The facts: Time: Drury makes a shot Time +0.5 to 2 seconds: Drury admires his shot, watching to see if it goes in. Time +1 to 2 seconds: Neil checks Drury Time 5 to 7 seconds: Stafford hooks up with Neil Time 10 to 20 seconds: homer Buffalo announcers finally figure out which Ottawa player it really is. Time +18 hours, Buffalo homers still think it was a bad hit which should have been penalized. Two Rules about contact hockey: Rule #1: Keep your Head UP Rule #2: Look for guys who aren't keeping their head up. The fact that that there is Rule #2, makes Rule #1 all the more important. If you don't understand this then go watch another sport, cause hockey is not for you. Maybe golf, or synchronized swimming.

his head was up you nuck he was looking to the right and didnt have the puck so he shouldnt be expecting a hit that was dirty and it was an elbow you can see him lifting his elbows but whatever im not going to run my mouth like you idiots we will see you saturday

Booo hooo, hooo. If you guys are whining about somebody getting nailled with their head down, I have 3 words for you.... Watch GIRLS HOCKEY...

Buffalo should be ready for this kind of stuff. I wouldn't be suprised if they see a lot more of this down the stretch

So having your head down is the new NHL.? When Drury wakes up ask him if he thinks it was dirty, not likely it was his fault. Nice hit Neily, maybe Peters and Mair will show up before a hit wakes up Bufalo on Sat night. Cudos to Mair for apologizing to Heatley after.

It wasn't a dirty hit it was clean, it was 2 seconds after the pass in the instant replay that's sloooowed down folks. It's bang bang live. It was a bit of a head shot but it was shoulder, say what you will. I don't blame Neil for the hit and I don't really blame Ruff for what' he did either. It might have been a bit of overkill with all your meatheads on the ice at once. I expect Ruff to be fined by the leauge.

Good Clean Hit ! Old time hockey lives !

But remember 4 words. KEEP YOUR HEADS UP. quit whinning like lil girls now, it was a clean hit. but sens and sabres both suck.

First - the hit was clean. Drury should have had his head up instead of admiring his shot. Second - Having done my tour of duty in the minors, I like to think I know the game. I'm from Ottawa and follow the Sens - 2 buddies on the team. Kudos to Ray Emery - he stepped up. He's a tough kid. As for the rest of the club...Cowards. You can't let your goalie go toe-to-toe with a scrapper in the NHL and WATCH. If it was Daniel Briere - different story. Emery would take him. I don't care if you're Spezza or Heatley, you need to step in and do something instead of watch your #1 goalie fight a tough guy. This is why this city will never see a Stanley Cup. Chickey sh*ts!

I like drury and don't like seeing him get hit. league needs to legislate against hits to the head. nonetheless, it is a legal hit in today's nhl. drury was caught admiring his pass. Buffalo is learning what it means to be one of the top teams in the league and why it's so hard to stay there. everyone is gunning for you.

i respect stafford for doing what he did. he knew neil was gonna kick his ass but he also knew that neil's a pussy for what he did to drury. peters is gonna raise hell on saturday and ottawas coach is a prick.

clean hit, within half a second live...

The facts as seen by a Buffalo fan: A. The hit was a little dirty...probably warranted a roughing penalty, but not a suspension. Neil did make a B-line right for Drury so there was intent. B. That doesn't change the fact that Chris Neil is a dirty player and a disgrace to the game. He made a career out of cheap shots and goating players to drop the gloves, then skating away, which ain't right. Reminds me of Claude Lemieux. C. These games also don't change the fact that Ottawa will still choke in the playoffs. It's looking like Pittsburgh in the first round. Good luck with that. We'll see you in 07-08.

a non fighter fighting a fighter...

Drury should do his helmet up a little tighter - he wouldn't have hit his head on the ice. The strap was not tight - what an ass.

Win to Neil in a too quick (nothing) bout where he got the only punches in before it was over. Like most of the callups, i know nothing about Stafford but points to him for sticking up for his injured teammate.

edge to stafford for having the balls to stick up for his teammates and go after neil. neil isn't worth his salt for throwing hits to the head like that. drury is looking at the net, below the top of the circle. thats not really open ice, theres not really much of a reason to expect a open ice hit, especially when the guy isnt in your line of sight.

im sorry but drury couldnt get out of the way or even move his head he got hit 2 seconds after the pass. secondly i mean come on its not a clean hit its clearly interference and just total disrespect. Neil is a son of a female dog and if peters doesnt fight him saturday then im gunna be super pissed.

Nothing fight. Neil threw two, none landing. Stafford goes down but looks like got pulled there. A draw.

