i agree. if people are allowed to repeatedly punch each other in the head until one goes down (then the refs step in) then how can they take legal action on Bertuzzi who did one roundhouse to an unexpecting player...i mean, i understand a long suspension - but nothing else. you think Bert knew the guy was going to be KO'd??? no...he most likely expected the guy to turn around or resist somehow...not collapse entirely when bert got on his back. there is no way to justify the action - but there is also no way Bert coulda known the guy was KO'd right away. IMO...suspension for the season and maybe $1 million to Moore outta Berts pocket to be payed within 2 years.
There is no denying that the Wings can S*** the bed when it comes to playoff time (see San Jose 1994, LA 2001). I just don't see that happening this year. But to your other point, do really think that Detroit or Colorado are gonna lose in the first round. They are either going to face Nashville, St. Louis or LA. I just don't see happening. Anahiem got on quite a roll last year before the playoffs so you could see that comming. I don't see any of these teams making that kind of run.
honestly...no...i don't ever expect an upset...but i'm sure one will happen. i won't know what until it actually happens. but if LA gets healthier they have a very good team. St. Louis always knows how to make noise in the playoffs...and nashville could surprise - i don't follow them much at all - but they're having a good year (but i least expect them to do anything in the playoffs).
This is hilarious seeing Nuck fans trying to justify this crap. OK, when BOWMAN agrees with the Avs, you know that the Nucks were in the wrong. I can't believe people are standing up for this piece of crap. Minimum, one year suspension. McSorley his ass. Will it happen? No, because Bertuzzi is a "star" (BS, a real star wouldn't do that crap). In a perfect world, the Nucks miss the playoffs (no way in hell that happens) and Bertuzzi's out until this time next year (again, no way in hell). He announced there was a bounty on Moore's head. He didn't have the balls to do it in the Pepsi Center, and waits until his team is getting their asses kicked. BTW, if you defend Bertuzzi in this, and then still hold a grudge against Kermit Washington for what he did, you're a hypocrit. Same exact thing.
i'm not sticking up for what Bertuzzi did at all...i think i've tried to make that clear throughout, even directly quoting and replying to you earlier. there is no way to justify what he did - but there is no way that a punch coulda done all that. maybe the avalanche dogpile coulda contributed a bit, no? i mean, if i hurt my neck, i'm sure i don't want 1000 pounds of pressure added. oh, let me say this one more time for you - i'm not justifying, i'm just looking at both sides. he did a horrible thing - but i'm sure that his intention was not for a fractured neck and broken jaw. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=75774 "The average suspension handed down by the NHL for incidents similar to Bertuzzi's has been 11 games."
Who started the dogpile? Watch the video. Bertuzzi hits him FROM BEHIND immediately knocking him unconcious. He's even more defenseless at this point. At that point, Bertuzzi tackles him in mid-air. What are the Avs supposed to do? "Gee, a oversized freak with the brain of a chimp is beating the crap out of Moore. I'd better stay back and watch." Also, check the video again. There are more Nucks in the pile than Avs. How can TSN compare this act to the ones mentioned in that article? Give me a break. There's one comparison, and it involves your precious Cannucks. I bet you guys weren't willing to say, "You know, the average suspension for McSorley would be 11 games. I think he deserves that" He deserves a year, but I'd settle for the rest of this season & playoffs. Bertuzzi Deserves One Year Suspension
I know he made a comment after the first incident along the lines of "There's a bounty. He (Moore) won't be playing in March".
Doesn't matter what he intended to do - all that matters is the outcome. There are plenty of people in jail right now for murder or manslaughter after throwing one punch in a bar fight. They weren't swinging to kill, but that's what happened. Bertuzzi intended to do harm and that is all that counts and yes one punch plus slamming on the ice could do all that damage.
the pile wouldn't have happened if nikolishin didn't jump on Bert...what??? two more canucks gonna join in? do you not remember any of the other sucker punches? one put a guy out for his career...and that equalled 12 games. please, stop comparing it to mcsorley...he didn't use a stick...it was a sucker punch - so compare it to other sucker punches.
here's a guys reply to a denver post article...not sure if i agree fully with everything, but he makes some good points. "Let me start by saying shame on you. I understand your job as a journalist and I understand what bertuzzi did was wrong. However you calling for the criminal charging of Todd Bertuzzi is completely unnecessary and uncalledfor. An you are guilty of reporting a blurry fact, Mr. Bertuzzi did not intentionally drive Steve Moore's face into the "concrete-like ice". if you watch the clip again you will notice Mr. Bertuzzi left foot steps on his stick and his leg slides out from under him. If he were intentionally driving his head into the ice wouldn't his hand or arm be on moores head. This was an unintentional act. "Of course untill his back was turned" Mr. Bertuzzi was jostling with him all shift he tried to fight him face to face, Moore declined. He was leaving the ice so Mr.Bertuzzi tried to stop him. Bertuzzi has shown through his whole career that he is not a coward, and your implication of that has no place in your article, using loaded words is a very underhanded thing to do, especially for a professional journalist. Your, like many others, comparison to the Marty McSorley incident is unwarranted McSorley used his stick on another player not his gloved fist. Though there are small similarites, like he was a hockey player, or it took place on ice, it is an unfair comparison to this incident. A better comparison is the Matt Johnson Jeff Bukeboom incident, which i realize you didn't compare to this because it was a 12 game suspension and your argument for a ban or suspension of a year is weakened. This incident was worse than the Bertuzzi incident because Bukeboom had no idea what was happenning, he was punched in the back of the head and he was celebrating a goal. If he got 12 games for an even grosser misconduct why should Mr. Bertuzzi get so much. Do you realize the severity of a one year suspension, this is a mans livelyhood, I understand Moore is injured but it is a fracture of two vertebrae he can walk now and will recover fully. The NHL will lose revenue as Todd Bertuzzi is one of the greatest draws the NHL has, this will farther complicate the financial standing of the league and its club, which is already skating on "concrete like" thin ice. You go farther than a year's suspension by saying he should be banned from the NHL which is a knee-jerk reaction, you are being completely unreasonable. Yes, he suckerpunched him in the SIDE of his face. But he did not Drive him into the ice. You completely overlook the fact that Andrei Nikolishin jumps on both of them complicating Moore's injuries farther. I am not exonerating Bertuzzi of any penalty, he should get suspended but it should be 8 games maximum. As for criminal charges, an investigation by the Vancouver police is ridiculous. No charges should be laid and the self proclaimed "short staffed" Vancouver police should get back to their jobs and try to fix some of the greater problems in Vancouver, not just getting publicity. Thank you for your consideration of this and if you write a future piece about this please include the stick slipping as most publications are overlooking it to fuel the lust for Mr. Bertuzzi's blood."
