Wonder What Vinnie Van Blow & The Garden gnome St. Louis will Have to say after the Game today, Anybody think that they call that play what it is ???

Didn’t think so

Posted by Evilpens on 03/14/10 at 05:40 PM ET

That was one of the worse hits i have seen all year. Downie deserves some kind of punishment even with Sid coming back. That was absolutely disgraceful to see. You know it’s bad when your own home fans boo you.

Posted by Ada111 from MS on 03/14/10 at 05:41 PM ET

he shouldnt be suspended… at least until next year.

Posted by Death Metal Nightmare from MKE on 03/14/10 at 05:48 PM ET

Something tells me that Crosby will be a marked man for the rest of the year thanks to little Mr. Cooke

Posted by bsalamon on 03/14/10 at 05:56 PM ET

is that worse than punching a guy in the nuts from behind,while someone is holding him down?

what is the matter with Downie? stupid *#$%@&

Posted by edillac from isolation on 03/14/10 at 05:56 PM ET

Pens fans asking the league to be consistent in how it dishes out discipline for controversial hits…oh, the irony.

Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste Marie on 03/14/10 at 05:57 PM ET

Pens fans asking the league to be consistent in how it dishes out discipline for controversial hits…oh, the irony.

90% of the pens fans on here called for Cooke to be suspended, but hey, when have facts ever stopped a troll from spewing bullshit.

Posted by Kstewy16 on 03/14/10 at 06:05 PM ET

Does everyone think that was dirty? To me it looks like Downie was holding Crosby (obstruction/interference) until they fell after a few strides. Crosby only got hurt because of the way he fell. An obvious penalty, but not a cheap shot worthy of suspension.

Posted by Nucks Fan on 03/14/10 at 06:16 PM ET

Welcome back to the REAL Steve Downie

Posted by RC on 03/14/10 at 06:19 PM ET

This is a really iffy play. It’s nothing like the slewfoot Boyle put on Semin in the Olympics. It’s apparent Downie is trying to tie up Crosby and puts his knee into the back of Crosby’s leg, but slewfoot doesn’t seem to be the accurate term.

Posted by Hockey1919 from Montreal on 03/14/10 at 06:19 PM ET

An obvious penalty, but not a cheap shot worthy of suspension.

I kind of agree with you. Its pretty hard to tell exactly what happened, either like you said, Downie was just being an idiot holding up Sid and the 2 of them fell, or it was an extremely dirty attempt at taking out Sid. Since its pretty hard to prove the dirty part, I’ll just go with unfortunate fall, glad Sids OK, and Downie’s 2 minutes are all he needs.

Posted by Kstewy16 on 03/14/10 at 06:20 PM ET

I think he’s been a marked man since he came in the league - the difference is that before, it was a matter of “get the team’s best player off his game so he might commit undisciplined penalties or at least not be concentrating on the game.”  That is no different really than the key players on any team being targeted in an attempt to get them off their game.

This kind of thing is different, it’s a targeting with the intent to knock someone out of the game and hopefully several more - maybe the season, if the shot is done right.  At least before the more stringent rules kick in next year.

Now how much of that is attributable to what Cooke did and how much is just the way Downie plays is another question.  Downie has a bit of a reputation for that kind of thing - I doubt he would have behaved any differently, given his history, if the Cooke hit never happened.

With some other teams it might be a factor, but this seems to be more of a lone idiot trying to pop an opponent’s knee ligaments out of place.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 03/14/10 at 06:21 PM ET

Luckily, Sid was OK.  It looked much uglier.  Their legs got tangled, but much like Cooke won’t get any benefit of the doubt, Downie won’t either.  I don’t think Downie should be suspended, but his reputation makes it so that people will think this was dirty/intentional (not that I think it was).

Posted by pens fan in baltimore on 03/14/10 at 06:23 PM ET

I’m still amazed that he didn’t blow out his knee… When I saw that second replay, I thought his ACL was toast….