What a hit...then an ass whoping on Crapfford.

ANother chicken sh*t cheap shot by the king of cheap shots. Then Neil makes a joke of himself by not being able to win a fight against a goal scorer. Chris your a hack!!!!

Chris Neil obviously wins the physical part but i gotta vote draw because of Drew Stafford's tenacity. This is a guy who goes up and down between Rochester and Buffalo, yet always gives it his all for his teamates. He plays good hockey, but he has an even better character. The fact that he stood up for his captain without hesitating is a big plus in my book. And besides, thanks to the element of surprise, he actually got a couple of good ones in on Neil before Neil dished out his usual. P.S. Everyone who knows hockey knows you keep your head up...thats obvious...but whats not obvious is that Neil went at Drury from his Left Back area, which means that even if Drury had his head up, he wouldn't be able to really see him coming...HOW CAN ANYONE HONESTLY BLAME DRURY FOR LOOKIN AT THE PUCK AFTER HE SHOT IT? WHAT WAS HE SUPPOSED TO DO, SHOOT AND THEN RIGHT AWAY TURN TO HIS LEFT BACK AREA BECAUSE HE ALL OF A SUDDEN GOT A HUNCH THAT SUM1 MIGHT BE COMING AT HIM 2 SECS LATER? GIVE ME A BREAK GUYS, I FIGURED SOMEONE WOULD OF MENTIONED THIS ALREADY...---JUST TO CLARIFY---IT WAS A CLEAN HIT, BUT DEF LATE, AND THERE IS NO WAY DRURY SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO HAVE SEEN THAT COMING, BC OF THE POSITIONING #1, AND THE FACT THAT HE JUST TOOK A SHOT #2.

All right, first of all, definitely a late hit on a player that clearly didn't see him coming! Don't pay any attention to the above Senators fans, Neil should've received a penalty for a late hit, when he didn't, we beat the shit out of his teammates! But of course, Toronto wouldn't be happy that the American hockey team is destroying their capitol's hockey team, and so they penalized the Sabres most, and fined the captain. And still no action against Neil. And my hat is off to you, Drew Stafford, for defending your captain!

Clean hit by Neil... waaaaa waaaaa. Go watch curling you pussies.

Props to Stafford for stepping up.

wats with the senators and the big brawls..haha

The hit was within the rules, it was shoulder to head, it was less then a second after he dumped the puck. Chris Neil leads the league in hits and if you think for a second that he was going to or even have a chance to pull up (.491 hundreds of a second after he dumps it in), it's nuts. And as for the Brian Murray being a prick, do a little follow up research you ignorant a$$.

hahah that hit was amazing good job neil, I dont know how u buffalo fans complain about that hit totally clean, teaches him not to keep his head down! Amazing fight by neil at the end to!

Stupid Neil! Taking out one of our best players.

What a Jerk hope Peters takes his number!!!!!

i like that the rookie dug in at a good fighter and put up a good fight, although there were not many hits.

props to drew stafford, a rookie who isnt known for his physical game standing up and filling a role of a much missed paul gaustad

I can't beleive you all keep repeating he should have kept his head up. Seems me his head was up watching his pass/shot and he was looking forward. You can't blame Drury for looking forwards can you ? Definately seen later hits and he hit him with a shoulder and follows through withe the elbow movement that doesn't make a difference, all good, but he got him from a really bad angle that no player would see coming. I don't like it. Sure you have to be aware who's on the ice and that is Neil's game, but he comes slighty from behind and he head hunts. Props to Stafford for going straight after Neil. He was lucky the refs got in there quickly or there would have been more blood on the ice courtesy of Neil pounding Stafford

It may have been a clean hit, but that doesn't mean that it's ok. Neil broke the rules of engagment and went after the Captain. That is not something that is accepted. Neil is a fight Drury is not. As for the fight it was short and uneventful. I can't wait until saturday.

Keep your head up!

Maybe not technically a late hit, but definitely head hunting. Everyone talking about old time hockey this and that, but one of the unwritten rules is, you hit a star, you get a whoopin! What about Edmonton when Gretzky was there? What would have happened if a similar hit took place?

That was a clean shoulder check. No penalty to call on that one.

neil labels drury, Stafford comes to the aid of his teammate and gets his ass kicked for his efforts.

I never liked Chris Neil. But, I can remember Lindros getting hit like that a several times when playing in Philly, and guys like Scott Stevens always got kudos for their great hits. The hit is high, but I don't think it's late. It might be 2 seconds late on the slow motion video.

before all you sabre fans start whining about Neil the golden rule in hockey is, DONT ADMIRE YOUR PASS OR YOU GET YOUR HEAD KNOCKED OFF! That said i hope Drury is ok.

