WC Playoffs Round 1: St. Louis Blues vs Chicago Blackhawks (Blackhawks win 4-2).

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by jschick88

Renaud Lavoie ‏@renlavoietva 30s
#blackhawks Brent Seabrook suspension: 3 games. #nhl #tvasports

Longer than I expected. Figured 2.
Pleasantly surprised, mind you.

[SuperMatt18]

Lost some respect for Keith this series, I understand the need to intimidate and play on the edge come playoff time but he is taking it a little too far. Especially when it comes to taunting a clearly injured player.

[puckluck2]

Good suspension. That equals about a 6 game suspension in the regular season.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Typical Blackhawks garbage, nothing shocking that they were up to their usual garbage.

Great suspension by the league if true. 3 playoff games to an important player on a US market that will only help them get US ratings the further they'd advance. Didn't think they'd have the balls to get it right, considering there was probably plenty of "outs" for them to take in regards to the hit, even though IMO it's exactly the type of hit to the head they are looking to eliminate from the game.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by 4oh3

I don't think toews trashed talked in all honesty I bet backes was trying to get some words out to toews yes Keith is a dirt bag but I don't like backes always fights little guys had like an olympic meltdown after losing and tried to fight the team canada roster post 2010 Olympics but he is a tough SOB I do respect him tryna get up not milk a penalty like those Vancouver sisters

Then why was the linesman pushing Toews away and Steen yelling at him to show some class?

Backes was in no shape to be talking trash, and Toews' body language clearly shows he wasn't asking if he was OK.

Oh, and punctuation could be your friend.

[d_phaneuf]

ya that looks like Toews to me, but it's typical Blackhawk behavior

they taunted Brendan Morrison when he was a flame and got an injury, and Keith is just a dirty player in general

[Beatle17]

Originally Posted by Wedge

Some good points, but I argue your point about Backes doing that. While he plays very physical, and simply over powers most other players, he (and the Blues in general) doesn't play a dirty game.

BS. I hope he comes back eventually but he is one of the biggest ######'s in the league. I don't know how to post clips from other sites but just check some out on Youtube. Constantly hits guys without the puck, or hits them late from bad angles etc., so in my books this couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

[Derek Sutton]

Seabbrook gets 3 games. To say that Seabrook targeted the head omits the fact that Backes made his (own) head the target. So many "head shots" are because of players not keeping their heads up, putting themselves in vulnerable positions or admiring their passes. In a more harsh world, in order to reduce head shots, one might suggest giving no penalties for head shots putting more of an honess on the puck carrier, this would not resonate with the world outside of hockey very well.

As much as I like Seabrook, and if the hit was dirty or not, it was a dumb play. First off, while penalty killing it is rarely a good idea to go for big body checks. The basis of body checking is to separate puck from body, not head from body. No doubt Seabrook saw it as an opportunity to destroy Backes and put him out, really he could have received a match penalty for intent to injure. The hit and ensuing penalty also cost his team the game, players need to be smarter then that and pick their spots better.

What I see as the as the biggest concern is that there is not a downward trend when it comes to head shots, hits from behind, etc... The vast majority of NHLers are younger then me and would've grown up in hockey during the hitting from behind crackdown, yet dirty/borderline/ hits from behind are still a huge problem in hockey today. Kids in minor hockey today are growing through the checking to the head phase, and yet we will not see a change in how hits are given for years to come, head shots will not decline for a long time.

I have watched a lot of minor hockey at some very high levels (aaa midget) to some younger kids (novice) over the last few years and have noticed that it is usually the same one or two kids every year who play recklessly. There are 4 factors and listed in order they are. Parents, coaching, the player and reffing/ sequential discipline.

