Alex Burrows Suspended for Game 4 Pending NHL Review (Vancouver, Calgary, and NHL Media Reaction Included)

[Flying Man]

Willie is going to put his boy Vey in if the suspension is not rescinded.

Sadly this is probably true. I wonder where he slots in though.

[alt kilgore]

debluvscanucks.....you post the most ridiculous comments. I dare you to drive to Calgary and lace up the skates. HaHa! I usually read your posts for the comic relief and this didn't disappoint. Super Moderator!!! Lol!!!

On to the topic...watching the play unfold and seeing Burrows literally punching Russell without Russell even getting his gloves off plus the fact that Burrows has history with the League of Discipline, I can see Burrows getting the one game suspension. He clearly was the aggressor and instigator even though Russell got in his face. The team better bring up Baertschi to replace him.

wrong

Jason Botchford

@FarhanLaljiTSN Russell approaches burrows after a penalized hit. This will not meet criteria of instigator

10:47 PM - 19 Apr 2015

^This^

Firstly it was a clean hit. Shoulder on shoulder. Not even the hardest hit. Gaudreau jumps right back up. Even Simpson, who we know has no love for the Canucks, describes the hit as "Burrows was getting a penalty as he.....(hesitates but can't describe it any worse than) ......hits Gaudreau hard"

But because of his size, Gaudreau goes down easy and looks worse to the ref so he calls it boarding. (I'm sure in hindsight watching the tape the ref would admit that call was wrong). But he calls it, and so because of that, and how dramatically Gaudreau went down, Burrows was expecting some reaction from a Flame player. Russell was the closest and also as Simpson describes it ...."Russell went right over to him".

The only "crime" Burrows committed was to prepare himself and hit first. He didn't look for a fight, he prepared himself as Russell approached. At another point in the game, with the score closer, a player may want to turtle and take the first punches in hopes of evening out the penalties. But in this case, with the game all but lost, Burrows decided to meet Russell half ways, and maybe even get the first punch. Do you seriously think if Burrows just stood there Russell or some other Flame wouldn't have started something?

[Amish Rake Fighter]

rescinded

[RUPERTKBD]

And I agree, if Burrows' hit is a penalty, Ferland on Sbisa should have been called as well... or both let go. However, the difference may be that the officials were strictly controlling the end game so it didn't become a gong-show like the end of Game 2.

I agree. Early on in the game, it's the old "This is playoff hockey, let 'em play" routine.

At the end, with the game out of reach, they just want to make sure that things don't get out of hand.

Personally, I have no problem with that, just so long as DoPS takes such things into account.

[The Magician]

Elliotte Friedman @FriedgeHNIC · 2m2 minutes ago

Hearing Alex Burrows' Game 3 instigator is likely to be rescinded -- making him eligible for Game 4.

[spook007]

Russell skated by Burrows chirping... Burrows bread and butter. Burrows is the one that "instigated" the actual fight, if you want to be technically right. It's like asking Dorsett to be penalized for drawing out Ferland on that penalty in game 1. That happens all the time, it is a matter of who gives in.

And I agree, if Burrows' hit is a penalty, Ferland on Sbisa should have been called as well... or both let go. However, the difference may be that the officials were strictly controlling the end game so it didn't become a gong-show like the end of Game 2.

Understand what you're saying, however Officials letting everything go until 5 min from the end and then suddenly stepping in is surely wrong? Call the game fairly. If the hit on Sbisa was ok, surely the rest were ok as well?

[Jack Fig]

Is that even a question?

And you seem to think Burrows is a coward but remember, he fought Getzlaf. I'm 3 inches and 20 pounds heavier than Burrows but I wouldn't fight Getzlaf.

Nice spin. The Canucks are getting done and Burrows runs the Flames smallest player from and behind and then drops 'em with their smallest defenceman. Quite a statement of manhood that was.

[RUPERTKBD]

Understand what you're saying, however Officials letting everything go until 5 min from the end and then suddenly stepping in is surely wrong? Call the game fairly. If the hit on Sbisa was ok, surely the rest were ok as well?

A lot of people would agree with you, but complaining about how playoff hockey is officiated is about as effective as complaining about death and taxes.

None of them are going away anytime soon.

[Jack Fig]

Who cares? Would Gaudreau fight Kassian if he skated over to talk to him? It wasn't Engelland, so pointless comparison is pointless.

It didn't happen, so you put your strawman back in the closet for another time. How about talking about what DID happen?

[-DLC-]

Nice spin. The Canucks are getting done and Burrows runs the Flames smallest player from and behind and then drops 'em with their smallest defenceman. Quite a statement of manhood that was.

Come on, Jack...everything's fair in love and war. He was running on emotion there and it wasn't like he hand picked them like that/based on that criteria. The puck was right there (at the hit) and it wasn't like they hadn't been doing that all game (playing physically/hitting OUR guys). So he should give him a pass? Because he's a lightweight? I disagree. No immunity.

