Have you guys seen this?

Yeah, Ballard clocked Vokoun a good one! The guys on the intermission were in shock. They all said they had never seen anything like it in all of their years in the sport.

Dumb. And I thought Bert and Boucher throwing down was crazy... Ballard has to feel like crap.

Watching Ballard while they worked on Vokoun, yeah, he felt like an idiot, you could tell.

Looks like Excedren Headache #2 for sure! OUCH!

All I can say to that is "wow".

What happened a few years ago with Bertram and Boucher, I wouldn't call "Bert and Boucher throwing down" there Junglemonkey. More like Bert attacking Boucher agter getting yelled at..........

Kind of reminded me of a game early last season when the K's got scored on right at the very end of a game that would have been a shutout otherwise. Bertram took a nice baseball swing at the post, too, breaking his stick. Just didn't accidentally clip the goalie, thank goodness! But like I've said, I like to see that kind of passion out there. It was just an accident -- one that I'm sure the guy feels absolutely terrible about it. Because sliced ears bleed like crazy. I know.

Man, you hate to see that ever. Wow. Passion is one thing. You just never take a swing like that when your guy is anywhere near you. Having a kid who is a defenseman, I know that is one thing they drill into their heads, is "protect your goaltender". This would definitely NOT qualify! Sort of the opposite happened this weekend....my kids were celebrating a coal, and Jason's goalie went to "fist-bump" him, and got a little too excited, and punched him in the chest really hard and knocked him over! Good thing they are good friends with each other, or else it would have been the Bert/Boucher fight at a 9-year-old level!

How long will he be suspended?

Haven't seen any announcement yet.

But feel free to speculate using the top-secret NHL suspension flow chart: http://www.downgoesbrown.com/2009/11/nhl-suspensions.html

I don't think he will be suspended.

This question is for Blake: aka "Super Fan" Robin Big Snake was suspended for 12 games. His suspension listed all the games and dates he was suspended. One of those games was in Flint last Friday. That game was postponed until sometime in the future. Since the suspension listed game numbers that game in Flint has that game number assigned to it whenever it is played. Shouldn't he be suspended for that game when it is finally played? I think he should be. I was just wondering if I am correct. Besides it is a slow news week for you Blake and maybe you can get the answer.

I would think they would just change the suspension to whatever game is next in line, allowing him to play in the Flint game whenever they wind up having it. After all, it's about the number of games, not which games, and they would need to do it all together.

And I wouldn't expect the guy to be suspended either. It was an accident, and technically, he did nothing wrong.

But he did do something wrong. He hit another player in the head with his stick. I doubt the rule book says you can't hit another player in the head, unless it's your teamate. If that was the other team, game misconduct and suspension. Why's there a difference?

Yeah, but he was trying to hit the goal post. There's no rule against wacking the goal post in frustration. He wasn't trying to hit his teammate. In fact, I'm sure he was as shocked as anyone when he realized that he had. That's like saying Olli Jokinen should have been suspended for cutting Richard Zednick's throat. Hey, slashing a guy's throat has got to be against the rules, right?

Or at least the guy who tripped Jokinen. What's that? Aiding and abetting?

But every kid is taught from the first time putting on skates that the No. 1 rule is to be in control of your stick at all times. (It's the Colin Chaulk rule, dontcha know).

The league has announced there won't be any suspension.

did Jokinen intentionally swing his foot in the direction of Zednicks neck? Or was it in the middle of an actual play? Ballard swung his stick hit his goalie saw it had hit his goalie then swung his stick again and hit the net then skated away.....
Alright Wendy, what do you think would have happened if Ballard hit an opponent, when he was throwing a fit?
I knew he wouldnt be suspended, i just want to know the difference.

That's not what I saw. I saw a guy take a swing at the goal post not realizing or forgetting that the goalte was as close as he was. He never knew he hit the guy, which is why he batted up a second time. Surely you've read how afterwards he apologized to Vokoun so many times that Vokoun had to tell him to stop. Look, if they want to make it illegal to take a swing at the goal post after the play, fine. But it isn't. It probably would have been different if it had been an opposing goalie, sure. But in this case, show me the intent. Sure it was careless of him, but being a klutz typically isn't a suspendable offense.

Speaking of which, I suppose now everyone thinks he should be suspended for what happened to Craig Anderson. Poor guy can't get a break.

Actually, that's usually a team fine as in kangaroo court team fine.