Free-for-all dirty hit... because it is a playoff.

[OzSome]

In light of a non-punishment of Dan Hamhuis head-hunting and NHL rescinding a regular automatic one game suspension on instigating a fight with less than 5 minutes to go. I guess the NHL is saying, hey it is okay to try to injure the opponent and we promised you will not get punished for it. It is not just happening in Vancouver-Calgary series because it happens on different series too.

Here are some samples:

- PK Subban chopping Mark Stones' hand... no suspension.
- Open ice hit on the head by Karlsson on a Habs' head.. no penalty.
- Dan Hamhuis going after Sam Bennett's head .. minor penalty but no investigation and no suspension.
- Brad Richardson punching Stajan while Matt was down... no extra penalty.

I am sure there are other incidents that I am missing. OTR with Mike Landsberg had a brief convesation on it. So, is there any open season in dirty hit on good players during the playoff? I understand they wanted the players to dictate the game but is it okay for Blake Comeau to hit Rick Nash in the head so they don't have to see him the rest of the series. What is stopping Burrows in trying to go after Monahan, or Gaudreau, or even Brodie? How about some no-name Preds player whacking Toews or Kanes' hand? Byfuglien cross-checking Getzlaf or Perry's head the way he did late in the regular season?

I think the NHL is toying with disasters here. Are they waiting for a star players like Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Toews, Kane, Getzlaf and others to get injured first before they change the rules?

[OldDutch]

As I wrote in another thread this is on the NHL now. Plenty of evidence to suggest a major injury is coming. The referees are in over their head especially in the Flames series, and with no backup from the league the players will keep pushing it. You have to play with an edge and right now that edge is blurred.

This is no surprise at all however. It is a league that has turned constant blind eye to this stuff. Even Crosby got a major injury and the league did little. It is the most bush part of the NHL, they will gladly trade player safety for ratings (but so does NFL too). Problem is I also don't see the NHLPA screaming that loud either. Both are complacent in all of this IMO.

[northcrunk]

Ferland breaks both Sedin's jaws on hit,

Ferland than breaks Burrows nose,

Bieksa craps his pants and is a "healthy scratch" for the rest of the series.

Let's get er done boys!

[Francis's Hairpiece]

NHL should be squashing this before someone gets hurt permanent.

Is it like Hrudy said? Is it popular with the fans, so they are more lenient? Who is to blame if someone does get a career ender, just because the escalation of violence was not quelled immediately?

[Zee]

It's this type of free for all that led to the Bertuzzi-Moore incident. As much as everyone hated on Bertuzzi for what he did, there was a series of escalating events that lead to it.

The blatant crap needs to stop. You can have an exciting game without it becoming an out of control free for all.

[Phanuthier]

Burrows didn't start a line brawl, and he got a penalty that killed any chance for his team to come back in Game 3 and severely hurt his team.

Hamhuis's hit to Bennett's head was pretty dirty, but Bennett did drop his head a little bit and put himself in a bad position - he's got to be smarter. It doesn't get called in the playoffs, but sometimes it doesn't get called in the regular season.

What's going to stop anyone from doing anything stupid is a stupid penelty that might kill your team's chances in a playoff game. If Vancouver does something stupid and we get a 5 minute PP, we're up with a 3-to-1 series lead. It'll probably kill your career. The only way you see stupid stuff is if you're losing by enough that you think it won't matter and you go full dumb dumb like Bieksa did on Ferland - in that case, its smart to keep your stars off the ice if things are turning out that way.

If the NHL really wants to crack down on these, start calling unsportsmanlike conduct minors between the whistles - that'll keep things from escalating. Its the officials that let (game 2) get out of hand - not the players IMO.

[Jebus]

Thought the Hagelin drive-by on Crosby was especially dirty. Dangerous too given it was a similar hit that cost the NHL a year of their most marketed player.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

I hate the way they are ignoring potentially dangerous hits, but for the Flames game, I am also concerned that there will be an over-reaction by the refs, and they'll call all big, clean hits (see, Ferland). The Flames need that aggressive forcheck to expose the biggest weakness of the nucks - the bottom 4 Dmen.

[edn88]

1. According to the rules, Burrows does not need to be suspended. He definitely instigated, but to me he was trying to get refs to maybe throw the instigator at Russell (which if you didn't see it happen you would have assumed Russell started it - ala CBC crew).
2. Hamhuis hit was a head hit, but I think Bennett was leading with his head. Refs called it a minor, no injury, and Sam better learn to not put himself in vulnerable positions.
3. Bieksa deserved a instigator penalty, but Ferland was equally culpable. The way he fought Ferland was a bit gutless, but whatever.

I have no problem with those three guys in game 4.

[Buster]

People want their kids to idolize the PLAYERS. It has been thus since the Roman times.

But who they should really be idolizing is the OWNERS. They are the ones rich enough to hire the meat-popsicles to go out and beat the crap out of each other.

In other words: everyone who has a financial stake in the league has no interest in quelling any of of this stuff.

The NFL example mentioned above is true. It's the same thing that motivates cover-ups of performance enhancing drugs rings in biking and elsewhere, also.

[Rick M.]

The issue is two sets of rules: one for the early/mid-season and one for the late season/playoffs. There should be one set. Hockey shouldn't turn into rollerball on March 1.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by Buster

But who they should really be idolizing is the OWNERS. They are the ones rich enough to hire the meat-popsicles to go out and beat the crap out of each other.

