he does it again and kills a guy. If he was suspended 10 games, maybe he won’t do it again.

by StarzenheimerSchmidt on Jan 10, 2012 11:08 AM CST up reply actions

I wasn't saying base it solely off of injuries.

Even if someone isn’t hurt, they still need to be suspended. But if you have a premeditated intent to injure, you have no place in the game, that’s my real point.

New proposal: If you give someone a concussion, the league gets to concuss you!

"He punched the highlights out of her hair.... He punched the HIGHLIGHTS out of her hair!!!" -- Young Neil

by Tsudbury on Jan 10, 2012 11:29 AM CST up reply actions