Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
The first hit: Borderline but only because the position Kassian is in. Nothing that Tkachuk does here really screams terrible hit (doesn't launch, no elbow, most contact is made with his hip), and live at full speed the announcers didn't even mention it. But when you slow it down you see how vulnerable of a position Kassian is in with his head so low.
I get why the fan base doesn't like this one but really Kassian can't put himself in that position reaching for the puck like that in that area of the ice.
Second Hit: To me this is 100% clean. Shoulder to shoulder, he turns and glides into the hit, and he makes sure he comes from an angle that it's not boarding. This hit looks way worse than it was because Kassian doesn't know how to tie up his chin strap.
Third Hit: The cleanest of the bunch. Hard, square, and really rocked Kassian. Great hit.
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Third hit was closer to a charge than the others because he kind of raced in. But all were clean. I agree that the only reason the first is even mentioned is because the Kassian defenders can't find anything to complain about on the hit that triggered him.
The stupid post above raises the stupid "You can't hit a player engaged with another" argument. Since when? It happens all the time - it's called outmanning the opponent.
As for turtling, like the NHL said, he was never given a chance to fight. I've seen the toughest goons "turtle" and cover up when they aren't in a position to actually defend themselves.
What's cowardly - making a hard legal check, following the play up ice and then covering up when attacked from behind? Or being hit hard, losing your temper and, instead of spinning the guy around and challenging him (like Tkachuk did to Dumba), grabbing him in a horsecollar tackle (illegal in the NFL), throwing him down dangerously and starting to swing before he even got a chance to get set. I thought Tootoo's fight with Iginla was punkish because he waded in before Iggy knew the fight was on and this is way worse.