This was just good hockey. If you can’t hit a guy high and you can’t hit him low…where are you supposed to hit him? OK….it was a hit to the head and should be a penalty. But Lapierre got up and should have fought the guy but he is a gutless wimp. He’ll think about taking his next cheap shot though

Posted by kevin from boston on 11/12/08 at 08:50 AM ET

kevin -

Did he hit him with the elbow or the shoulder?  To me, it looked like it was a shoulder.  He didn’t stick his elbow out like Pronger does.

As I said in the thread about the DET-PIT game, I’m honestly starting to hate this league.  Pieces or garbage like Chris Pronger are allowed to clearly elbow guys on a REGULAR basis with no punishment…. and yet Rutuu (who I have no love for whatsoever) looked to be making a hockey play to me—the puck was right THERE and he was trying to separate him from the puck.  And he gets raked over the coals for it.

The NFL is having this same problem right now, guys aren’t being allowed to make hits that they HAVE to make as part of the game.

I’ve been a Bettmnan apologist for years now because I hate how he’s been blamed for things that aren’t necessarily his doing… but these past two years have been the last straw for me I think, because there has been PLENTY in the time under his regime that is a joke.

Posted by Primis on 11/12/08 at 09:13 AM ET

It looked like a shoulder to me….to the head. In the old days they would just say “keep your head up”. I don’t have a problem when a guy skates into somebody’s shoulder. I really don’t know when all the wimpiness took hold in hockey. I don’t really blame Bettman for this… he just screwed up expansion. Open ice hitting should be encouraged in hockey and if you don’t like it drop the gloves and fight. That’s they way it should be….no need to analyze “was it an elbow or a shoulder..” Who cares…kick his azz if you have a problem with it.

Posted by kevin from boston on 11/12/08 at 09:53 AM ET

I watched the game last night, and to me it looks like Ruutu hit Lapierre with either his elbow or his forearm.  Hits to the head, when they are deliberate like this one, ought to be dealt by the NHL much harsher.  This type of play was at least as deliberate as the Tom Kostopoulous hit on Mike Van Ryn last Saturday, which resulted in a 3 game suspension for Kostopoulous.

Posted by habscout on 11/12/08 at 10:11 AM ET

With the last name Ruutu, would we expect anything less?
Classless dickery like this give the sport a bad name.

Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 11/12/08 at 10:17 AM ET

This is Jarko Ruutu, the same guy who took a run at Jaromir Jagr in the Olympics…lets not forget that

Posted by bsalamon on 11/12/08 at 01:43 PM ET

PFFF Screw Rutuu he’s a disgrace to the nhl. Oh and Bettman too!

Posted by Boris from Montreal on 11/12/08 at 02:59 PM ET