[neo45]

I actually think 3 games is too much considering it wasn't a charge, elbow, and it is definitely debatable that the head was targeted. Seabrook has no priors (?) so I cant help but disagree and suggest that the injury to the captain is the reason why he is getting suspended

[Beatle17]

I also agree with Corey Crawford's comments last night. Seabrooke thru the hit and got 5, it is what it is, but where were the penalties to St. Louis for charging in and throwing punches with the gloves off. Basically the league is saying it is OK to attack someone after a penalty because you are not going to get anything.

[Resolute 14]

There is a fine line between hitting to hurt, and hitting to injure. Seabrook crossed that line, imo. Three games is fair. And after that taunting, I hope the third game is next year's season opener.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by Beatle17

I also agree with Corey Crawford's comments last night. Seabrooke thru the hit and got 5, it is what it is, but where were the penalties to St. Louis for charging in and throwing punches with the gloves off. Basically the league is saying it is OK to attack someone after a penalty because you are not going to get anything.

Considering Keith dished out 2 slashes immediately prior to the hit, I don't think Crawford or the Hawks have a reason to be complaining about penalties not handed out.

[Joborule]

I thought the NHL would do 2 max. Pleasantly surprised they weren't beyond my expectation. Probably to help cool down the heat a bit too; sending a message to not go over the line in retaliations.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by neo45

I actually think 3 games is too much considering it wasn't a charge, elbow, and it is definitely debatable that the head was targeted. Seabrook has no priors (?) so I cant help but disagree and suggest that the injury to the captain is the reason why he is getting suspended

I agree - 3 games is too much for that hit. Hugely physical game with guys throwing really hard hits all over the ice. It was a big hit and crossed the line a bit, but there was no elbow, no charge, or anything like that. Just a shoulder that hit him in the head. At what point is it the recipient's fault if their head is down?

[4oh3]

Originally Posted by Ped

Then why was the linesman pushing Toews away and Steen yelling at him to show some class?

Backes was in no shape to be talking trash, and Toews' body language clearly shows he wasn't asking if he was OK.

Oh, and punctuation could be your friend.

Oh okay bud sorry I don't take an Internet forum as serious to have perfect punctuation I don't even like toews or backes I could just imagine backes gettin up toews is the first guy he sees and saying oh wtf going on he was out of it. You will never know what he said but your right toews probably does not like backes as he only fights smaller people and probably got a few words in in all honesty I really don't care what you think or about the Blackhawks or blues

[Ped]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

At what point is it the recipient's fault if their head is down?

Only if the player puts his head down immediately before hit, so that the hitter was clearly targeting the shoulder or chest or ended up in the head.

Not the case here.

Just because a player's head is down is not a green light to take it off. It used to be, but not anymore. This is where players have to learn to hold up when they see the head down.

[19Yzerman19]

The interference component of that bothers me a lot. There was no need to base this on him being an ineligible hittee, and at the speed the game moves in real-time I just don't buy it.

I also think 3 is too much. 2 was the max, I would have done 1.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Ped

Only if the player puts his head down immediately before hit, so that the hitter was clearly targeting the shoulder or chest or ended up in the head.

Not the case here.

Just because a player's head is down is not a green light to take it off. It used to be, but not anymore. This is where players have to learn to hold up when they see the head down.

Disagree. I thought that play happened pretty fast - no time for head targeting. Also, Seabrook turned his body and wasn't even watching at the point of contact - he just wanted to hit him hard.

If your head is down and you get hit, there will be contact to the head.

Though I do agree that it doesn't mean green light to target it.

[troutman]

Teams trash talk all the time, all season long. The crap they say would make Andrew Dice Clay blush.

3 games is a heavy penalty in the playoffs. I thought 1-2 games would be the suspension.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Disagree. I thought that play happened pretty fast - no time for head targeting. Also, Seabrook turned his body and wasn't even watching at the point of contact - he just wanted to hit him hard.

If your head is down and you get hit, there will be contact to the head.

Though I do agree that it doesn't mean green light to target it.

Yeah it happened fast, but Backes was hunched over to try to play the puck - Seabrook should have been aware of his body posture and where that means his head is.

Behaviour that has to be learned.