Quote:
Originally Posted by Red
I don't know. He hurt Schiffele. He hurt Campbell? I am not saying he is this dirty, but other fans do. Like us Flames fans say about Wilson.
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I think Tkachuk is a bit dirty - greasy more than dirty. I think Tkachuk WAS worse to start his career. I hated his slewfoots, and I thought that elbow on Doughty was excessive.
I don't see Tkachuk trying to injure people now. I didn't like him 'falling' on the goalies as I do think it can hurt someone. I am not a huge fan of his 'rat game' at times - I generally dislike rats.
I just don't think Tkachuk and Wilson are comparables here really. Wilson tries to crush guys and he likes to beat the snot out of guys. I love Wilson and his overall game 99% of the time, but he has gone over that line a few too many times, and continues to do it.
I don't have a problem with him starting a ruckus that night. If Panarin jumped him from behind trying to stop him, I would expect him to turn around give Panarin a really hard time and make him regret it - that's 100% ok in my books. This is a chance to rough up a star player.
However, I am 100% NOT OK with Wilson grabbing Panarin and driving him to the ice like that. To me, that was an obvious intent to injure.
I have argued that I think McSorely's stick work on Brashear that got him permanently banned from the NHL was really a tap that was not meant to have the impact it did (compare that to Dino Cicarelli's stickwork!). This one? Not 'NHL Ban-worthy', but definitely deserved more than 5K fine. That's a fairly clear 'intent to injure' there.
Tkachuk WAS a dirty player when he first came into the league. I hated his slewfoots for one, and some of what I call 'cheap shots'. I don't see him being dirty any longer - just ratty. Wilson was an intent to injure, and I generally like Wilson and his game, and feel at times things are overblown at times because of his reputation and because people generally hate him now.
They are not wrong in this case, IMO. There was definitely intent (and success!) to injure. I would have no issues if Wilson roughed-up Panarin, pushed him, wrestled with him, gave him a smack of a punch - dirty, but not trying to kill him. Riding his head into the ice - that's trying to kill him, and way over the line.