Posted by Tony from Virginia Beach, VA on 03/14/10 at 06:44 PM ET

WOW. brian campbell with broken rib, collarbone, and 2nd degree concussion   3 minutes ago

Posted by Evilpens on 03/14/10 at 06:47 PM ET

that wasn’t a slew foot. it wasn’t clean, but it wasn’t dirty either.

Posted by hollar on 03/14/10 at 06:48 PM ET

An unpleasant play to watch and really difficult to judge the level of intent, either intent to tie Crosby up or intent to injure. I’m not really a fan of crying wolf everytime physical plays results in injuries or dangerous situations because it’s the nature of the game, but the rate of hazardous actions seems a little worrisome. I don’t think there’s enough for a suspension, especially without a penalty on the play.

Malkin didn’t complete the game, so there’s another worry.

Posted by Moq from Denmark on 03/14/10 at 06:48 PM ET

is that true evilpens. If so holy smokes it didn’t look that bad

Posted by hollar on 03/14/10 at 06:49 PM ET

Malkin supposedly has a bruised foot from taking a shot off the skate. Didn’t look like he was in the pain equal to a broken foot but he will probably miss a game, which sucks because he needs to find rhythm

Posted by Ada111 from MS on 03/14/10 at 06:53 PM ET

hollar how about we let Steve Downie hit one of your star players and see how you react? I’m sorry but anyone who sits here and says it wasn’t some degree of dirty needs to get glasses and wake the hell up

Posted by Ada111 from MS on 03/14/10 at 06:54 PM ET

I’m still amazed that he didn’t blow out his knee… When I saw that second replay, I thought his ACL was toast….

Posted by Tony from Virginia Beach, VA on 03/14/10 at 07:44 PM ET

Wait a bit - he may have.

When Johan Franzen blew out his knee early in the season, he completed the game and even scored a goal, and didn’t think that it was that bad although it was swollen and sore.

It was only after later evaluation that it was determined he required surgery.  He may be fine - or an MRI may show more damage.  Returning to the game only means that he wasn’t in enough pain that he couldn’t finish.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 03/14/10 at 06:56 PM ET

They just interviewed him after the game…

Said basically after the first period, he knew he wasn’t “in trouble” in terms of a major injury, categorized it as more of a “stinger”.....

Still amazed…

Posted by Tony from Virginia Beach, VA on 03/14/10 at 06:57 PM ET

I didn’t say it was clean either ada. Its borerline Its really not that dirty. I mean he was going to check him and got his leg behind him and fell to his knees. I just don’t see the dirty part. Only reason its borderline is becasue who did it. If St. Louis would have done it, I wouldn’t think any thing of it. Just a freak incident. He didn’t put his arm around him and pull him back.

Posted by hollar on 03/14/10 at 06:59 PM ET

I’m still amazed that he didn’t blow out his knee… When I saw that second replay, I thought his ACL was toast….

Me too, the ACL, the MCL all kinds of L’s looked to be broken on that play.

Wait a bit - he may have.

Bite your tongue Ms.B. One has to believe he’ll be fine.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

OFF with Downie’s head!!! This ain’t no average first line center (Savard) this is Sidney Fukcin’ Crosby we’re talkin’ about. 

Posted by Lindas1st from New England on 03/14/10 at 07:04 PM ET

In the slow-mo replay I swear I spotted the anointed one squeezing out a few tears while sitting on the bench.

I’m betting he was texting little gary in between periods.

A bigger conspiracy theorist than myself might suggest sid is being proactive and will use any injury , real or perceived to miss the rematch with the Bruins?

P.S.

To all pens fans who are thinking of responding with an angry diatribe .....save your breath.

Posted by Down River Dan on 03/14/10 at 07:08 PM ET

Downie a piece of shit and should be suspended that was dirty you can see Downie had his leg up ready to take sid the kid down

Posted by matt from pittsburgh on 03/14/10 at 07:10 PM ET

Down River Dan- i have 3 words for you… burn in hell

Posted by Ada111 from MS on 03/14/10 at 07:15 PM ET

March 31st Penguins play the lighting against in Pittsburgh

Posted by david on 03/14/10 at 07:17 PM ET

What a dive.

