[Suspension] Orpik suspended for 3 games

[RangerFan]

Orpik received a 3 games suspension for his blatant, late, head-hunting, elbow-to-the-head hit on Maatta.

Discuss.

[blackaces]

Good good good. Glad they gave him the same as Schenn got, regardless if it's playoff games or not. Dirty play.

[Atomic Wedgy]

I'm pretty sure he was concussed there. It appears he had the fencing response.

[Daydream Nation]

Good. I am not a fan of Orpik at all. And you know he won't drop the gloves. I'm not some fighting fan but if you dish out cheap shots like that you need to answer the bell. Still don't know what Orpik was complaining about after the penalty. The refs the blew the call by not giving him a game misconduct right then.

[RangerFan]

I'm pretty sure he was concussed there. It appears he had the fencing response.

I agree. He was totally out of it as he was trying to get up.

A bit unrelated, I am sorry but I have not figured out how to embed Twitter postings and videos. How do you do that?

[Rehdaun]

Figured it would be 2. Glad to see 3.

[The Comish]

If the NHL wants to get rid of these type of predatory head shots, they need to take it a little more seriously. Three playoff games is reasonable, but I would have been okay with 10 games. How's Maatta? When is he due back? Oh right, he's concussed because of a late, unexpected head shot.

[Dennis4022]

Orpik plays close to the line, so he sometimes crosses it. You will find a lot of these players and you will find situations where the were a little bit too late or misjudged a situation.

I always liked Orpik and i still do, but that hit was different from what we saw before. It was way too late, totally intentional, a head shot and with the elbow. A 3 game suspension for that is just a joke for me. If you want to get rid of these hits, hand out 10 or maybe even 20 games. It was not an accident and it probably ended Maatta's season.

[Atomic Wedgy]

Orpik plays close to the line, so he sometimes crosses it. You will find a lot of these players and you will find situations where the were a little bit too late or misjudged a situation.

I always liked Orpik and i still do, but that hit was different from what we saw before. It was way too late, totally intentional, a head shot and with the elbow. A 3 game suspension for that is just a joke for me. If you want to get rid of these hits, hand out 10 or maybe even 20 games. It was not an accident and it probably ended Maatta's season.

I agree. That hit was disgusting. There is no room in the game for that garbage.

[Axeman33]

I think it was the right amount of games. It was a bit of a cheap shot and just Pittsburghs luck, it was on their man of glass, Maatta. Man that guy has no luck at all.

[rataylor22]

I think it was the right amount of games. It was a bit of a cheap shot and just Pittsburghs luck, it was on their man of glass, Maatta. Man that guy has no luck at all.

Actually, it was lucky for Pittsburgh it was Maatta. Hate to see a guy get injured, but he's been their worst defenseman all playoffs. Kid needs a full healthy offseason to just train and get back in proper shape.

[blackaces]

"bit of a cheap shot"?

That's a "bit of an understatement"...way late...tracked Maatta...head targeted...elbow

[Axeman33]

Actually, it was lucky for Pittsburgh it was Maatta. Hate to see a guy get injured, but he's been their worst defenseman all playoffs. Kid needs a full healthy offseason to just train and get back in proper shape.

True, he hasn't played well but the guys still has crappy luck.

[Dennis4022]

I think it was the right amount of games.

So Pittsburgh should probably call up Sestito and let him run over Holtby with his elbow first. The two minutes refs are giving for that are a joke and the 3 game suspension doesn't matter at all. Players obviously don't even need to have the puck or battle for position in front of the net, so why not use it. Just run the goalie over while the puck is somewhere else. Not much difference to what Orpik did.

I totally understand that sometimes a player turns in the last second or tries to avoid a hit and then get hit and hurt, the game is fast and you can't always react accordingly, but Orpik had all the time in the world, he wanted Maatta's head, there's no other explanation. I don't want players like that on the ice at all, 3 game suspensions don't give me the feeling that the NHL agrees.

[2014olympicgold]

That was one of the worse ones I’ve seen really. Even if he didn’t hit his head, he just was like, “that guy, I’m going to hit him, even though the puck isn’t even near him”.

A lot of the time I look at these as “game speed how does one avoid it” but this was as easy to avoid as anything.