Cooke should have fought Vinny

NOTE: This is my last blog post for a while. Taking a week off. Brant James is in the pilot's seat beginning with Friday's paper.

Anyway, I thought Matt Cooke showed a lot of disrespect for Vinny Lecavalier by not fighting him during Tuesday's game at Pittsburgh. By now, you know the back story, but for those late to the party: Cook, as a member of the Capitals last season, threw the check that separated Vinny's right shoulder that required arthroscopic surgery. Lecavalier did not have the puck at he time and Cooke was fined $2,500 by the league.

Cooke, before the game, said the hit was an accident. In fact, he said, "If I was trying to hurt someone, I would have been a lot more aggressive."

Cooke and Lecavalier on Tuesday met for the first time since the incident, and Lecavalier went after him with 3:37 left in the first period. Cooke did not engage and Lecavalier got two minutes for roughing.

Smart move? Get the superstar off the ice for a few minutes? Perhaps. But the code of conduct required Cooke give Vinny a chance for payback.

Despite the rules that eliminated much of hockey's gratuitous violence, there is still an element of outlaw justice in the game. It is a pressure release and helps set boundaries as to what is and what is not acceptable on the ice. It also ensures there are consequences for one's actions.

You play as an agitator? Better be prepared to defend what you do?

One player hurts another. Who knows if it was accidental or intentional? Either way, Cooke should have given Lecavalier the chance, and shown him some respect in the process, to defend his honor.

Happy Holiday, everybody. See you in the new year.

Comments

[hyjyljyj]

Boy is this thread bringing out the remedial reading class.

Marcel, who says he has played the game and given us no reason so far to disbelieve him, is right; those who have not played the game and don't understand the whole fighting ethic and code of conduct...not so much. Vinny deserves max credit for not pounding away on Cooke's empty cranium while he was kneeling before his master, supplicating. Good on ya Vinny. That image of Cooke on his knees while Lecavalier towers menacingly over him, probably describing in lurid detail what'll happen next time, is just a classic for the ages. Needs to be added to the wall among the other awesome photos on the Suite Level at the Palace...maybe next to the one of Vinny reducing the size of Iginla's head.

Game, set and match to Lecavalier--he utterly dominated and humiliated that smarmy little punk Cooke without even having to drop his gloves (or pants, heheheh). Two minutes for roughing? Please. Cooke should have got two minutes for unsHortsmanlike conduct, trying to get intimate with Lecavalier without permission

Guys hate risking their bodies every night for pansies. I bet one or more of the Pens takes Cooke out behind the woodshed very soon to see what the punk's made of

[Marcel]

If MSL had Cooke's reputation and took the same actions as Cooke, then he would need to answer the bell.

The only "sane person" I saw was the guy standing over Cooke, not Cooke.

I know for a fact the rest of the Pens were humiliated, thanks for the WIN, that also came with watching Cooke on his knees getting dragged around.

Cooke is a coward, enjoy his services.

[Basher]

"When your asked to dance, you dance. Staying on your knees, waiting to be rescued is....well let's say a kitten type of thing to do."

So are you saying if we send out Godard to ask St Louis to drop the gloves, you would be upset when he rejects?

[Basher]

Cooke's job is to help his team win. Fighting Vinny at the time wouldn't have done that. He is an agitator, not an enforcer; that's why we have Godard. His job is to create energy, swing momentum, draw some penalties and chip in on some offense. Fighting a guy 5 inches taller than you in a no win situation (if you win you're a jerk adding insult to injury, if you lose you, well, lose a fight) when he already has a penalty called would have been plain stupid.

[Bob]

When your asked to dance, you dance. Staying on your knees, waiting to be rescued is....well let's say a kitten type of thing to do.

[Sane Person]

People who think this guy should have "accepted the challenge" and gotten into a fight are morons. Code of Conduct? What is this, the Middle Ages? Here's an idea for the Lightning: spend more time trying to get out of the basement in a crappy division and less time with this revenge crap.

[Sane Person]

People who are getting on this guy's case for not fighting are a bunch of morons. Code of conduct? Is this the Middle Ages?