Posted by PenHater on 03/14/10 at 07:20 PM ET

Pretty nasty play.  Will be interesting to see what the Bruins try, with their GM’s blessing.

It looked like Sid was able to contort himself to minimize the stress on the knee while it was pinned.  Very lucky.

Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 03/14/10 at 07:25 PM ET

For the Flying Spaghetti Monster’s sake, Dan, you truly belong to the douche armada.

Posted by Moq from Denmark on 03/14/10 at 07:28 PM ET

Pens fans asking the league to be consistent in how it dishes out discipline for controversial hits…oh, the irony.

Considering most “Pens fans”, Pittsburgh media, the Penguins radio team and even Penguins players all threw Cooke under the bus, this is a really stupid comment. Hell, I think the Post-gazette is still publishing articles about how he should be suspended.

Something tells me that Crosby will be a marked man for the rest of the year thanks to little Mr. Cooke

If it was someone like Foster or Konopka, maybe, but considering the history of Downie’s actions and the profiles of his victims, probably not. Can’t really say his suckerpunching of Blake had to do with anything Hollweg did three games prior or that breaking that linesman’s ankle had something to do with something McCreary did, for instance. If there’s any explanation for this play, it’s as a retaliation for Orpik having absolutely flattened Stamkos on a clean hit about fifteen seconds earlier.

The problem with guys like Downie and, to a lesser extent, Cooke (whose play is dirty, but borderline, whereas Downie rockets over the line when he does cross it, perhaps further than anyone in recent memory—though Enrico Ciccone and Jesse Boulerice come to mind), isn’t just that they’re dirty, it’s that they really, really can skate and play as well. Someone like Boogarde might have the same homicidal intentions as those guys, but he’ll very seldom be able to put himself in a position to take out a Crosby or a Savard. Downie’s good enough to do it and, with this play and his cold-cocking of Ovechkin, apparenty inclined.

With Downie, I’m always afraid that he’s going to take out an Ovechkin or a Brodeur or a Crosby with some kind of play like this that doesn’t belong in the California Penal leagues, much less the Bush leagues, putting the NHL back on Sportscenter for all the wrong reasons. I’m still crossing my fingers hoping that he forgets that Ovechkin kneed him and never paid the price (though Ovechkin’s willingness to answer the bell is to be commended).

Posted by steve on 03/14/10 at 07:31 PM ET

It looked like Sid was able to contort himself to minimize the stress on the knee while it was pinned.  Very lucky.

Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 03/14/10 at 08:25 PM ET

No kidding.  The sound should have had ripping paper sound effects for that point in the video.

I wonder if it will be sore enough for him to want to wear a brace to stabilize it, just for a few games or so.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 03/14/10 at 07:59 PM ET

To bad he didn’t shred his knee. I’d want downie on my team if that happend. And fi you think this is dirtier than cookes hit, your a dumbass

Posted by Awesome on 03/14/10 at 08:13 PM ET

awesome your a piece of crap

Posted by its me on 03/14/10 at 08:25 PM ET

Eek…even Crosby doesn’t deserve that.

Light-hearted note-

You have to admit…Crosby is the best NHL player at pulling that “I’ve just been shot by the guy in the rafters-stomach down-doesn’t even flinch-paralyzed (insert other random adjectives)” slide on the ice…

Posted by mrfluffy from Long Beach on 03/14/10 at 08:32 PM ET

I’m sorry but anyone who sits here and says it wasn’t some degree of dirty needs to get glasses and wake the hell up

you can see Downie had his leg up ready to take sid the kid down

Check again. If it was an attempt to injure, or some sort of slew foot, Downie’s leg (that’s in behind Crosby’s) would have jerked forward, or would at the very least be the first part of his body moving forward. Iinstead, it’s his arm and upper body moving forward since he’s trying to hold Crosby. It hurts Crosby because of the way they fall, legs still entangled.

