[News] Pospisil suspended 3 games for boarding Dunn

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Icantwhisper

Those are two completely different hits comparing them is ridiculous, comparing them just feeds the league is out to get us MO that happens every time the Flames get a penalty.
Blaming Dunn is stupid, you can't hit from behind, never could. If you have your back to the boards you shouldn't be hit. Driving the player head first into the boards will be a major every time.
Pospisil had many other options as opposed to that type of hit.

And Rempe could have taken less than five strides to make the hit and didn't have to leave his feet while making it. Having options doesn't seem to be relevant to your argument.

[jessnuts]

I totally agree the hit was not okay. Could have been disastrous for Dunn. But I do wonder what he was supposed to do there. With Dunn looking over his shoulder first, if Pospisil had have chosen a side to attack, Dunn would turn the other way and have a free lane to skate the puck. Is the idea that he should just stop behind him and they both wait for Dunn to decide what he wants to do?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by jessnuts

I totally agree the hit was not okay. Could have been disastrous for Dunn. But I do wonder what he was supposed to do there. With Dunn looking over his shoulder first, if Pospisil had have chosen a side to attack, Dunn would turn the other way and have a free lane to skate the puck. Is the idea that he should just stop behind him and they both wait for Dunn to decide what he wants to do?

Nah, just pin him to the boards without crashing into him.

[btimbit]

You can still hit him, just don't board the hell out of him

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Flames67

Agreed that a suspension is probably the right call on this one.

Mind you, Dunn had put himself in a bad position: head down, two feet from the boards, flat footed, holding the puck. Pospisil shouldn't have laid him out the hard but Dunn shouldn't compromise himself either.

If this was reversed, fans would be crying murder that a player did it twice in one game. Sure, it's not a good position to put yourself in on the second hit, but it's not even close to an excuse for Pospisil to be a complete jerk and potentially put someone's long term health in jeopardy.

You can't drive a car down the road assuming a pedestrian won't cross infront of you at the crosswalk. You certainly don't go at someone full tilt on the ice assuming they will turn at the last second either.

[jessnuts]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Nah, just pin him to the boards without crashing into him.

If he was two feet closer to the boards I’d have said the same thing and not questioned anything, but from the distance Dunn was a pin is either going to result in a holding call, or both players falling forward and dangerously hitting the boards. Dunn isn’t about to let his feet be moved. He had solidified his position before Pospisil got there.

To reiterate, I am not defending the hit. It was dangerous. But I genuinely don’t know the correct approach

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

If this was reversed, fans would be crying murder that a player did it twice in one game. Sure, it's not a good position to put yourself in on the second hit, but it's not even close to an excuse for Pospisil to be a complete jerk and potentially put someone's long term health in jeopardy.

You can't drive a car down the road assuming a pedestrian won't cross infront of you at the crosswalk. You certainly don't go at someone full tilt on the ice assuming they will turn at the last second either.

What are you arguing, though? Pretty much everyone is saying a suspension is deserved while acknowledging that Dunn put himself in a bad position. I don’t see what changes if the roles are reversed.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I've seen worse go unpunished...its boarding but it isn't even in the numbers

Flames tax

Little bit Flames tax, little bit frequent flyer tax.

You get three majors in your first 45 games and eventually they are going to give you a hearing just because.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by jessnuts

If he was two feet closer to the boards I’d have said the same thing and not questioned anything, but from the distance Dunn was a pin is either going to result in a holding call, or both players falling forward and dangerously hitting the boards. Dunn isn’t about to let his feet be moved. He had solidified his position before Pospisil got there.

To reiterate, I am not defending the hit. It was dangerous. But I genuinely don’t know the correct approach

Yeah it's part of the overall changes to the game. Sort of like the play in front of the net too. I remember when "checking from behind" was what "head contact" is today. I was a kid when they started putting stop signs on the back of jerseys and made a specific penalty for checking from behind that was an auto-ejection.

These are all good things, but it also means that players are sort of "off limits" with their backs turned which results in this sort of play and things like when people turn away from a hit and it looks dirty. In the 90s and earlier, if you were standing in front of the net, or you turned your back own an opponent, you were going to get punished.

I think what Pospisil did here is pretty bad even in those days, because the opponent didn't turn away he was already standing like that. You kind of have to just "contain" him using your stick and body without all-out crushing him. He does technically hit him on the side of the body, but numbers in full view, could have caused a pretty rough injury.

[Barnet Flame]

It is suspension worthy for sure, but what the hell was Dunn playing at? He saw Pospisil coming and he was in that position for a long time. Man, no way does Dunn try that in the days of Larry Robinson coming at you to break a board or two.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by jessnuts

If he was two feet closer to the boards I’d have said the same thing and not questioned anything, but from the distance Dunn was a pin is either going to result in a holding call, or both players falling forward and dangerously hitting the boards. Dunn isn’t about to let his feet be moved. He had solidified his position before Pospisil got there.

