Chris Neil vs Drew Stafford

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

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

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

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

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

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

Neil is a monster

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.

Props to Stafford for stepping up.

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.

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?

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.

clean hit, within half a second live...

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?

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 **** 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!