The reports i'm reading are suggesting the rest of the year, and playoffs. It's pretty severe...but deserved. He will also likely be charged, to be consistent with the McSorely incident -- and receive a suspended sentence. (and Nuggs....watch some old game tape of Claude Lemieux when he was an Ave. Clearly not in the same league as Bertuzzi's mugging, -- although much more frequent -- but it may knock you off that perch a bit). My personal pet peeve: How soft the league is on players who hit others into the boards from behind or take out knees to end other's careers. Doesn't justify Bertuzzi's antics, but inconsistent none the less.
You know.... I guess we shouldn't be surprised that opinion writers will massage the facts to 'sensationalize' (not quite the word i'm after) the incident. Many reports note that Bertuzzi cowardly stalked Moore, that he broke Moore's neck, etc. They fail to mention that Bertuzzi challenged Moore face to face and Moore declined and that it appears (and we all hope) that Moore will recover fully from the fractured vertebrate in 6 to 8 weeks. The concussion is another matter, of course, but it's hardly the first concussion in the NHL. In my opinion, the Bukeboom incident was worse in that he could not have expected a hit when celebrating a goal. I do draw parallels with McSorely in that he too, tried to goad Brasheer into a fight, when the game was all but settled, and Brasheer declined. A whack with a stick is somewhat worse -- but McSorely was also not a particularly dirty player, and it did seem he wasn't necessarily trying to hit him in the head. And my reading of the tape -- which seems to be being played endlessly, does make me believe that Bertuzzi's was intended to be a punch and nothing more. (not that that's such a good thing!). The 'driving his face to the ice' was an accident. I do agree with King C, however, that in the end, whether intended or not, Bertuzzi's gotta own up. The league was fortunate, in many ways, in the McSorely incident in that it was a player playing out the end of his career. The league could 'come down hard' rather easily. Bertuzzi, however, is an all-star, in his prime. Eight games is waaay too little. Absolute minimum would be allowing him to come back at some stage in the playoffs. A year would be the outside max. I don't see it happening. I suspect rest of season including playoffs, and possibly up to 10 games next year. It's too bad all around. He's a good player. Exciting to watch. Not dirty. But that was a dirty play. ANd Moore may have been very seriously injured. Not much you can say to defend what he did. But do take columnists, and especially Colorado editorials with a slight grain of salt.
For Avsmonkeys, any hit is legal as long as they are an Avalanche... - http://www.divealanche.com/ I feel no pity for Bert's sucker punch against Moore as it was the worst moment ever witnessed by all Canucks fans... however... Don't forget what happened to Chris Draper when he met Claude Lemieux back in `96... Cloutier can't handle well under continuous playoff pressure, period.
Thank you RM95 and bnb. According to TSN and ESPN, his suspension will be announced tomorrow morning. If it were up to me, I'd say the rest of the season and playoffs without pay.
For anyone who is interested, Page 2's Writers Bloc had some interesting things to say; here's the link http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=bloc/040310
Bertuzzi addressed the media today. He was crying throughout his apology...i don't know. i honestly don't think he meant for what happened to of happened. I play hockey and games get very emotional - and you really get pissed when you're down by a large margin. Also, i think he meant to punch him hard, maybe start a fight and beat Moore up, but i don't think he realized his first punch would knock him out...and then it happened, and so the story goes....... ``These comments are for Steve,'' said Bertuzzi. ``Steve, I just want to apologize for what happened out there. ``I had no intention of hurting you. I feel awful for what transpired.'' ``To Steve's family, I'm sorry that you had to go through this,'' Bertuzzi continued. ``I'm sorry, again, for what happened out there.'' He paused to regather himself. ``I'm relieved to hear that Steve is going to have a full recovery,'' he said. ``It means a lot to me to hear that's going to happen.'' Bertuzzi then apologized to general manager Brian Burke, the Canucks organization and his teammates. He broke down again, turned his back to the cameras and took a swig of water. He refaced the gathered media and continued. ``To the fans of hockey and the fans of Vancouver, to the kids that watch this game, I'm truly sorry,'' he said. ``I don't play the game that way. ``I'm not a mean-spirited person. I'm sorry for what happened.'' Bertuzzi turned and walked out of the room accompanied by Canucks management personnel. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=75852
I think the face plant into the ice had a lot to do with the injury too. One he knocked down the guy, he continued to throw punches/shoving. Then the other players jumped in.
I watched the video a couple of times today and it looks to me like he drives his forehead into the ice. Ugly.
