Perezhogin the Axe Murderer

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Based on the edited video clip in circulation, which has been played over and over by the mass media, this is the impression millions of viewers have of Perzehogin's reaction.

What is not shown is of equal if not more importance. Perezhogin beat Stafford to the puck to nullify an icing call. Perezhogin then gets flattened by a crosscheck to the back. He picks himself up and skates to the front of the net where he is once again knocked down by a crosscheck to the back. Then he has a stick swung at his head which grazes his helmet.

Three blatant penalties against Perezhogin, none of which was called. If I were Perezhogin I would have reacted in the same fashion, "Enough of this figging blemish you aspic! Oh, I'm sorry, did I disturb *your* concentration?"

[NWTHabsFan]

Kewl, the all mighty mod powers can nullify the anti-potty mouth censors. I like it!!

I sure hope that the AHL sees the entire tape and is not biased by the media's glorification of the final incident in the sequence of many attempts to injure, or at least disturb, young Alex.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

After all, "boys will be boys", right?

If the referee had done his job and called the intial crosscheck...

It is far easier to decry the irruption of a pustulant boil rather than to lament the conditions which led to its formation, and to seek to prevent future infections through a serious application of the Rule Book.

[CentreHice]

Perezhogin will get nailed hard...I can feel it. Stafford better get something....and the referee, Langdon, should never ref anything higher than Junior B. To let three flagrant successive fouls go uncalled at any level of hockey is asking for trouble.

I am not condoning Perezhogin's actions...but I can certainly see why he did it. Stafford was three inches away from connecting with a temple shot.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Hmmm, let's picture the sequence of events in a futuristic NHL where all players are equiped with sidearms. However, the weapons are only allowed to be directed at opposing goalies, as per league rules.

Now, I'm faced with a situation where an opponent, in contravention of league rules, has taken three shots at me without penalty. Should I hold my breath that the fourth attempt (can I expect anything less at this point, since justified official intervention has been absent and has in fact encouraged continued sniping at me) will also miss doing severe damage to me. Mama, didn't raise me to be that kind of fool. I will shoot back and put an end to these attempts to assassinate me, because sure as hell ain't nobody else gonna do it. Law of the jungle, babe, law of the jungle.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

I personally would like to see Perezhogin forced to do 6 months of community service. Say, for example interrogating Iraqi combatants.

[BadCompany]

With the exception of the stick to the back of Perezhoghin's head, every other "flagrant foul" is something Perezhoghin can expect to receive each and every NHL game, three times over in the playoffs. If he becomes a star, he can expect a lot worse. Its why they say you have to "pay the price."

We want Souray to be meaner. We want Komisarek to hurt people. Heck, there was a thread (or maybe it was a radio conversation) asking Theodore to start hacking people in front of his net, a la Billy Smith. I've seen people say Ribeiro should use his stick more often, to create space for himself. We want players with mean streaks. We want players who are dirty, who are borderline. We want players, frankly, like Garrett Stafford. That's the way the NHL is played. Perezhoghin either gets used to it, or goes home.

[Cranky]

BadCompany said:

With the exception of the stick to the back of Perezhoghin's head, every other "flagrant foul" is something Perezhoghin can expect to receive each and every NHL game, three times over in the playoffs. If he becomes a star, he can expect a lot worse. Its why they say you have to "pay the price."

We want Souray to be meaner. We want Komisarek to hurt people. Heck, there was a thread (or maybe it was a radio conversation) asking Theodore to start hacking people in front of his net, a la Billy Smith. I've seen people say Ribeiro should use his stick more often, to create space for himself. We want players with mean streaks. We want players who are dirty, who are borderline. We want players, frankly, like Garrett Stafford. That's the way the NHL is played. Perezhoghin either gets used to it, or goes home.

Speak for yourself, I never want to see players like that......

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

BadCompany said:

With the exception of the stick to the back of Perezhoghin's head, every other "flagrant foul" is something Perezhoghin can expect to receive each and every NHL game, three times over in the playoffs. If he becomes a star, he can expect a lot worse. Its why they say you have to "pay the price."

We want Souray to be meaner. We want Komisarek to hurt people. Heck, there was a thread (or maybe it was a radio conversation) asking Theodore to start hacking people in front of his net, a la Billy Smith. I've seen people say Ribeiro should use his stick more often, to create space for himself. We want players with mean streaks. We want players who are dirty, who are borderline. We want players, frankly, like Garrett Stafford. That's the way the NHL is played. Perezhoghin either gets used to it, or goes home.

So you prefer that players police themselves?

Fine, if that's what you want, then you accept that the rulebook is not meant to be applied and that the logical extension of that is more incidents like the one involving Stafford and Perezhogin.

In light of the above quote it seems hypocritical of you to demand a 1 year suspension for Perezhogin. Shouldn't he instead be commended for extending the boundaries of how the game is played over here? After all, to judge by your quote above, the rulebook exists so that players and referees can more easily see what it is in the game that should be ignored in order to make it a better spectacle.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

This is not figureskating, it's hockey.
In figure skating you just use a stick to hit the other skaters in the knee.
In hockey you use a stick to hit the other skaters in the head. NOT!

Hockey is a rough sport, played by big strong men carrying sticks with blades on their feet on an ice surface.
We want rough tough guys like John Ferguson, who bang into other people and fight face to face when necessary. We don't want guys who take two handed swings with the stick to the face or jump players from behind. There are rules that spell out what contact is allowed and what isn't. Referees are human and will always make mistakes. A referees mistake doesn't a player give license to maim. Perezhoegin could have defended himself in a much better manner and he will have to learn to do so if he wants to persue a career in professional hockey.

If a player takes a two handed swing at Gary Bettman, I'll allow that!

[franko]

Habs_fan_in_LA said:

Th
Referees are human and will always make mistakes. A referees mistake doesn't a player give license to maim. Perezhoegin could have defended himself in a much better manner and he will have to learn to do so if he wants to persue a career in professional hockey.

What Perez did was stupid and wrong. That being said, I'll agree with you up to a point: refs do make mistakes. One missed call is a mistake; a second missed call in the same quick sequence is a blunder;; a third missed call in the same quick sequence is reason for being banished to Tim Horton hockey for good. As you said, Perez had better get used to it. The refs seem to be on the ice to drop the puck at the beginning of the period and after goals are scored and not much more -- AHL and NHL.

Habs_fan_in_LA said:

Th
If a player takes a two handed swing at Gary Bettman, I'll allow that!

I'll even hand someone the stick!

[MC Habber]

After watching the replay over and over in slow-motion, I'm convinced that Perezhogin was not trying to hit Stafford in the head. By the time he saw Stafford getting up it was too late.

Why is this two-hander worth a year's suspension while the two-hander to Kovalev was perfectly legal (according to Van Hellemond)?

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

MC said:

After watching the replay over and over in slow-motion, I'm convinced that Perezhogin was not trying to hit Stafford in the head. By the time he saw Stafford getting up it was too late.

Why is this two-hander worth a year's suspension while the two-hander to Kovalev was perfectly legal (according to Van Hellemond)?

Hmmm....

• because a Russian (who's nation stayed out of Iraq) put an American in the hospital?
• because there was a lot of blood?
• because the AHL is a testing ground for innovations adopted by the NHL, and Bettman saw a golden opportunity to avoid having to pass down a landmark ruling in his own league?
• because the retaliator traditionally receives a harsher sentence than the instigator (often the latter gets off scot-free)?
• because while lip-service was paid to the events leading up to the incident and to other extenuating circumstances, this is the quality of "justice" one can expect in our society?