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Let's get it out there right now.
We don't feel bad about the Marc Savard hit.
We don't care about the Marc Savard hit.
You know why? Because we can see into the future. It comes with the territory of being part of the fanbase of the World Champs: The time will come when a Penguin is the victim of this type of hit, and whoever made the hit would be championed all across the Internet. We wake up every day preparing for that.
It was kind of sad on Sunday night reading stuff about the hit as we were making our rounds on the Internet. 95% of the coverage is coming from people who haven't watched more than 3 entire Pens games this season. They watch "NHL ON THE FLY" while looking at a box score and think they have a grasp on what the Penguins are all about.
Any Pens fan reading this right now has more than likely watched every game Matt Cooke has played as a Penguin. He plays the game on the edge, no question about that. But is he dirty? Nah. If we noticed him cruising around looking for cheapshots every game, we'd be the first people to mention it and make a photoshop about it. Bloggers everywhere will try to astonish you with stories of rituals and dazzle you with official-sounding terms like "repeat offender" and "code red." They might even cut into a few third-line grinders for you. But there's nothing else to talk about on their clichéd soapbox.
But this was a headshot. No doubt about it whatsoever.
It sucks to see hits like this take a player out; for any player to get injured, period.
(Pay no attention to fans from other cities wishing for Crosby to tear his ACL.)
Headshots have no place in the game.
But you know who else doesn't have a place in the game?
Matt Cooke...if he doesn't attempt a hit on Savard here.
There is a fevered competition on the Penguins' bottom two lines that has just kicked into high gear.
And Matt Cooke doesn't really light the lamp. He's on the team for a specific reason.
If he shirks away from delivering a hit, it is noticed in the film room.
Some thoughts:
1. -- Cooke is bearing down on Savard. Savard is taking the shot. By no means are we blaming Savard, but how can you expect any player in Matt Cooke's position to stop. What is Matt Cooke supposed to do? It's clear to anyone watching the video that Matt Cooke was preparing to hit Savard before Savard put himself into a vulnerable position.
2. -- People are quick to compare this to the Mike Richards hit on David Booth.
The Richards hit was 150% more brutal than this one.
3. -- This clown: Joe Haggerty from some paper in Beantown. [ crybaby]
Dirty, vicious elbow by Matt Cooke on Marc Savard to his blind side after he shot a puck at the Pittsburgh net. Just no regard for the health and well-being of another player right there. Replays showed Cooke lowered an elbow that smashed directly into Savard’s head when he had his head turned away from the Penguins forward. The elbow knocked Savard right down to the ice. Savard was down for 10 minutes and trainers had to take the playmaking center off on a stretcher. Somehow there wasn’t a penalty called on the play, but there’s no way Cooke gets off without a lengthy suspension. That is the kind of play that the NHL is trying to rid their sport of, and it’s yet another injury that the B’s can’t afford.
ugh
4. -- If you're coming here looking for us to wag the finger at Matt Cooke, sorry, you've got the wrong place. As we mentioned before, a player putting a hit like this on a Penguin, be it Crosby or Malkin, would have YouTube tribute videos made about him, all the while people would call Crosby a pussy or something.
But Karma makes its own rules.
Will Boston upset Pittsburgh in a first-round playoff matchup?
If the Hockey Gods are upset, we'll eventually know about it.
You think the Bruins are going to play a clean game on March 18th when the Pens play in Boston? They'll jump Cooke, and the Pens will go on the powerplay. It will be 3-0 before fat-ass Tim Thomas can muster up the fortitude to complain. Thanks for the 2 points in advance.
Cooke will probably get suspended 5-10 games.
Good. Rest up for the playoffs.
It gives a chance for Disco to juggle some lines and shit.
And this whole incident was a shame because it took away from a well played game. Playoff-like pace.
Pens could have won 10-1.
18
The Pens Magic Number.
The number of points they need to clinch a playoff berth.
Look at the standings.
Imagine every team wins the rest of their games.
wsh -- 130
pens -- 116
buf -- 115
njd -- 115
ott -- 109
phi -- 108
bos -- 105
atl -- 102
9th -- tb -- 101
10th -- mtl -- 100
Quick math says Tampa Bay's potential point total would be 101.
It would be the 9th-highest total in the Conference.
Finishing ahead of the 9th place team means you make the playoffs.
Don't worry about the Pens tying the 8th seed.
Pens already occupy one of the 8 spots, so it's moot.
The Pens sitting with 84 points means they only need 18 more points to reach 102 points.
There's tiebreaking scenarios we don't feel like getting into.
So let's just be safe and forecast it as 1 point above the 9th seed.
And the Devils lost.
The Devils have 2 games in hand on the Pens but are 5 points back.
Pens are finally atop the Atlantic Division.
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