100% clean hit.  Reckless doesn’t make it illegal.  If Dion Phaneuf did that, you guys would be saying to add it to the highlight reel. 

And you stated the real problem earlier in your blip when you wrote that “Cullen quickly carried the puck into New York’s zone and with his head down...”

Someone please explain to me how that is an interference call when you lose the puck and are drilled a SPLIT SECOND later.  Orr’s elbow came up AFTER the hit.

Clean hit.  Keep your head up.  This is hockey.

Posted by siggy on 12/26/07 at 10:30 PM ET

BTW… cue Damien Cox.  I’m sure his freshly manicured fingers are ready to smack on the key board in another tired, anti-fighting/tough guy/enfocer rant.  He doesn’t miss a beat to write something that 95% of hockey fans don’t agree with.

Posted by siggy on 12/26/07 at 10:32 PM ET

i hope he gets 20 games.

thats 10x wrose than the downie hit. that hit clearly showed intent.

paging colly

Posted by FlyersFan on 12/26/07 at 10:46 PM ET

Ha.  A Philly fan calling for 20 games against a Ranger’s player.  The whole “hit to hurt” thing has really got me stumped.  Name one great checker (e.g. Stevens, Phaneuf, Kasaparitis, Tinordi, Hatcher, etc.) that didn’t/doesn’t hit to hurt.  What… do you hit NOT to hurt?  The whole Downie suspension started all of this… and they start it with a kid to boot.  And without the permission of any NHL team owner or the NHLPA… Collie and Gary just decided that longer suspensions would solve the problem.  Wong again.  Until they open up their eyes and see that this is a game played at break neck speeds where split second decisisons aren’t as easy as they seem on the tube, we’ll continue to see reckless suspension totals.  And one day, they’ll finally get it right and give Chris Pronger more than three games.

Posted by siggy on 12/26/07 at 11:06 PM ET

Orr had his head down looking at the puck, when he looked up at the last second he saw he was going to collide with Matt Cullen and put his hands up. MSG showed the replay angle of this (one where you could see where Orr was looking) about 5 minutes after play resumed.

Posted by bcrt2000 on 12/27/07 at 12:13 AM ET

Don’t know that it was a dirty hit but I’m obviously biased, since I’m a Rangers fan.

Besides the call of “interference” being laughable (he had the puck!  call it an elbow or something if you really think it’s a dirty hit, refs!), even more obnoxious was Joe Micheletti trying to explain the hit.  He actually tried to say it was an accident and that Orr was trying to protect himself by putting his arms up high.  This guy has to be the worst commentator in hockey.

Posted by K24 from NYC on 12/27/07 at 12:20 AM ET

Sorry bcrt, I think Orr was definitely aiming for Cullen.

Posted by K24 from NYC on 12/27/07 at 12:21 AM ET

K24, did you see the replay angle that I mentioned? The one where you can actually see Orr’s face and where he is looking? (the angle shot from the left side of Orr)

Posted by bcrt on 12/27/07 at 01:22 AM ET

His arms were up, but I don’t think it was a head shot. Orr was clearly gunning for Cullen, but last time I looked open-ice checks usually have a target. Orr will get a game or two for this because the League will punish anyone who throws a hit like this and doesn’t play on one of the top two lines.

Meanwhile, the notion of a Flyers fan attempting to demonize this hit is hilarious. Not only because it pales in comparison to Philly’s thuggery this season—maybe I missed it when Cullen was hit while on his knees or with his back to the play near the glass—but because Lindros would make this same check once a game before The Concussion Years.

Posted by Greg Wyshynski on 12/27/07 at 02:49 AM ET

I’m a Devils fan, the check was clean.  Stevens would’ve been proud.  Colton’ll get a game becasue it’ll look bad on SportsCenter because they’ll only show that one angle, but Orr clearly doesn’t come up for a head shot on Cullen.

Posted by Steve from New Jersey on 12/27/07 at 04:19 AM ET

Shouldn’t be a suspension on this one. Not sure it even should have been penalized.

Posted by false_cause from DC on 12/27/07 at 06:59 AM ET

Orr’s elbows were tucked in when he hit Cullen.  They flew up after he hit Cullen.  It’s a natural movement that happens when you hit someone.  Still stand by clean hit.  Hockey’s a tough sport.  It’s only been recently that the league has decided that it shouldn’t be.

Posted by siggy on 12/27/07 at 08:46 AM ET

Clean hit that didn’t deserve to be penalized, yet he got a major.  A young referee reacting to the effect rather then the act.  Those are the type of hits people pay money to see.  Keep your head up kids.

Posted by RemyM on 12/27/07 at 09:58 AM ET

From NYT Slapshot: “But Orr’s forearms were up, perhaps largely to protect himself, and one hit Cullen’s chin.”

Forearms up? Have you seen Scott Stevens forearms up on his famous hits? I guess not.

I hope someone will Annihilate Orr some day.

Posted by Caps fan on 12/27/07 at 10:33 AM ET

Totally led with his arms up hitting Cullen square in the face.  The “interference” call was crap, but the match penalty was not.  Obviously a deliberate intent to injure which is not the same as a hit that “hurts”.  All square hits hurt, even when they’re accidental.  But “intent to injure” occurs when a guy goes head hunting, which is exactly what Orr did.

Posted by nuts4pucks on 12/27/07 at 12:46 PM ET

It doesn’t mention anywhere the Orr had 3 cuts on his face from the helmet to helmet hit. It wasn’t an elbow or stick or shoulder it was a unfortunate clean hit. All parents everywhere should show this video to their young hockey playing kids as the number one reason why you skate with your head up!!

Posted by GeoinNYC on 12/27/07 at 02:40 PM ET

Yes, bcrt, I saw that replay, but there’s no way Orr didn’t know he was going to hit Cullen.  This wasn’t an accidental hit, though the result probably was.

Posted by K24 on 12/27/07 at 03:57 PM ET

Maybe I just haven’t seen it, but anyone else notice that none of the Hurricanes said it was a dirty hit?

Posted by K24 from NYC on 12/27/07 at 06:38 PM ET

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/rangers/2007/12/nhls-discipline-czar-not-comin.html

Colin Campbell says no suspension.

Posted by K24 from NYC on 12/27/07 at 07:18 PM ET