Cornell 3 RPI 0

[KeithK]

[quote imafrshmn]Lots of RPI fans on USCHO have said, as we should expect, that the hit was legal and that Davenport put on an acting job to sell it.  By the looks of the video, it was clearly (to me anyway) boarding.  It is also clear that Davenport took a very hard fall into the boards and was no doubt shaken up--why he would want to try to sell an injury (especially at the end of a game) is beyond logic.  I'm not so sure whether the situation warranted beyond-minor penalties, from the video, because I am not sure that Davenport couldn't help slamming the board head first.[/quote]
In real time I was sure it was a penalty.  Then watching in slow motion I was momentarily unsure (Edit: I was fixated on the fact that he hit Davenport from the front) until I read the boarding rule:

SECTION 3. A player shall not body check, cross-check, elbow, charge or
trip an opponent from the front or side in such a manner that causes the
opponent to be thrown violently into the boards (see 6-23).

I don't see how you could argue that this wasn't the case here.  Davenport was thrown violently into the boards. One could argue that the hit was legal and that Davenport was off balance and should have done more to protect himself but none of that matters according to the rule description. Besides, Burgdoerfer was clearly trying to shove Davenport into the boards.  Notice the extension he gets at the end of the hit. This was a shove, not a check.

[cbuckser]

The ECAC issued supplemental discipline today for repeat offender, Erik Burgdoerfer.  The two-game suspension is in addition to the one-game suspension Burgdoerfer earned with the game disqualification.  The suspension is in response to Burgdoerfer's hitting-from-behind major/game misconduct in Friday's game against Colgate, as well as the boarding major/game disqualification at the end of Saturday's game.

In this morning's paper, Brandon Thomas wrote about Cornell's reactions to the play.

I don't buy the RPI argument that Burgdoerfer's hit was a clean shoulder-to-shoulder check.  It's true, but it misses the point.  Boarding is the appropriate penalty to call when a hit that would have been legal in open ice causes a player to fly violently into the boards.  Taylor Davenport was several feet from the boards and was off-balance and vulnerable when Burgdoerfer lit into him.  In NCAA hockey, boarding by definition is a hit from the front or the side; a check from behind must be called hitting from behind, not boarding.

[Trotsky]

Burgdoerfer isn't going to win the Lady Byng any time soon, but this seemed more unfortunate than malicious.  It wasn't Melrose or Nickerson.

He should send Davenport a get well soon, though.  That was a scary fall.

[Trotsky]

[quote imafrshmn]Lots of RPI fans on USCHO have said, as we should expect[/quote]"Expect" in the sense that people are going to see through partisan glasses, but in our experience here and on USCHO, the vast majority of RPI's fans are pretty exemplary in sportsmanship and maturity.

[KeithK]

[quote Trotsky]Burgdoerfer isn't going to win the Lady Byng any time soon, but this seemed more unfortunate than malicious.  It wasn't Melrose or Nickerson.[/quote]Maybe so.  But the kid has a history of dangerous hits.  If it's not malicious then he simply gets so frustrated that he stops caring. I'm not optimistic that another suspension will be enough to make him start thinking out there but the league has to penalize him severely for it.

[Trotsky]

[quote KeithK]Maybe so.  But the kid has a history of dangerous hits.  If it's not malicious then he simply gets so frustrated that he stops caring. I'm not optimistic that another suspension will be enough to make him start thinking out there but the league has to penalize him severely for it.[/quote]Hey, granted.  Context matters.

[ugarte]

[quote Trotsky][quote KeithK]Maybe so.  But the kid has a history of dangerous hits.  If it's not malicious then he simply gets so frustrated that he stops caring. I'm not optimistic that another suspension will be enough to make him start thinking out there but the league has to penalize him severely for it.[/quote]Hey, granted.  Context matters.[/quote]
And the context here includes "down 3-0 with one second left in the game."

[imafrshmn]

[quote imafrshmn]Lots of RPI fans on USCHO have said, as we should expect
[quote Trotsky]"Expect" in the sense that people are going to see through partisan glasses,[/quote][/quote]
Yes, that is what I meant, not implying anything about RPI fans in particular.

[quote Trotsky]but in our experience here and on USCHO, the vast majority of RPI's fans are pretty exemplary in sportsmanship and maturity.[/quote]
Thanks for this bit of experience.  I have never met RPI fans in person or been to their rink.  It does bother me though that lots of online ECAC hockey fans "hate" Cornell fans for being "classless" or "snobs" or whatever.  Admittedly, I am only a student and don't personally know the Cornell fan community very well.  However, from my 3+ years of going to games, I believe that our fans, while being intense and provocative, almost always know where to draw the line in serious matters of sportsmanship (like when opposing players are hurt at Lynah).

[Jim Hyla]

[quote ugarte][quote Trotsky][quote KeithK]Maybe so.  But the kid has a history of dangerous hits.  If it's not malicious then he simply gets so frustrated that he stops caring. I'm not optimistic that another suspension will be enough to make him start thinking out there but the league has to penalize him severely for it.[/quote]Hey, granted.  Context matters.[/quote]
And the context here includes "down 3-0 with one second left in the game."[/quote]EXACTLY!The game is over, let it go.

[sah67]

From the IJ article about the Burgdoerfer hit:

[quote Ithaca Journal] As for Davenport's condition, the outlook for this weekend's games at Lynah isn't good.

"He's not better yet," Schafer said Tuesday. "We hope to get him back for maybe one game this week. We'll find out. He might not be back for either.

"Each day hopefully is a better one for him, which they have been so far," he added. "He hasn't practiced yet this week, so we'll see what (today) brings." [/quote]

[Josh '99]

[quote Trotsky][quote imafrshmn]Lots of RPI fans on USCHO have said, as we should expect[/quote]"Expect" in the sense that people are going to see through partisan glasses, but in our experience here and on USCHO, the vast majority of RPI's fans are pretty exemplary in sportsmanship and maturity.[/quote]I think that was just a florid way of saying that Ralph is old.  :-D

[Dpperk29]

[quote ugarte][quote Trotsky][quote KeithK]Maybe so.  But the kid has a history of dangerous hits.  If it's not malicious then he simply gets so frustrated that he stops caring. I'm not optimistic that another suspension will be enough to make him start thinking out there but the league has to penalize him severely for it.[/quote]Hey, granted.  Context matters.[/quote]
And the context here includes "down 3-0 with one second left in the game."[/quote]

I am by no means excusing Burgdoefer's hit, but why was Taylor Davenport even going towards the net with such little time left in a already decided game? why not just dump it in and let the clock expire? Perhaps Mr. Burgdoefer thought Davenport was being a show boat...

[Robb]

[quote Dpperk29][quote ugarte][quote Trotsky][quote KeithK]Maybe so.  But the kid has a history of dangerous hits.  If it's not malicious then he simply gets so frustrated that he stops caring. I'm not optimistic that another suspension will be enough to make him start thinking out there but the league has to penalize him severely for it.[/quote]Hey, granted.  Context matters.[/quote]
And the context here includes "down 3-0 with one second left in the game."[/quote]

I am by no means excusing Burgdoefer's hit, but why was Taylor Davenport even going towards the net with such little time left in a already decided game? why not just dump it in and let the clock expire? Perhaps Mr. Burgdoefer thought Davenport was being a show boat...[/quote]
From the Ithaca Journal article, it sounded like Schafer, et al, took exception to the run RPI took at Scrivens with just over a minute to go, so they kept playing full speed.  Very unfortunate - if either team had taken the high road, this entire situation could have been avoided.  :-/

[redliner]

[quote Robb][quote Dpperk29][quote ugarte][quote Trotsky][quote KeithK]Maybe so.  But the kid has a history of dangerous hits.  If it's not malicious then he simply gets so frustrated that he stops caring. I'm not optimistic that another suspension will be enough to make him start thinking out there but the league has to penalize him severely for it.[/quote]Hey, granted.  Context matters.[/quote]
And the context here includes "down 3-0 with one second left in the game."[/quote]

I am by no means excusing Burgdoefer's hit, but why was Taylor Davenport even going towards the net with such little time left in a already decided game? why not just dump it in and let the clock expire? Perhaps Mr. Burgdoefer thought Davenport was being a show boat...[/quote]
From the Ithaca Journal article, it sounded like Schafer, et al, took exception to the run RPI took at Scrivens with just over a minute to go, so they kept playing full speed.  Very unfortunate - if either team had taken the high road, this entire situation could have been avoided.  :-/[/quote]

Within the same IJ article, here's Schafer's response, "Our guys will have a long memory when they come back to Lynah"

[Rosey]

[quote redliner]Within the same IJ article, here's Schafer's response, "Our guys will have a long memory when they come back to Lynah"[/quote]
If Appert knows what's good for his team, he'll bench Burgdoefer for that game.