Stanley Cup Finals: 2018 NHL Playoffs

[pi2000]

That's not the point though. Marchessault shouldn't have to be looking for Wilson. Wilson is a good skater with good reflexes and the skill to make good clean hits. He's more than capable of policing himself and not blind-siding a player. He just chose to do it anyway, because he's a scumbag. 

 

Those old cliches like "head on a swivel" and not "admiring passes" only go so far. They work just fine if the hits are on time and from clean angles. You get blown up on a clean hit for not paying attention? Fine.

 

But at some point the players doing the illegal sh*t need to not be doing it. 

 

You an be hit legally up to 0.6s after the puck leaves your stick.   If you choose to look over your left shoulder the entire time, then you open yourself up for a "bllndside" hit, which is perfectly legal.    

 

 

Why would/should Marchessault look back to the center of the ice ? Marchessault's following the play which was on the boards, he shouldn't have to take his eyes off the puck to see where he's skating. 

 

To see if anybody has him lined up since he can be hit legally up to 0.6s after he passes the puck.    He failed.   

 

It becomes habit at a young age that you don't even turn your head in the direction of the pass, you simply take a glance, move the puck, take a look in the direction of your momentum, then refocus back on the puck... all in fractions of a second.    Just watch how many times a pass is made without the player turning their head toward their intended target.    It's how the game is played.     

Are blind side hits actually illegal, though?

 

I know late hits are. That hit may have been borderline late.

I know blind side hits where the principle point of contact is the head are illegal. That hit wasn't that.

 

I'm not sure there was anything wrong with that hit. I liked it and don't want it gone from the game. It drives me crazy that every big hit is now deemed illegal. Sometimes it's just a big hit. You don't like it? Go watch Olympic hockey or the WNHL.

 

Blindside hits are not illegal... nor should they be.   It's not the responsibility of the guy delivering the hit to make sure his target is looking at him.    The game is too fast and chaotic, that if you might as well just removing hitting from the game at that point.  

[darksabre]

A blind side hit is inherently an attempt to injure regardless of whether it's late or there is contact with the head. There's a rule for it already. The league is just full of dinosaurs like you guys who like watching good players get hurt. 

[Randall Flagg]

You an be hit legally up to 0.6s after the puck leaves your stick.   If you choose to look over your left shoulder the entire time, then you open yourself up for a "bllndside" hit, which is perfectly legal.    

 

 

 

To see if anybody has him lined up since he can be hit legally up to 0.6s after he passes the puck.    He failed.   

 

It becomes habit at a young age that you don't even turn your head in the direction of the pass, you simply take a glance, move the puck, take a look in the direction of your momentum, then refocus back on the puck... all in fractions of a second.    Just watch how many times a pass is made without the player turning their head toward their intended target.    It's how the game is played.     

 

Blindside hits are not illegal... nor should they be.   It's not the responsibility of the guy delivering the hit to make sure his target is looking at him.    The game is too fast and chaotic, that if you might as well just removing hitting from the game at that point.  

This is silly. There are dozens of legal hits that happen any given game. It still has a place in the game even if what Wilson did is illegal under some rules.

[SwampD]

A blind side hit is inherently an attempt to injure regardless of whether it's late or there is contact with the head. There's a rule for it already. The league is just full of dinosaurs like you guys who like watching good players get hurt. 

Show me the rule.

 

I guess every hit should be considered an attempt to injure. 

[darksabre]

Show me the rule.

 

I guess every hit should be considered an attempt to injure. 

I'm not going to nitpick the NHL rule book because lord knows the NHL doesn't know its ass from its head when it comes to writing rules that make any damn sense.

 

Blind side hits are bad for the game, but the NHL doesn't want to specifically write them out. The referees have the tools to enforce it though. 

 

Hockey is certainly violent, but it should be violent within the realm of good sportsmanship. Blindside hits are not very sporting. 

[pi2000]

A blind side hit is inherently an attempt to injure regardless of whether it's late or there is contact with the head. There's a rule for it already. The league is just full of dinosaurs like you guys who like watching good players get hurt. 

 

No, it's not.  Hitting a guy who doesn't see you coming doesn't mean you want to injure him.    It's part of the game.  Happens even more often in youth and minor leagues. 

 

Nobody like watching good players get hurt, or any player for that matter.    Some of us just enjoy watching a good physical emotionally charged passionate hockey game.  

 

You don't like big boy hockey?  Go watch women's leagues and 12U.  

[SwampD]

I'm not going to nitpick the NHL rule book because lord knows the NHL doesn't know its ass from its head when it comes to writing rules that make any damn sense.

 

Blind side hits are bad for the game, but the NHL doesn't want to specifically write them out. The referees have the tools to enforce it though. 

 

Hockey is certainly violent, but it should be violent within the realm of good sportsmanship. Blindside hits are not very sporting. 

I disagree.

[pi2000]

I'm not going to nitpick the NHL rule book because lord knows the NHL doesn't know its ass from its head when it comes to writing rules that make any damn sense.

 

Blind side hits are bad for the game, but the NHL doesn't want to specifically write them out. The referees have the tools to enforce it though. 

 

Hockey is certainly violent, but it should be violent within the realm of good sportsmanship. Blindside hits are not very sporting. 

 

I'll bet you're one of those guys who likes it when guys pat each other on the back after an orchestrated "fight".    

