Fighting in the NHL is making a comeback

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by 868904

Man Mike Babcock, Jim Rutherford and Bruce Boudreau know nothing. Haven't they heard, fighters are useless. Skill guys don't want tough guys on their team to protect them, they want 4 lines of just skill. The Flames lost to the Oilers on opening night because of Tanner Glass.

Losers, when will they ever learn.

Turn down the drama, Taylor.
Flames were out chanced by a 3-1 ratio with Glass on the ice. Unless he is punching in McDavid's face, that not going to help the Flames win.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

How does this protect the "better players" or "smaller players"? Pick your goon or tough guy and put him on the Flames. How is that going to protect little Johnny?

It's not about the protection itself. It's psychological. Small players can play more scared when they don't think they have big, tough guys to stand up for them. It's not as much about the actual standing up for them, it's about little Johnny playing less scared. There's a lot of psychology in sports so just because you can't see something for yourself doesn't mean it's not making a difference in the heads of players. As we've seen Johnny when he plays scared is a perimeter player who doesn't accomplish much.

I know that answer won't satisfy some. Some don't believe there's much psychology in sports. Some won't see value in Johnny feeling safer. Is impossible to measure, impossible to quantify. But sports are played by humans and feelings affect performance.

We can never know how much effect tough guys can have psychologically. So the debate will rage on between those that believe there's zero effect and those that believe there is some effect.

[Red]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

Turn down the drama, Taylor.
Flames were out chanced by a 3-1 ratio with Glass on the ice. Unless he is punching in McDavid's face, that not going to help the Flames win.

Do you think Maroon hits Smith if Oliwa and Chris Simon are on the Flames?

The Flames problem is not that Tanner Glass is on the team, we don't have enough of them. The Oiler can out right bully them all game long and we have no answer. 0-5 since they got Lucic, Kassian and Maroon. Add Nurse to the mix. And looked bad loosing these games, coincidence? They look scared out there and no reason why they shouldn't. Their heads are on the swivel.

[theinfinitejar]

Originally Posted by Red

Do you think Maroon hits Smith if Oliwa and Chris Simon are on the Flames?

The Flames problem is not that Tanner Glass is on the team, we don't have enough of them. The Oiler can out right bully them all game long and we have no answer. 0-5 since they got Lucic, Kassian and Maroon. Add Nurse to the mix. And looked bad loosing these games, coincidence?

Yes and Yes. To answer your questions.

[Machiavelli]

I definitely think the role of the prototypical enforcer is dying, but team toughness is still important.

It was embarrassing to watch Smith have to defend himself against Maroon.

This issue in general goes back a few seasons with this team.

[Northendzone]

Too bad fighting is "back", otherwise, LV may have taken brouwer

[btimbit]

I'd just love another guy that can fight AND play.
Reason 3000 I lust after a guy like Simmonds

[wwkayaker]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

I hate seeing a team's best player get smoked, clean hit or not, and no teammates taking offence to the hit and trying to send a message back to the hitter.

Tom Brady got hit pretty hard the other night and no fight! Fighting is just hockey mentality. Fighting is a deterrent but if you are taking a stand on hits to the head, fighting kind of needs to end.

[Bawbag]

Originally Posted by btimbit

I'd just love another guy that can fight AND play.
Reason 3000 I lust after a guy like Simmonds

Exactly the type of player we need. Oilers were running our goalie all night and laughing at us in the scrums after .
It was annoying that one of our players didn't just drop the gloves with maroon

[PeteMoss]

Reminder: Milan Lucic was on the ice and Boston was the toughest team in the league when Marc Savard had his career ended by Matt Cooke.

Prove in any way that a team with fighters has less injuries or receives less cheap shots than one that doesn't and I'll buy it.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Reminder: Milan Lucic was on the ice and Boston was the toughest team in the league when Marc Savard had his career ended by Matt Cooke.

Prove in any way that a team with fighters has less injuries or receives less cheap shots than one that doesn't and I'll buy it.

I don't think that's the argument - I think the argument is that a team backed up by heavyweights feels safer (whether that's true or not) and plays better as a result...

[Kybb79]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Reminder: Milan Lucic was on the ice and Boston was the toughest team in the league when Marc Savard had his career ended by Matt Cooke.

Prove in any way that a team with fighters has less injuries or receives less cheap shots than one that doesn't and I'll buy it.

Well look at the game on Wednesday did anyone try go after Mcdavid?They let him do what he wanted.I wonder if it's because they have Lucic,Maroon and Kassian.

[JerryUnderscore]

I don't mind fighting in hockey when it comes from passion and emotion and involves better players. When it's a fourth line player deciding to fight another fourth line play right after a face-off I'm less okay with it.

What exactly did the Glass/Kassian fight do on Wednesday? Was either team energized because of it?

[BOSSY]

Originally Posted by JerryUnderscore

I don't mind fighting in hockey when it comes from passion and emotion and involves better players. When it's a fourth line player deciding to fight another fourth line play right after a face-off I'm less okay with it.

What exactly did the Glass/Kassian fight do on Wednesday? Was either team energized because of it?

...Yes

[JerryUnderscore]

Originally Posted by BOSSY

[/B]

...Yes

And what was the tangible effect? Goals scored? An increase in shots on net? Did the players skater harder?

It sure didn't seem like it.

[GirlySports]

i dont know how you can tell in a split second if the hit was clean or not. Just go fight and figure it out later.

[Puppet Guy]

We need to clone Gary Roberts.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Wyguy

And how on earth is Glass to blame? He actually played well while the rest of the team showed up.

How did you not catch that...

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by wwkayaker

Tom Brady got hit pretty hard the other night and no fight! Fighting is just hockey mentality. Fighting is a deterrent but if you are taking a stand on hits to the head, fighting kind of needs to end.

Football leads in concussions versus any other sport....by miles.

if you are taking a stand on hits to the head then body checking needs to end as well. Putting your shoulder into a guys chest straight on and he has any momentum, that brain is bouncing back and forth inside the skull.

All contact sports have these risks, fighting is no more dangerous than any of it, even if it does add to the overall totals.

I would be curious if their is a data set that shows how many players diagnosed with concussions were from bodychecking compared to fighting.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Football leads in concussions versus any other sport....by miles.

if you are taking a stand on hits to the head then body checking needs to end as well. Putting your shoulder into a guys chest straight on and he has any momentum, that brain is bouncing back and forth inside the skull.

All contact sports have these risks, fighting is no more dangerous than any of it, even if it does add to the overall totals.

I would be curious if their is a data set that shows how many players diagnosed with concussions were from bodychecking compared to fighting.

Kariya and Lafontaine for sure.

I've said this before but it's an unpopular opinion. Hockey is currently too fast which causes hits at high speed. It actually needs the two-line pass and clutching and grabbing rules back.