Quote:
Originally Posted by BigFlameDog
...I am not agreeing with the hit, I am not disagreeing that we need to protect the skilled players. My heart stopped for a second when I saw it but at the end of the day it was not, IMO, a rule changer but there are plenty of examples of those out there.
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I totally agree.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigFlameDog
And it was JH who said he needs to have his "head on a swivel" so even he knew he was not paying proper attention. He was expecting college hockey "close the gap speed" and got caught. Good news is he probably learns from this and makes the guy look stupid next time.
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But here is where I disagree. I don't think Gaudreau could have done anything more to ensure that the hit did not occur apart from dumping the puck and peeling off. It was absolutely the right play, and he shouldn't be at all faulted for "not paying proper attention." Corrado lunged and took a swipe at him. I do think that it was probably an instinctive response on his part borne of panic because Gaudreau neatly avoided the check, but it was still a dirty hit, and Gaudreau did nothing to provoke it apart from making his man miss.