What Ovechkin said about the Campbell hit applies here too: “It was not hard hit… it was just a moment… he just fell bad and that’s it.”

Posted by Nucks Fan on 03/14/10 at 08:43 PM ET

Crosby is the best NHL player at pulling that “I’ve just been shot by the guy in the rafters-stomach down-doesn’t even flinch-paralyzed (insert other random adjectives)” slide on the ice

I’d like to see anyone else get up from this, but that’s a more interesting criticism than most people usually level at Crosby, so:

As of right now, Modano still plays. There were a few years in the late 90s where he laid on the ice as if he had been assassinated on what seemed like every other shift only to get right back up 30 seconds later and take a faceoff. I think he even fake knocked himself out on a penalty shot one time.

Another guy on Dallas did the same thing: I think it was Matvichuk, but I’m not 100% on that.

Posted by steve on 03/14/10 at 08:51 PM ET

That’s insane. Downie has to be the dumbest player in the League.

Hi teammates just bagged Cooke for his attempt to injure. The spotlight is on all cheapshots. He’s a repeat offender… Even Don Cherry’s weighed in against this stuff. And what does the clown do? He goes after Canada’s gold medal hero and Pittsburg’s marquee player when he doesn’t have the puck at centre ice. Nuts.

Posted by Guy10 from Oz on 03/14/10 at 08:56 PM ET

guy10 must be blind because crosby had the puck. Just because he passed it doesn’t mean he can’t get hit. Its called finishing your check

Posted by awesome on 03/14/10 at 09:04 PM ET

and awesome must not watch the clip as Sid passed the puck way before the hit. go change your name because it’s not matching your comments one bit

Posted by Ada111 from MS on 03/14/10 at 09:22 PM ET

And the Oscar goes to….Sidney Crosby!

A penalty? Sure, but all-in-all not that bad. Cooke’s hit however…

Posted by Wings_In_NYC from New York, New York on 03/14/10 at 09:31 PM ET

Wings in NYC prooving once again that Red Wings fans are the most dense sports fans on the planet.

Posted by cs6687 on 03/14/10 at 10:07 PM ET

A little wrastlin never hurt anyone.

And contrary to what people are saying…this kind of reverse knee job does hurt.  People forget the composition of pads that players wear (probably because they never played hockey).  There’s VERY little flex in knee/shin pads…and if they’re taped tight it’s going to hurt like a mother.

Posted by stoneman from vegas on 03/14/10 at 10:09 PM ET

cs6..whatever - coming from a pens fan, I’ll take that as a compliment.

I bet you were as quiet as a mouse when Cooke laid out Savard.

Posted by Wings_In_NYC from New York, New York on 03/14/10 at 10:10 PM ET

No, I wasn’t happy with that hit, actually. How anyone can call out Sid on this is ridiculous.

guy10 must be blind because crosby had the puck. Just because he passed it doesn’t mean he can’t get hit. Its called finishing your check

Might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever read. A good two seconds elapsed between the pass and the cheap shot.

Posted by cs6687 on 03/14/10 at 10:15 PM ET

Anytime you have your leg positioned the way Downie did, it’s pretty shady.  I’m shocked that Crosby wasn’t hurt on that play.  Downie has been doing a poor man’s Tocchet impression until he fell back into his old habits on that shift.

Posted by enice from wherever on 03/14/10 at 11:10 PM ET

This incident had nothing to do with what Cooke did to Savard. About 10 seconds before this hit happened Orpik hit Stamkos with a fairly hard check, and this was Downie’s payback. By the way the majority of Penguins fans thought cooke deserved to be suspened.

Posted by witness from PA on 03/14/10 at 11:30 PM ET

well you have three to make the hit. I play hockey and i know the rules. It was borderline. If it was someone else not named crosby this wouldnt even be talked about. Shred that knee, shred that knee, shred that knee.

Posted by awesome on 03/15/10 at 01:20 AM ET

I wasn’t close to borderline. Not with the way he used his knee to board him. That was a clear attempt to injure. And yes the pass was well gone.

