[GT] Flames vs Canucks

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

A small groin issue for Bennett. Not a big deal

Bennett seems prone to groin injuries. He missed the Top Prospects game in January for this reason and was hampered by a groin injury in the playoffs.

[AcGold]

They really need to clean the game up. There are players that can bring revenue to the game, players that will put butts in seats because they have so much skill people are willing to pay money they otherwise wouldn't have.

Gaudreau is one of them and they should be throwing the book at anyone that does one of these brutally dirty not hockey plays, for the league to let a nobody endanger such a huge asset, not only to the team but for the entire league, is crazy. Certain things about hockey bother me, dirty plays getting no discipline that should get 10 games is one of them. The worst, unrelated to Corrado's stupid move, is how Chara and friends are able to get away with their nonsense; a highlight reel of Chara's best plays has him repeatedly shoving players in the numbers face first into the boards or worse jumping in to retaliate on clean hits and sucker punching them multiple times with no disciplinary action. The standard for discipline is so low, a flying elbow should get significant discipline to protect the skilled players to extend their careers but for some reason the league is seemingly fine with borderline assault.

[Wastedyouth]

Is having a "small groin" really that much of an issue? I'm asking for a friend.

[red sky]

Its not the size of the groin it's how you use it!!!!!

[BigFlameDog]

Originally Posted by AcGold

They really need to clean the game up. There are players that can bring revenue to the game, players that will put butts in seats because they have so much skill people are willing to pay money they otherwise wouldn't have.

Gaudreau is one of them and they should be throwing the book at anyone that does one of these brutally dirty not hockey plays, for the league to let a nobody endanger such a huge asset, not only to the team but for the entire league, is crazy. Certain things about hockey bother me, dirty plays getting no discipline that should get 10 games is one of them. The worst, unrelated to Corrado's stupid move, is how Chara and friends are able to get away with their nonsense; a highlight reel of Chara's best plays has him repeatedly shoving players in the numbers face first into the boards or worse jumping in to retaliate on clean hits and sucker punching them multiple times with no disciplinary action. The standard for discipline is so low, a flying elbow should get significant discipline to protect the skilled players to extend their careers but for some reason the league is seemingly fine with borderline assault.

The bottom line is Gaudreau needs to keep his head up, he knows it and said as much. It is only feeling more personal because he is our star player. Corrado's (sp?ahh who cares) hit feels more greasy because he is a Canuck and it was JH. No need for rule changes because of that one....it was not even close to "brutally dirty"....just normal dirty.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

That Johnny Hockey 1v4 has to be my favorite reel. Wizardry.

He reminded me of those skill competitions, when one of the guys tapes a puck to his stick and goofs off trying to get people to take it away from him. Looked like he even tried to get the goalie to take it away from him after the wraparound...

Crazy.

[AcGold]

Originally Posted by BigFlameDog

The bottom line is Gaudreau needs to keep his head up, he knows it and said as much. It is only feeling more personal because he is our star player. Corrado's (sp?ahh who cares) hit feels more greasy because he is a Canuck and it was JH. No need for rule changes because of that one....it was not even close to "brutally dirty"....just normal dirty.

That's a matter of opinion. I'd say it's brutally dirty, Gaudreau did have his head up and made the correct play to avoid the hit. He was about to turn right when he was clotheslined. It's got nothing to do with hockey and I disagree that it's worse because he's our player, a dirty hit is a dirty hit regardless of team. It's in the best interest of the league to protect skilled players that bring revenue.

[PeteMoss]

It would get ten games in the OHL for being a head shot. The NHL won't give him anything as they haven't yet reached the point where they take the proper steps to get that stuff out of the game.

Its not ultra dirty or anything, but reaching out and getting a guy in the head like that is a concussion waiting to happen.

[driveway]

Yeah, on the scale of 1-to-McSorely that elbow was like a 3. Dirty, 5 minutes for sure and probably a game misconduct, just to prevent retaliation. Maybe a one game suspension. No need to re-write the rulebook.

[BigFlameDog]

Originally Posted by AcGold

That's a matter of opinion. I'd say it's brutally dirty, Gaudreau did have his head up and made the correct play to avoid the hit. He was about to turn right when he was clotheslined. It's got nothing to do with hockey and I disagree that it's worse because he's our player, a dirty hit is a dirty hit regardless of team. It's in the best interest of the league to protect skilled players that bring revenue.