[Nan]

PD, I've seen Vinny fight some good fights in the past, maybe he is a little rusty and should take some more boxing lessons. At any rate, I don't think that he has fought as much the past few years. He does need to pick his fights at the right moments and against the right players instead of these morons who are trying to get under his skin. You are right Leo, someone else from the team should have gone after the guy instead of Vinny. That of course wouldn't have given Vinny as much satisfaction but would have saved him further injury.

[PD]

V$ should not have issues in the 1st place, its was just a hockey happenstance when he got hurt, Cooke wasn't trying to hurt him.

Secondly if the did fight, Cooke would clean his clock, so the guy was doing Vinny a favor.

When Vinny can take Hecht on without getting his face adjusted , then he can move it up a notch.

[leo]

However, Coach, I DO have work that PAYS for school. Many thanks, though. Honestly wish I could. Like I said, there MUST be some bright-eyed kid you know who's all about football and baseball. This is your chance to convert him or her to the Coolest game in the world cuz I'm a total cultist already.
Ok, Nan. So he turtled on Vinny. First of all, I'm not defending the guy, but earlier, folks were alluding to the "unwritten rule" of having to "answer the bell" when you lay down a cruel hit, intentional or not, ESPECIALLY if that cruel hit has damaging consequences, SUPER especially if those damaging consequences are focused on your star player.
I got no problem with that.
But that SAME "unwritten rule" is divided into WEIGHT CLASSES. Am I wrong?
Matt Cooke is NOT 6'4, 210lbs. Him turtling in that regard is not as much a sign of cowardice as if a Bolter HIS SIZE would've challenged him and he had refused. Am I wrong?
That's first of all.
Secondly, and most importantly, that no Bolter jumped on Cooke INSTEAD of V4 is the TRUE sign of cowardice in my eyes. It's not V4's JOB to get into fisticuffs.
And if V4 said to the resta the boys at the beginning of the game "Nobody kills him but me.", that's even worse. It would then show that V4 is putting his PRIDE ahead of the team's success.
Which was my entire point earlier: Should you not be happier that V4 avoided the risk of reinjuring his shoulder by getting into it with a guy whose name you're gonna forget in 2 years?
It's like everyone's MAD that ?Matt "Shmoe" Cooke? didn't drop'em against V4, completely blind to the risk-factors involved when gloves ARE dropped, in every fight. That's why it's mostly the SAME guys across the league who do it, few of them NHL-Stars. SCREW Matt Cooke, folks. Fergit'im.
Another Bolter shoulda gone up to Cooke for V4 and V4 should only drop'em against the Iginlas of the league when it's time to risk the shoulder...which, did he not say?, was only at 80%?
MO.
P.

[Nan]

Doesn't matter if the hit was dirty or not, Leo, the guy turned turtle on Vinny instead of fighting him. A cowardly act!

[Marcel]

Usually when the tough guys "discuss", they have a respect for each other on accepting or declining a tilt.

That's not the case here, this is not the usual scenario.

If VC challenged and wanted it, then Cooke should have accepted, rather than allowing Vinny to "walk the dog" in front of everyone.

Anybody on the same team looks at this as weak and humiliating, it just added to the Bolts win.

[leo]

Let's now take a look-see on the OTHER side of the coin.
Had Cooke accepted the challenge and they had gone at it and V4 had thrown out his shoulder again (like Komisarek and Brassard), what would you have called Cooke THEN?
A savage? A guy who now has PROVED that he deliberately wants to hurt Vinny? Like COOKE is THE enemy of Tampa, please. You guys CAN'T be serious, can you? Cooke???
I saw the play last year. We ALL saw it. NEVER did Cooke have Vinny in his sights. He wasn't even AIMING for him. Enough.
There's sour grapes and then there's REALLY sour grapes, so sour, your lips would pucker smelling those grapes from a mile off.
Enough.
You gotta better leg to stand on with the Gui! to DiMaio hit.
Hating Cooke is like everyone else hating Smaby.
What the HECK for? Hating nobodies is a WASTE of time. Get over it.
Cooke was out to HELP his team as best he could...from the 4th line. 4th line duties? Dump it in, keep it deep, work the corners, finish checks, play HARD and "chip in offensively" here and there.
That's what Cooke was doing when he whiffed through the first guy and landed on V4. You know it and I know it.
So enough with the hating on Cooke. Y'all got bigger fish to fry than some raggedy 4th liner you see twice a year.
P.