 

You want to see fewer dangerous hits?  Then get rid of the instigator rule.   That way we'll get the Probert's and Twist's back into the league who can do a better job of policing the game.   

[josie]

No, it's not.  Hitting a guy who doesn't see you coming doesn't mean you want to injure him.    It's part of the game.  Happens even more often in youth and minor leagues. 

 

Nobody like watching good players get hurt, or any player for that matter.    Some of us just enjoy watching a good physical emotionally charged passionate hockey game.  

 

You don't like big boy hockey?  Go watch women's leagues and 12U.  

Woof.

[drnkirishone]

Woof.

I have never understood why women's hockey does not have body checking. Seems sexist at worse, misguided at best

[pi2000]

I have never understood why women's hockey does not have body checking. Seems sexist at worse, misguided at best

 

If checking was legal in women's hockey, there would be fewer women participating.    

[WildCard]

If checking was legal in women's hockey, there would be fewer women participating.    

Eh I don't know about that

[darksabre]

I'll bet you're one of those guys who likes it when guys pat each other on the back after an orchestrated "fight".    

 

You want to see fewer dangerous hits?  Then get rid of the instigator rule.   That way we'll get the Probert's and Twist's back into the league who can do a better job of policing the game.   

I'm completely on board with eliminating the instigator rule. 

 

But I don't expect that to solve anything. All that would do is shift responsibility back to the designated fist takers and their brains. That's not a solution.

[Doohickie]

I disagree, if Marcchesault turned and looked to the middle of the ice ( which was the direction he was mving) he would've seen Wilson out of the corner of his eye for the last fraction of a second before the hit... which is enough time to take a defensive posture.

 

I won't disagree.

Why would/should Marchessault look back to the center of the ice ? Marchessault's following the play which was on the boards, he shouldn't have to take his eyes off the puck to see where he's skating. 

 

To keep from getting hit, of course.

[That Aud Smell]

It really is poppy to argue that eliminating hits like the one Wilson delivered is tantamount to taking hitting out of the game.

 

The NFL enacted a rule that was intended to eliminate, or greatly reduce (I'm honestly not sure), those Hines Ward crack-back specials. I think the NHL should do something similar.

 

 

Sometimes it's just a big hit. You don't like it? Go watch Olympic hockey or the WNHL.

You don't like big boy hockey?  Go watch women's leagues and 12U.  

 

The root of the issue can be found just beneath the surface of such sentiments.

[Doohickie]

That's not the point though. Marchessault shouldn't have to be looking for Wilson. Wilson is a good skater with good reflexes and the skill to make good clean hits. He's more than capable of policing himself and not blind-siding a player. He just chose to do it anyway, because he's a scumbag.

 

...shortly after his defenseman was cross-checked in the crease, resulting in a goal against.  The more the refs put their whistles in their pockets, the more players will take liberties.  To *not* do so is to give up a competitive advantage to the other team (if they're cheating and you're not, and they're scoring goals because of it, you're giving them the game by following the rules..... which is a pretty good description of what was happening in Game 1).

[That Aud Smell]

Also in danger of getting lost in the sauce here is that Tom Wilson is a POS.

[Doohickie]

Also in danger of getting lost in the sauce here is that Tom Wilson is a POS.

 

That all depends if he's on your side or not.  That applies to all the great villains of the game.

[That Aud Smell]

That all depends if he's on your side or not.  That applies to all the great villains of the game.

 

I have a close friend and several cousins who grew up in the DMV and are true-blue Caps fans (not Ovechkin bandwagoners). None of them have any illusions about who and what Wilson is -- they're not cheering that arsehole when he recklessly annihilates yet another opponent-player.**

 

** I will recognize that the SCF might prompt them to take leave of their senses.

Edited May 30, 2018 by That Aud Smell

[pi2000]

Also in danger of getting lost in the sauce here is that Tom Wilson is a POS.

 

He plays the game a certain way.   Some people don't like it, and I'm OK with that. 

 

Kaleta was even more aggressive tbh. 

[WildCard]

He plays the game a certain way.   Some people don't like it, and I'm OK with that. 

 

Kaleta was even more aggressive tbh. 

I love Tom Wilson. I'd take him on our team any day. There's a reason he's on the 1st with Ovie

[Sabel79]

He plays the game a certain way. Some people don't like it, and I'm OK with that.

 

Kaleta was even more aggressive tbh.

Kaleta was also just the worst. A bunch on here held that opinion at the time.

[That Aud Smell]

He plays the game a certain way.   Some people don't like it, and I'm OK with that. 

 

Kaleta was even more aggressive tbh. 

 

Less talented and even more aggressive, yes. He was never a favourite of mine.

[SwampD]

It really is poppy ###### to argue that eliminating hits like the one Wilson delivered is tantamount to taking hitting out of the game.

 

The NFL enacted a rule that was intended to eliminate, or greatly reduce (I'm honestly not sure), those Hines Ward crack-back specials. I think the NHL should do something similar.

 

 

 

The root of the issue can be found just beneath the surface of such sentiments.

First I'm someone who punches people (never have) and now I'm a sexist. I wonder if my wife knows. 

 

Those were the only places I could think of that don't allow hitting. Nothing deeper.

[That Aud Smell]

First I'm someone who punches people (never have) and now I'm a sexist. I wonder if my wife knows. 

 

Those were the only places I could think of that don't allow hitting. Nothing deeper.

 

Your words, not mine. It's also not the point I was making.