If he finishes the check, that’s borderline. When he follows through by slew footing Syd, that’s a clear attempt to injure.

Awesome dude - I’ll give you props for trolling though. On ya!

Posted by Guy10 from Oz on 03/15/10 at 04:23 AM ET

that wasn’t a slew foot. it wasn’t clean, but it wasn’t dirty either.

jamming your knee into the back of a player’s leg, miles from the play, isn’t dirty?  wow.  when will people wake up and see what’s right in front of them?

this, IMO, is exactly the kind of play that suspensions were made for.  there was NO reason to do ANY of what Downey did.  it did not affect the play IN THE SLIGHTEST.  they were not battling for the puck, nor battling for position…they were simply skating along trailing the play.  if you can’t clearly see that Downie intentionally put his knee into the back of Crosby’s leg then maybe you need your eyesight checked.

and btw, I can’t stand Crosby.  I’m a Wings fan.  but I will call a dirty play what it is, no matter who is involved.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 03/15/10 at 07:14 AM ET

guy10 must be blind because crosby had the puck. Just because he passed it doesn’t mean he can’t get hit. Its called finishing your check

no, it’s not.  there was a clear three-count after Crosby passed the puck, and another Penguin was already playing the puck.  contact is not allowed at that point - which is why interference was called.

the WAY he checked him was also dirty.  that was way more than simple body contact.

I mean, come on people.  it’s clear as day:

there is no way that is an accident.  it is a completely unnatural thing for a player to do, lifting their leg like that.

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 03/15/10 at 07:19 AM ET

Downie is a dirty player and Crosby does not deserve that. Sid does sell calls, but that’s irrelevant to this cheap shot. This could have been a season ending cheap shot, which is the only thing it has in common with the Cooke hit on Savard.

I feel dirty saying I’m glad Crosby is okay, but I really am. He’s maturing into a really good player (as his character grows to match his skills).

Posted by redxblack from Akron Ohio on 03/15/10 at 07:54 AM ET

caps fan here, meaning I’m not a crosby fan at all….this was a dirty play with a clear attempt to injure…downie is a complete piece of s$*(% and a play like that deserves at least a game suspension

this was not an attempt at a hockey play in any form, anyone trying to call it a check or the finishing of a check is clueless

Posted by caps fan on 03/15/10 at 08:20 AM ET

No, I wasn’t happy with that hit, actually. How anyone can call out Sid on this is ridiculous.

I wasn’t calling Crosby out at all…I just laugh at when he goes down to the ice…it’s always like he just died. That said…he has reason to go down like he did this time.

Posted by mrfluffy from Long Beach on 03/15/10 at 08:21 AM ET

what the hell did i just see. that is not a hockey play, that is a sucka move. i mean for freaken real steve downie. omg. i mean i’ve been watching downie play hockey since he was a kid, same with sid, and no matter all the positives he still is the same player/guy he was back in the day. no one doesn’t want agressive hockey but give me a freaken break. what was that a hit, a check, THAT’S NOT EVEN LEGAL!!! wow. i’m glad i didn’t see that game.

Posted by lae on 03/15/10 at 10:27 AM ET

i’m not even a pens fan. i am stuck in purgatory with the laughs but this has nothing to do with cooke or whatever else happened this weekend with ov and all that bs. i mean i’ve seen countless times where ov has done something like he did yesterday and he doesn’t get punished, same with malkin, and even sid sometimes does things (nothing like how downie did in this video) that should get him in trouble but this bs is full on crap and it’s not passable crap. this is a garbage play. matt cooke’s hit was a garbage play (and he knows it too but he does it because he knows he can get away with it, and for sure he knows that too. i mean boogs used to be like that but he’s shaped up and his mind is more on playing hockey and not being a cheap shot artist. anyone notice that matt cooke barely plays hockey. he never takes the initiative to set up plays or skate up the ice, score…everyone else does the work around him. the only thing he’s good for is muscle and grind, which is fine, but he also needs checks and if the league doesn’t supply the definitive rules none of this gray rulling bs and doesn’t give the guys money and all that then maybe these guys wouldn’t be so freaking self righteous about their and our game. i mean aren’t they supposed to grow the game and all that bs…well how are they going to get fans if they only market it to the niche people about violence sells and all that crap. the nhl is filled with a bunch of old white men who need some checks, literal and figuratively) and this STEVE DOWNIE MOVE IS SO COMPLETELY GUTLESS/B*TCHASSNESS that it’s almost inconceivable to think anyone would be defending whatever bs that move was just because they hate sid or the pens, or downie or the nhl, whoever/whatever. it doesn’t matter. i am so glad i didn’t see that game. f that.