To reiterate, I am not defending the hit. It was dangerous. But I genuinely don’t know the correct approach

2 minute holding is better than 5, a game and a suspension. But watch Tanev against a forward in the same position. He almost never takes a penalty but he pins effectively and either wins the puck himself or a teammate comes and helps get it.

[jessnuts]

I hear you, but I would still love a solution that involves no penalty minutes a
AND no murder check

[Coach]

Originally Posted by jessnuts

I hear you, but I would still love a solution that involves no penalty minutes a
AND no murder check

You can. Defensemen do it all the time in the zone corners. You contain them by checking them with your stick and "slowly" (not slow but slower than checking) close the gap to pin them into the boards so they either give up the puck or have to make a play from a bad position.

I like a good hard hit on the forecheck, but it's got to be controlled.

[nixon45]

Originally Posted by Coach

I was hearing the scene in my mind every single time Dunn was mentioned lmao.

[Rick M.]

Has the hearing been scheduled yet?

[Boreal]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Yeah, that makes sense. Didn't like the hit in the moment, don't like it in replay, and a suspension seems fine. I'd bet *spins wheel* 2 games?

*looks at Flames record without Pospisil*

3-12-1?

Team tank:



Pospisil just needs to clean this hit out of his game. This is the type of hit that is going to get him punched in the head.

Is this where we are at?

I don’t see this hit as that egregious. He was already ejected. He doesn’t engage him in the numbers, he does it from the side & Dunn has the puck on his stick.

Vince waits way too long and needs to either move or move the puck way quicker.

If someone like Pospisil lets up on a hit like this he’s on the way back to the AHL.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Boreal

Is this where we are at?

I don’t see this hit as that egregious. He was already ejected. He doesn’t engage him in the numbers, he does it from the side & Dunn has the puck on his stick.

Vince waits way too long and needs to either move or move the puck way quicker.

If someone like Pospisil lets up on a hit like this he’s on the way back to the AHL.

This is the part that I hate, because it comes off as 'victim blaming.'

But I believe you are absolutely right.

I am sorry, but what in the everloving fata was Dunn thinking? He's what? 3 feet from the end-boards, with his back turned to play? And how long did he stand there?

Thats...target practice. That is such a stupid thing to do its practically insane.

I'm not going to advocate that Pospisil running through him was 'cool' but its just what was going to happen.

If he'd done exactly the same thing but been facing the other direction and got creamed then we're not having this conversation.

But the fact of the matter is. Whether he'd been facing play or Dunn did what he done, he knew he was getting smoked. Had to know.

Frankly it just seems unlucky that it was Pospisil's forecheck. Put any other forechecker in that position and the same thing happens.

Dunn made himself a sitting duck.

And I really dont understand why. Maybe it was just a massive brain-fart? I cant tell you. But most Pro...hell, even Amateur Hockey players would have it engrained in their brains!

"Do NOT stand 3 feet from the boards, with the puck, with your back turned. You will get annihilated."

[Flames1217]

Originally Posted by Boreal

Is this where we are at?

I don’t see this hit as that egregious. He was already ejected. He doesn’t engage him in the numbers, he does it from the side & Dunn has the puck on his stick.

Vince waits way too long and needs to either move or move the puck way quicker.

The distance between Dunn and the boards makes this hit dangerous more than the place in which Pospisil hit him.

Dunn needed to act quicker yes and he maintained his position in a vulnerable area of the ice but Pospisil has to let up when you see someone in this position.

It is the most dangerous way to hit someone as they tend to fall face first into the boards and the glass doesn't absorb any of the hit.

So bad hit, bad decision by Dunn.

I don't know if he will get suspended but he needs to eliminate these hits from his game. When someone is like this, play the puck and not the body.

[GirlySports]

It's not about the position of the victim anymore, you can't hit defenseless players, doesn't matter the reason they were defenseless.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

It's not about the position of the victim anymore, you can't hit defenseless players, doesn't matter the reason they were defenseless.

And this is my beef.

1. He's not a victim. He's an idiot.
2. There MUST be at least some onus on the puck carrier to defend himself.

He's not defenseless. He has...inexplicably...chosen to hang himself out to dry there.

Its not like he was put in a bad position by a 'Hospital pass' or he couldnt turn, or absorb a check or impact or anything else.

Dunn decided. Consciously. To stand 3 feet from the boards with the puck on his stick, facing away from play. And stand there he did.

The Cosmos did not force him. Circumstances did not force him. He chose this. Ergo he is not 'a victim.'

I dont know why he chose this. Maybe he likes pain?

I mean...its not Rocket Science. If you choose to hold the puck and stare at the boards the forechecker is going to kill you.

Was there a hot chick in the seats back there or something? I have no idea. Its like his controller disconnected. It makes no sense.