In other words: everyone who has a financial stake in the league has no interest in quelling any of of this stuff.

They have the most interest in quelling this stuff.
Injured superstars don't make them money.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Hamhuis' cheap shot pisses me off...

no suspension? no hearing? no fine?

that's flat outrageous. Maybe Sam should have stayed down like Stone?

Unlike a slash, a hit to the head like that can have unforseen consequences, that's why the NHL 'says' they want them out of the game.

Guys careers have been destroyed by a single blow to the head...

it was absolutely targeting and the NHL are cowards for doing nothing about it... I'll take the word of Kerry Fraser who also saw that way http://www.tsn.ca/talent/c-mon-ref-w...lized-1.262012

[OzSome]

Originally Posted by edn88

1. According to the rules, Burrows does not need to be suspended. He definitely instigated, but to me he was trying to get refs to maybe throw the instigator at Russell (which if you didn't see it happen you would have assumed Russell started it - ala CBC crew).
2. Hamhuis hit was a head hit, but I think Bennett was leading with his head. Refs called it a minor, no injury, and Sam better learn to not put himself in vulnerable positions.
3. Bieksa deserved a instigator penalty, but Ferland was equally culpable. The way he fought Ferland was a bit gutless, but whatever.

I have no problem with those three guys in game 4.

1. NHL did not rescind Burrows' instigator penalty. They rescinded the automatic one-game suspension because it is the playoffs and because of the score BS according to NHL Safety Dept. CBC did not claim it was Russell who started it. Suspending Burrows means they have to fine Desjardins $10K. It is ZbS!!

2. Hamhuis intention is to hit Bennett a vulnerable position. Yeah I might agree that part of it was Bennett's fault but Hamhuis have lots of time to avoid the head hit.

3. Bieksa is an idiot. He found an opportunity to sucker punch Ferland because he knew that's the only time he can win a fight against Ferkland. The whole team is definitely distracted and afraid every time Ferland is on the ice.

I don't give a rat's arse if these guys play in Game 4. The only problem I have is the BS reasoning by NHL. Regular season and playoff season shouldn't have a different rules.

[powderjunkie]

^ Hughson/Simpson's initial reaction was that Russell would/should get the instigator. Then they saw the replay and (probably reluctantly) came back to reality.

[Itse]

I would argue it's not what people want. Playoff refereeing started weeks before the regular season ended, and pretty much every board I visited complained about it, us included.

The problem of course is not just "letting the guys play", it's that if you don't call the game by the book, refereeing becomes an instant gong show where penalties become essentially random events that have pretty much no relation to how dirty a team is actually playing.

It's also obvious that this is what the NHL wants. It's shameful, and it's especially shameful because we've already seen that it doesn't really have to be like this. You can have great, physical hard hitting hockey that's relatively clean in the playoffs.

It's also an extremely short-sighted policy and a hindrance to the quality of play. Star players playing with injuries are not as entertaining as healthy ones. Letting Regehr hack Hudler into a non-factor has made the Flames less entertaining. Canucks tried to make Bennett go away with a dirty hit, again one of the most entertaining players in the game. Subban tried to hack Stone out of the playoffs. I'm sure the list is really long by now. Even in the last few years, which have not been as bad, the level of play has often dropped after the first round. Injuries will do that. It's in nobody's interest.

Incomprehensible refereeing is also un-entertaining and creates more frustration than excitement among fans. It also makes the game less watchable for casual fans, as people don't like games they don't understand.

I've long argued that hockey is the worst managed major sport, so from that angle this isn't anything new. Great game, stupid league.

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

What's going to stop anyone from doing anything stupid is a stupid penelty that might kill your team's chances in a playoff game. If Vancouver does something stupid and we get a 5 minute PP, we're up with a 3-to-1 series lead. It'll probably kill your career. The only way you see stupid stuff is if you're losing by enough that you think it won't matter and you go full dumb dumb like Bieksa did on Ferland - in that case, its smart to keep your stars off the ice if things are turning out that way.

I agree, but apparently doing that costs $50,000.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by northcrunk

Ferland breaks both Sedin's jaws on hit,

Ferland than breaks Burrows nose,

Bieksa craps his pants and is a "healthy scratch" for the rest of the series.

Let's get er done boys!

I really wish that the posts of hoping that other players get injured would stop, it tends to show a real lack of maturity which tends to plague this site at times.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

I really wish that the posts of hoping that other players get injured would stop, it tends to show a real lack of maturity which tends to plague this site at times.

I know, we should strive to the high standards of CDC or HFCanucks.... or Canucks fans on twitter for that matter.

Sorry man, a Canucks fan calling out a Flames fan on this issue, is like Stalin telling Hitler to lay off on the killing and all.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by pylon

I know, we should strive to the high standards of CDC or HFCanucks.... or Canucks fans on twitter for that matter.

Sorry man, a Canucks fan calling out a Flames fan on this issue, is like Stalin telling Hitler to lay off on the killing and all.

I think it is stupid if Canucks fans think that they should break Gaudreau's legs or that would hope that Bennett is injured. It just shows a near complete lack of cognitive abilities. Maybe not lumping every member of a fan base in with each other would be a good start I guess.

I tend to avoid those sites, I prefer this site for the most part but recently it seems like there is more of the type of posts with idiotic threats of how the Flames should disembowel the opposition.