Posted by lae on 03/15/10 at 10:35 AM ET

That got 2 minutes and Ovie got a game misconduct?

Nothing on this play looked accidental.  If they were tangled up, why put your hand on Crosby’s front- further entangling you?  Also, this developed over several seconds, not one or two like Ovie on CAmpbell. 

Downie should be suspended for all the reasons that Ovie should not be.  And yes, because of the Cooke hit, it looks like it’s open season on the Pen’s stars.  Even as a Devils-Caps fan, I don’t like this.

Posted by jon on 03/15/10 at 10:50 AM ET

there is no way that is an accident.  it is a completely unnatural thing for a player to do, lifting their leg like that.

Unless you’re leaning forward with your upper body, as you would in a hold or pin against the boards. As I said above, Downie’s knee never jerks forward; it’s his upper body that comes down first. He was running interference, and they fell awkwardly. At worst, Downie attempts to pull Crosby down—but there is no slew foot.

Posted by Nucks Fan on 03/15/10 at 11:31 AM ET

Downie should be suspended for all the reasons that Ovie should not be.  And yes, because of the Cooke hit, it looks like it’s open season on the Pen’s stars.  Even as a Devils-Caps fan, I don’t like this.

Nah, Downie’s just a garbage player. It isn’t like he sucker-punched Blake because Hollweg boarded somebody on the Devils.

Posted by steve on 03/15/10 at 11:34 AM ET

that wasn’t a slew foot. it wasn’t clean, but it wasn’t dirty either.

Spoken like someone who has never laced up skates before…

Posted by Andy on 03/15/10 at 02:41 PM ET

If that’s not the definition of a slew foot then we really need to re-evaluate what it is.

It’s so funny watching people defend this play. It’s the most reckless and careless play. There isn’t even any explanation for it

Posted by Ada111 from MS on 03/15/10 at 02:55 PM ET

As I said above, Downie’s knee never jerks forward; it’s his upper body that comes down first.

Wedging a guy’s knee between your leg and upper body then using your upper body to wrench said leg to the ice is not a by the book slew-foot, you’re right.

In fact, there is no word for what Downie does here, because, as far as I know, nobody’s ever been nuts/dirty enough to try something like what he did here on the pro level.

Posted by steve on 03/15/10 at 03:47 PM ET

Puck Daddy just identified the play as a “scorpion death lock.” Probably the most accurate description to date.

Posted by steve on 03/15/10 at 05:27 PM ET

The Pens play the Lightning at the Mellon coming up so i’m anxious to see how the fans treat him but more than anything i want to see how our players react to Downie now that they have all seen the replays over and over again and maybe we will have Godard back. I’m giving Coach Dan the benefit of the doubt that since we didn’t have our fighter in the game that he didn’t want one of our players getting in a fight with Downie and getting hurt? I’m sorry but from what i have learned about the NHL when a teammate, especially your captain, gets a hit like that away from the play, you better attack his ass.

It will be an interesting next couple of weeks for the Pens… we have Devils, Bruins, Lightning AND CRapitals. 

I do think that the Bruins will not attack Sid or Geno because the Bruins have always had respect for elite players and Mark Recchi was really close to Sid so hopefully he wouldnt allow that to go down.

Posted by Ada111 from MS on 03/15/10 at 05:27 PM ET