Running Stanley Cup Playoff Thread

It's much more illegal than the Kostopoulos hit on Stuart (shoulder to chin but not from the blind side, both were interference). Neither could deliver a legal hit in that situation, period, because the other guy had not touched the puck, so all this nonsense about feet on the ice and elbow tucked, which was true in both cases, is really fairly irrelevant. They both illegally hit guys in the head, Torres from the blind side. But one got the book thrown at him and the other didn't get anything.

But given this is the NHL, I'm not surprised as their stunning lack of consistency. If I were a conspiracy theorist, I'd say it was because one hit ended up injuring a Red Wing, but honestly, I just think the league disciplinary group is run by drunken monkeys.

 

Doesn't matter whether he left his feet or had his elbow tucked in. It was a blindside hit to the head.

And the only way Seaforth could have "kept his head up" was if he had eyes in the back of his head and had openings in the back of his helmet.

The guy's the Canucks' version of Matt Cooke. Gets suspended then comes back and does the same thing.

Torres is a Brampton Battalion grad so I'm predisposed to giving him a break. Not on this one.

EDIT: And in case it's not clear, here's Rule 48

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=64063

 

I understand the NHL's concern about concussions and hits to the head. But to require a player to go to a "quiet room" for a certain period of time immediately after leaving the ice seems like it is punishing the victim (and his team). If this is the case, then the person delivering the hit should also be required to sit out for the same period of time.

I thought the Torres hit was at least as severe as the one Jarret Stoll of the Kings got suspended for. Given that Torres is a repeat offender, I'm shocked he didn't get something.

 

Wings dominating so far, the arena is as loud as a retirement home after the early bird special

 

Chris Kunitz, the league office would like to speak with you.

In all seriousness, this is pretty much Exhibit A when you start talking about lack of respect among players.

And this is coming from a Pens fanboy.

 

Is that Malone? They were teammates... must not have been friends

 

THink it's Gagne.

 

I'm okay with Kunitz having a discussion with the league office as long as they drag repeat offender Steve Downie in, as well, for his charge of Ben Lovejoy.

 

It's like Kunitz has been playing in the MHL (Mars Hockey League) for the last few months

He should get suspended for oh, I don't know, the rest of the playoffs and the first ten games of the 2011-2012 regular season

 

Just found out Kunitz and Downie will both have disciplinary hearings with then NHL tomorrow.

 

Strangely, the NHL insists upon using the final score to determine the result. And, since Vancouver has won three games and Chicago none, the results are not coincidental.

As for the "if" game, to quote former Hawks coach Brian Sutter, "If my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle."

 

I honestly don't see much wrong with the Torres hit. The puck arrived there the same time Torres did (maybe 0.1 seconds after, but at the speeds they're going that's a really insignificant point). There's no way Seabrook should have been looking backwards there.

It's all well and good to break these hits down frame-by-frame, but when these guys are as fast as they are, to expect a forechecker to be able to pull up at the last nanosecond because of something the defenseman really shouldn't be doing is asking a bit much.

I also think comparing Torres to Matt Cooke is insane.