I'll tell zou something... this guz who hit Drury is a fucking dick...

Cheap hit by Neil

Win Chris Neil.

and that was a clean hit that a boy neiler

I didn't see ruff jumping up and down crying like a baby when campbell hit umberger. I guess only he likes it when his team dishes it out but cries and whines to the league when connolly got destroyed by a clean hit in the playoffs last year, briere got smoked by a clean hit in washington, and drury got annihilated by a clean hit in buffalo. Great work by Neil with a hit and fight on the same shift.

Neil leads the league in hits for a reason...thats his job. Look at the replays you Sabre babies, not only was it clean it was from the side. Ruff has to be the biggest baby in the league. Tell your captain to keep his head up instead of admiring his pass. As far as McGratton and Peters going tonite, not a problem there and hopefully Mair will attempt to go with Neil. Sabres responded well after the hit?? Good grief, going out and taking on all the skill players, Rob Ray or Brad May would of never done that. Makes the Sabres the cowards indeed.

Neil is a monster

cudos to stafford for going to neil knowing he is going to get his ass kicked. i am a huge sabres fan. but i think the hit was late and yes an elbow popped up at the end but when you hit someone it is natural for your arms to fly up. as far as peters going after emery, if you have never seen emery fight he can hold his own. he actually might be ott. best fighter actually. he is a big boy that can hold his own. but if you ott. fans think that mcgratton is going to beable to take of peters, remember alittle while ago peters put him on the shelf for alittle while. the big question will neil take on peters or mair?

neil is piece of shit

Niel went after drury, if he had balls he would have took a run at peters or mair. The hit wasnt overly dirty but it was still a goon going after a star player. The sabres had to respond. It was dirty. The Sen's had no balls, spezza and heatly both ran away from peters and mair. Then peters went after emery and not one of the Sens had the balls to go after him. A foward pumps a goalie and the sens watch, real tough guys. The sens go after a star then the sabres wanna fight and they wont fight, then peters beats up their goalie and they watch, Then the Sabres win the game regarless of being short Afinogenov, Gaustad, Kotalik, Spacek, Novotny, Paille, and Connolly.

Neil gets a clean win....good job by Stafford coming in to stand up for his team mate against a tough guy like Neil. Sabers showed team toughness tonight which i think they had to do.....hit was a bit late but elbows were down and i have seen worse...but Neil did what he does and the Sabers answered the bell. hope Drury is ok any word on his condition?

Cheap Shot!!! Way to late of a hit. Should be a pretty entertaining game on Sat! Classy of Mair to talk to Heatly after the game. You mess with Drury, you should expect this to happen

Two-Words - Head Hunting! Thats exactly what Neil was doing. I commend Stafford, who is a rookie and a non fighter for going after Neil. I guess if you cant beat the Sabres, injure they're star players, right Senator fans? And I thought the Leafs were bad.

I love the fights, but hate to see enforcers bully elite players. I'm not sure Neil has any reason to be afraid of Peters as Emery was even able to handle his own.

ok coaches. after Drury passed the puck what should be do? turn around and go to the blueline to play defense? or keep his eye on the puck and get ready for a pass or try to make a play? quit using childish excuses for this hit.

BigDude, Dirty is dirty and that was dirty.

Neil is a little shit and should suspended for that hit on Drury.

its pretty pathetic to anyone that says it was a clean hit. look after he hits him his elbows go up and the pass was already completed. the hit at most was 2 seconds late and a ditry hit. anyone that thinks otehrwise is nieve. maybe he didnt get an elbow in but even then it was a late hit and in any sport a late hit is considered a dirty hit.

The Leafs are bad? SlugLord? Nice comment, are ya ticked cuz the Leafs always beat the Sabre's? Dirty hit by Neil, no question, i cant wait for saturdays rematch! Cowardly hit, all i can say.

It''s simple Niel is a goon!!! He needs to work on his timing- if he wasn't so slow he could hit clean.

The hit was late, but if Drury's chin strap was tighter, his helmet doesn't fly off and he doesn't bust his melon. Probably an interference, but it is hockey, there's bound to be contact. gotta be ready for it. Tell me that guys like Rob Ray from Buffalo hasn't done this from time to time.

Two words ... CLEAN HIT!!!!! Ruff should shut his fat mouth and receive a reminder that this is the NHL and not Pee Wee hockey. Stafford had to pull Neil down because he was getting is can kicked!!