And Russell engaged Burr long before that, in the second. So finish what you start? Burr didn't target him because he was small...it was an ongoing thing between the two.

Their size is their issue, not ours.

[Mackcanuck]

Farhan Lalji ‏@FarhanLaljiTSN 12s13 seconds ago

#canucks have spoken to the league this morning already on both Burrows & Hamhuis. Expecting to hear decisions soon.

[Heretic]

Nice spin. The Canucks are getting done and Burrows runs the Flames smallest player from and behind and then drops 'em with their smallest defenceman. Quite a statement of manhood that was.

Nice spin.

As opposed to big bad Bollig face washing the Sedins?

[RUPERTKBD]

It didn't happen, so you put your strawman back in the closet for another time. How about talking about what DID happen?

You've got it backwards Jack. You were the one who said "What if it had been Engelland" I see your strawman and raise you a hayloft.

[apollo]

Elliotte Friedman @FriedgeHNIC · 2m2 minutes ago

Hearing Alex Burrows' Game 3 instigator is likely to be rescinded -- making him eligible for Game 4.

We've got 19 hours and 57 minutes. I'll get bellerophon into your system by then. JUST STAY ALIVE. I'm not going to lose you

[C.Schneider]

Understand what you're saying, however Officials letting everything go until 5 min from the end and then suddenly stepping in is surely wrong? Call the game fairly. If the hit on Sbisa was ok, surely the rest were ok as well?

I'm sure the officials got a word from the management to have firm control at game end, especially with what happened in game 2. As a Canucks fan, I'm all for wanting that call on Sbisa, if they want to justify the call on Burrows.

However, as a fan of the game, I understand their action (this is of course, taking into consideration DoPS will NOT suspend Burrows). The last thing you want is a late game hit such as Burrows leading to a blood fest and injuries.

If you think logically, it makes sense. If they don't call Burrows, and let the game flow after a hit on such high profile player, it sends a message to Hartley he needs to retaliate and take justice into his own hands. Game 2 all over again.

In a sense, I feel like the penalty on Burrows was to control the Flames more than the Canucks.

[C.Schneider]

Come on, Jack...everything's fair in love and war. He was running on emotion there and it wasn't like he hand picked them like that. The puck was right there (at the hit) and it wasn't like they hadn't been doing that all game (playing physically/hitting OUR guys). So he should give him a pass? Because he's a lightweight? I disagree. No immunity.

Those are their issues not ours. Russell engaged Burr long before that, in the second. So finish what you start?

There is no denying Burrows is a smart man. He knew who was on the ice, and he knew who he was targeting.

He picked his spot, there is no denying that.

I'm not saying he shouldn't hit Gaudreau... I'm just saying the poster you quoted was making a different point.

[MikeBossy]

Watching the Ottawa-Montreal series the refs have been calling it tight and there has been very little shenanigans - last night's game there were plenty of opportunities for the officials to get a handle on the game and avoid the ruckus near the end of the game - especially the crap after the whistle around Lack. I'm so sick of bush league run the goalie hockey (both sides were guilty of it at times) NHL is so desperate for goal scoring that players can stand in the crease, shove the goalie, lay on top of them after the whistle etc. It happens every playoffs and I for one don't see the need for it.

I enjoy "old time" hockey - you know back when there wasn't the instigator penalty and players enforced the game themselves. But I digress - Russell seemed to handle himself perfectly fine with Burrows during that fight and he sought out Burrows so please stop acting like Burrows suckered Russell into a fight.

[poetica]

There's not justifiable way Burrows deserved even a penalty for a clean hit to a guy with the puck. And the instigator is definitely not the kind they intended the rule to be used for. If they didn't get a suspension for the last game, no way do we deserve one for this game!

Hamhuis also does NOT deserve a suspension for the head contact. It was clearly accidental and there was no injury (which the DoPS sometimes thinks makes all the difference.)

Can't believe these haven't already been decided.

[-DLC-]

There is no denying Burrows is a smart man. He knew who was on the ice, and he knew who he was targeting.

He picked his spot, there is no denying that.

I'm not saying he shouldn't hit Gaudreau... I'm just saying the poster you quoted was making a different point.

And I disagree...I don't think he was acting on calculations of "when/who"....I think, at that stage, he was running on pure emotion and it was an outlet at that point. And when Russell was there, once again, why not? He didn't pick his spot, he blew. There's a difference.

[sedinsforever]

I still love the moment when Bieksa saw who he had in his hands and just went crazy on Ferland.

Bieksa: "Oh, lookie here. Number 79! I wonder who this is!"

WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM!!!

Juice's expression when he saw the 79 was priceless