I understand that it is a dirty hit but IMO you and a few others are going overboard with the hyperbole.

He clearly did not make the correct play to avoid the hit, he did not get "clotheslined" and what I meant by "worse because he's our player" is that we are way more emotionally invested in JH so the reaction is out of proportion to the crime.

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.

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.

[Textcritic]

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.

I totally agree.

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.

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.

[Erick Estrada]

Poor Bo Horvat. He's getting ripped apart by Canucks fans on HF for lack of offence. If anyone has paid attention to the offensive numbers he put up in the CHL they would know that the kid isn't an offensively gifted player. He's a quality defensive 2/3 center that got hot before the draft and probably picked higher than he should have been. That said if the organization has patience he could still be a very useful player for that franchise but he's not going to replace the Sedins on the first line that's for sure.

[BlackWallStreet]

Originally Posted by Gary83

When abouts was that 1 on 4? Or where's the gif? Don't make me search through the whole game archive!

It's on the highlights video posted by AC on page 22

@ 4:25

[868904]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

http://www.theprovince.com/sports/ho...483/story.html

Unbelievable ...


...or perhaps "believable" since this rather endemic total blindness to their own players' dirty play seems to be par for the course for the Canucks and their fans.

Typical Canuck, play the victim card about his teammate being wronged first, talk tough about it, then go looking for the smallest guy on the ice and deliver a dirty elbow.

Oh and turtle when he's asked to answer the bell.

Yup, born to be a Canuck

[Da_Chief]

They're gonna do to Horvat what they did to Hodgson, give up too early and trade him for a power forward wanabe.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Poor Bo Horvat. He's getting ripped apart by Canucks fans on HF for lack of offence. If anyone has paid attention to the offensive numbers he put up in the CHL they would know that the kid isn't an offensively gifted player. He's a quality defensive 2/3 center that got hot before the draft and probably picked higher than he should have been. That said if the organization has patience he could still be a very useful player for that franchise but he's not going to replace the Sedins on the first line that's for sure.

Where do you see Horvat? To me he looks like a player in the same mould as Eric Nystrom or Stephan Yelle. He was a high draft pick on his great reputation for elite level defensive abilities and intangibles, but simply does not have the requisite offensive abilities to project him as a top-six forward. If he ends up as a regular top-six player in the NHL I will be surprised, but I think he has a promising future as a great checking centre.

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Unbelievable ...


...or perhaps "believable" since this rather endemic total blindness to their own players' dirty play seems to be par for the course for the Canucks and their fans.

Hopefully Hartley starts the Marvel vs Capcom line (Wolf/Bollig-Bouma-McGrats) in the preseason. Even if no one scraps, it sends a message and all they gotta do is dump the puck in and go back to the bench.

[heep223]

The hit was "a little late and little high" according to Corrado.

That is absolute crap. This was not a hit - it was a blatant elbow. His elbow to JG's head was the only part of his body that contacted the player at all. Furthermore he was specifically targeting Johnny:

"I saw an opportunity to make a hit on one of their skill players."

Guys I understand the need to be aware of the fact that we're biased etc...but this was a targeted headshot. He lunges out with his elbow, Johnny doesn't put himself in a "vulnerable position" right before the hit.

48.1 Illegal Check to the Head – A hit resulting in contact with an opponent's head where the head is targeted and the principal point of contact is not permitted. However, in determining whether such a hit should have been permitted, the circumstances of the hit, including whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit or the head contact on an otherwise legal body check was avoidable, can be considered.

[Gaskal]

"Eh, I picked my head up and got hit. It's part of hockey. Just gotta live with it."

What a kid, man.

[Igottago]

Hit wasn't good, deserved the penatly, but its not the massive controversy everyone's making it out to be. In a weird way I'm glad it happened because Gaudreau is going to have to get used to the potential of that stuff happening due to his size, and his ability to make these guys look bad on the ice, he's only going to be seeing more elbows by bigger guys as he starts progressing towards the NHL. I'm hoping he can develop Theo Fleury's ability to stay healthy in a league that is full of guys that are far and away bigger and that aren't gonna take it easy on him.