[Joe Bolts]

Cooke should have at least taken a couple of punches from Vinnie to even the score.Even my wife said he looked like a little wussy not fighting!

[Joe Bolts]

Dead on the money,Herb.

[Marcel]

Wonder what Crosby thinks ?
I suspect he barely speaks to this loser.

Only a coach like Ron Wilson would like a loser like this.

[Bob]

Matt Cooke is a classic turtle.He doesnt fight he just throws cheap shots and hopes the guy he hits cant get up.Then when it comes time for payback he hides behind the officials.

[Bob]

Matt Cooke is a classic turtle.He doesnt fight he just throws cheap shots and hopes the guy he hits cant get up.Then when it comes time for payback he hides behind the officials.

[The Voice of the Turtle]

Marcel makes a good point. One wonders how Cooke can face his Penguin teammates particularly when they see him taking liberties as an aggressive player who pushes the limit of physicality and often violates the rules. Then he turns away from the problems he instigates.

The Avery incident has demonstrated that there are limits to what teammates will tolerate from low character guys who wear the same uniforms. The Dallas team has made it abundantly clear that Sean is persona non grata, and it might likely end his career in the NHL.

Cooke also lies when he says that he was not gunning for Vinny last year. How can one look at that tape of the incident and believe his hogwash.

The sad thing is that there are fans who find creeps like Cooke to be entertaining. Yet few will deny that Matt Cooke is bankrupt in the character department. He is a disgrace to the game of hockey.

[2WayCenter]

First post calls Vinny's C into question and the next is about him calling out one of the top 5 creeps in the NHL. Just the blog game I guess.

[olin]

...he will be coming to the forum 2 time's, sure V4 will put him away here at home...in front of us all...I would like him to keep the C, but if he offers to have a A instead, so be it..This team will get better.

[Herb]

The coaching staff of the Bolts need to have another 2 hour video session with the players. Last night's game needs to be gone over with each and every player to show them what wins hockey games. The sessions they have after a loss is easy. Losing is real easy, to win a game is is the hard part. They played a complete game and need to go over what they did right. To lose, all you have to do is be lazy and stupid. Last night they fought hard for every break that they got.

[Nan]

Agree with you Damian. The guy showed disrespect by not fighting. He showed his true character by that display of cowardice. Meanwhile, hurray for Vinny for trying to get Cooke back. That was a terrible injury and did NOT have to happen. Vinny deserved that chance to fight him. I agree with you D, I hope Cooke gets nailed by the Lightning boys every time the two teams meet.

[Boltflasher]

Ontario, you can get your team back, go and get it...

[Boltflasher]

Koules can make another SAW, the Coyotes owner is strapped with no way out. Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes is in dire financial straights, with his outside business interests -- most notably Swift Transportation, a large trucking firm -- having been hammered by high gasoline costs, followed by the dramatic downturn in the economy.

[D]

Cook showed his character by turtling. The players know he's a chickens---- cheap shotter. He should be a marked man every time he steps on the ice vs Tampa Bay.

[Badbud]

TSN report (and ESPN): REPORT: COYOTES RECEIVING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM NHL..

Rumored,That the Bolts will be getting some from the NHL Teat,also.

Don't think that it can't happen. Lots of empty seats on game nigths

Less then 10,000 STH'ers

Lot's of $$$$$ going out,not as many coming in.

[Boltflasher]

Cooke along with Avery have no business in the NHL...

TSN report (and ESPN): REPORT: COYOTES RECEIVING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM NHL..

Move them back to Ontario and leave the Lightning alone...

[Marcel]

DC,

I've played the game and can tell you that by NOT fighting Vinny, Cooke may find himself out of Pitt.

He's a disgrace to the game and the reason for many players taking liberties without being held accountable, add Hollweg to the list.

[HockeyBay.com]

Vinny Should have had a Back-up Plan, like hire a mobster to break his legs after the game... ( Vinny can afford that, plenty of mob in Pittsburg )

[Badbud]

Yeah,you need a Vacation,your stuff has got Lame of late,