Rypien Him a New One

Rick Rypien needs to be suspended for the rest of the season. Period.

Rick Rypien, if you're that upset that you're can't hang with the rest of the goons in the league - but also that your hockey-relevant skills are utterly sub-par - that you have to attack a fan that is SIMPLY CLAPPING that your sorry excuse for talent is being removed from the game, you have no place on the ice.

This is Todd Bertuzzi disgusting. Its not as violent as Todd Bertuzzi, but it is just as stomach-turning and game-tarnishing. Rick Rypien, if you want to attack the fans, grow about 9 inches and I'm sure The King will be glad to have your act on board his circus down in Southeast Miami.

... but wait, another thought just occurred to me. I've heard of this thing called "'roid rage." Maybe Rick Rypien and Alexander Ovechkin have the same hookup. Hmm... Nah, Rypien's not good enough to be suspected of being on the juice. He's just a whiny little [expletive deleted] that got his [expletive deleted] beat and felt the need to unleash his frustration elsewhere.

Once again, fighting reveals its true value to the game of hockey.

Boudreau's Glass is Spiked

It should not be surprising that Bruce Boudreau did his best to come off as being shocked that Alexander Ovechkin could possibly be suspended for his filthy shove of Brian Campbell on Sunday. However, if he thinks the following statement is warranted, then his serving of the Ovechkin Kool Aid is spiked:

"Alex is so much stronger than everyone else. So we're penalizing him for being strong."

Ovechkin is indeed big. He's strong, and he's intense. I know Boudreau is excited about the upcoming Clash of the Titans release, but his characterization of Ovechkin as Perseus is just embarrassing.

Initially, I had actually thought that beyond the prospect of a mandatory suspension due to his repeat-offender status (3 Game Misconduct strikes), Ovechkin shouldn't have suffered supplementary discipline for his dirty tactics this time around - the 5-minute major sufficed, in my view. However, Boudreau's statement above has so enraged me on the matter that I can no longer manage to maintain any objectivity.

Good riddance. Ovechkin is as filthy as they come.

You want to do your opponents some bodily harm? How about this for a starting 5:

Center: Mike Richards
Left Wing: Alexander Ovechkin
Right Wing: Todd Bertuzzi
Defense: Chris Pronger
Defense: Andy Sutton

I reiterate: The Code is Dead

In the "good ol' days," this fantasy called "The Code" supposedly protected superstar players and provided the ability for players to police themselves on the ice. If there was ever any truth to that thought, that day is long gone.

Now, I wouldn't say myself that Jeff Carter is a superstar, but he's not bad. Yet, in Monday night's action against New Jersey, he did illustrate yet another facet of why "The Code" in hockey is dead - if it ever existed at all beyond a providing a reason for bloodthirty neaderthal hockey fans to scream and shout in support of fistfights. You see, Jeff Carter would be one of those players that opponents wouldn't be allowed to hit without enduring retribution. However, when Jeff Carter himself delivers a targeted shot to Anssi Salmela's hat rack, he proves that the idea of self-policing in order to protect superstar players is an antiquated notion - the superstars themselves are delivering the knockout blows these days (literally).

But then again, it could simply be that Philadelphia is made up entirely of goons that collectively just happen to have some semblence of hockey skills. Yeah, that seems a far more likely explanation.

P.S. I'm embedding a video replay of the hit --- Matteau: