04/25/24
June 14, 2011
SportsFilter: The Tuesday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
Canucks forward Mason Raymond has a broken back after being driven awkwardly into the boards by Bruins defenceman Johnny Boychuk.
The Bruins' fans mocked Raymond with chanting as he lay on the ice.
Surprisingly, for all the times they bring a stretcher out as a precaution, the one time the guy actually has a broken back they let him be carried off by his team-mates.
posted by rumple at 01:59 PM on June 14, 2011
posted by rcade at 02:00 PM on June 14, 2011
There's a surprising amount of bad blood in this Cup series. I would not be surprised to see fans settle it like anchormen.
posted by rcade at 02:02 PM on June 14, 2011
has a broken back
Or one could say, "a fractured vertebrae". Still don't get why they didn't take him off on a stretcher.
posted by yerfatma at 02:12 PM on June 14, 2011
has a broken back
Or one could say, "a fractured vertebrae".
What's your point? Seriously, you think one "sounds better" than another?
posted by rumple at 02:30 PM on June 14, 2011
rumple: the info in your link is kind of weird: although they use the phrase "broken back", they also say it's a compression fracture, which (as much as I can recall from my EMT training) is not that common in thoracic or lumbar vertebrae, i.e., the vertebrae of the back. It tends to happen at the upper or sometimes lower end of the spine, due to axial loading. But who knows? Latest I read gives him a 4-6 week recovery.
(and yeah, why didn't they board him?)
posted by lil_brown_bat at 03:27 PM on June 14, 2011
Wait, wait, it's a broken vertebra, but, technically, it might not be in his "back". Got it!
Anyway, I haven't seen any reports of which vertebra, nor any which estimate less than three months to get better. It's gonna be more than the next game, which is the last one. Pretty sure Boychuk will be playing.
posted by rumple at 04:24 PM on June 14, 2011
I don't understand the semantic argument we're having here. Fractures are often described as breaks in media accounts. The definition of a fracture is a break in the bone. Six of one, half dozen of the GO CANUCKS!
posted by rcade at 04:33 PM on June 14, 2011
Just overwhelmed by the purple prose. I think we can all agree Nathan Horton is out because of a concussion rather than rending our garments about his "BRUISED BRAIN!" My point is the phrase is a strong bit of editorializing and you seem unable to be the least bit objective about anything related to this series.
posted by yerfatma at 04:41 PM on June 14, 2011
In no way is describing a fractured vertebrae as a broken back comparable to "BRUISED BRAIN". It's right in the story I linked to. It is hardly "purple prose" . It's not like everyone says Horton has a concussion but I insist on "He Got His Bell Rung" or something. I mean, do you agree that Pacioretty got a broken neck, or is that a "fractured vertebrae" only, too? Or Steve Moore, for that matter?
I get that you don't like reading that a Canuck has a broken back. That must suck. But your semantic derail is coming off as a desperate bit of displacement.
Anyway, I'm not a reporter and am under no burden of "objectivity", and neither is anyone here. If I really wanted to be subjective I would have described it as "a late hit that should have been two minutes for interference and that regardless of Boychuck's intentions, the severity of the injury calls for a suspension of four games." How's that?
posted by rumple at 04:52 PM on June 14, 2011
Awesome.
posted by yerfatma at 05:36 PM on June 14, 2011
That was a dirty play by Boychuk. He didn't need to drive Raymond into the corner like he did, Raymond didn't have the puck and was in a vulnerable position. And Bruins fans cheering that he was hurt just goes to show that Boston fans are the biggest assholes in the league.
posted by insomnyuk at 05:41 PM on June 14, 2011
Question for those paying attention to Stanley Cup: is there something about the lighting in Boston? How can the teams appear so evenly matched in Vancouver and then Luongo let everything get by him in Boston? For 7th game, both Vancouver and NHL are lucky about location.
(I used to be an NHL fan, but my team [the Stars] appears to be rapidly devolving to a minor league team. So, no, I am only paying passing attention to the Cup games.)
posted by graymatters at 06:06 PM on June 14, 2011
Isner and Mahut are buds now, texting each other at least twice a week.
posted by rcade at 10:07 PM on June 14, 2011
graymatter: Luongo is, I dunno, "high maintenance" I guess you could say. I think he feeds on the home adulation and the positive energy in Vancouver. Conversely, getting heckled seems to hurt his feelings in a way disproportionate to being such a highly paid player. So, he might let in a marginal goal - then the team clenches around him because he tends to let those in in bunches - and the wheels fall off from there.
The Canucks do not have a lot of veteran leadership with extensive cup experience to calm them down (Samuellson is injured,Raffi Torres is not exactly calming, neither is Lapierre).
So, would Luongo have played well and won the gold medal if the Vancouver Olympics had been held in, say, Lake Placid, or even Helsinki or someplace? I doubt it.
On the other hand, when at home he seems to be much more solid and has shown the ability to bounce back effectively - Game 5 of this series, Game 7 of the Chicago Series, for example. I think Wednesday's game is a 50:50 proposition, even with Luongo starting, whereas you could imagine it being a cakewalk for Boston just on the numbers alone. He's stolen several games this series and given a few away as well. Weird.
Schneider, his backup, is the anti-Luongo in just being a cool customer no matter how much pressure. The 4th goal he let in last night was unstoppable, can't remember the 5th. But he is a good player and will be a star in the league I am sure.
posted by rumple at 10:30 PM on June 14, 2011
USMNT sneak into the Gold Cup quarters with a 1-0 win over minnows Guadelupe, will face the ReggaeBoyz on Sunday. Jamaica powered through their group winning all three matches handily.
US team need to pull their heads out of their you know whats if they want to live up to the pre-tournament predictions.
If they don't at least make the finals, Bradley will have a tough time keeping his job (IMO). I think nothing short of a trophy is needed to retain him.
posted by billsaysthis at 11:23 PM on June 14, 2011
But he is a good player and will be a star in the league I am sure.
Would you prefer him over Luongo in the long run (assuming they could get value in a trade)?
posted by yerfatma at 08:23 AM on June 15, 2011
And Bruins fans cheering that he was hurt just goes to show that Boston fans are the biggest assholes in the league.
Anyone who would actually cheer an injury is an asshole -- I don't think there's any argument about that. I believe, however, that what you saw was some fans taunting Raymond for being a flopper. Regardless of whether they might have been right in another situation, they were hideously and embarrassingly wrong here.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:50 AM on June 15, 2011
Schneider played 22 games this year and posted essentially identical numbers to Luongo (16-4-2 with a .929 save percentage), albeit it was probably against weaker teams on average. The idea was to rest Luongo more, who had been playing 70+ games/season, to keep him fresh for the playoffs.
heh. That hasn't really worked, it's been the same Dr Roberto and Mr Lou act that has driven Canucks fans nutty the last few years. Louongo is, I dunno, emotionally immature if that makes sense. He can handle positive pressure in a friendly environment but struggles if he thinks the world is against him. His meltdowns are usually in concert with the whole team D, but I think he usually instigates that with a bad goal or two or even nervous play and the whole D just gets on edge.
Schneider by contrast seems to have exceptional calmness and maturity. He's a former AHL goalie of the year and took the Moose to the AHL finals game six, basically on his back. He's a big strong guy with impeccable technique. I don't say this lightly but he reminds me of a young Brodeur, bigger but less good puck handler, good side to side and good glove.
So, it'd be a gamble to trade Lou (who has a no trade contract; and a big contract) but I think I would. The team would be calmer, less drama, and a much smaller cap hit means they could keep all their elite Defenceman and/or pick up some meat for the second line. I wouldn't be too concerned about what was coming back since the main benefit is cap space, but surely Lou would fetch a decent price.
On the other hand, if they trade Schneider (and it seems likely they'll trade him) then I'd like to see a great return since I think he is the real deal.
The only bad thing I can say about him is he is from the Boston area and played for Boston College. I mean, %$#@
Well, I hope he doesn't get any more ice time this year for obvious reasons but he's a gem.
Drop the puck!
posted by rumple at 04:36 PM on June 15, 2011
He's a former AHL goalie of the year and took the Moose to the AHL finals
That sounds like an awesome euphemism.
posted by yerfatma at 06:56 PM on June 15, 2011
I've only ever taken a Moose to the Quarters.
posted by rumple at 07:44 PM on June 15, 2011
Would you prefer him over Luongo in the long run (assuming they could get value in a trade)?
I'm not a Canucks fan, but if I were, yes, I would. As terrific as Luongo can be, I think Schneider can be every bit as good without the threat of absolutely self-destructing on occasion.
I honestly don't know if Vancouver could get fair value for Luongo given his contract.
posted by wfrazerjr at 08:24 PM on June 15, 2011
I'm a Freemason, and they have told us all who will win this series. I might be killed if I tell this to those who are not members of the Craft, but I do know that the Stanley Cup will be skated around the ice at TD Garden in Boston.
posted by Howard_T at 12:50 PM on June 09
Looks like Witness protection will not have to worry about finding a place for Howard after all.