NHL 2012

[Fordel]

Most of the fights are basically 'going through the motions' is the thing these days.


For every legitimate fight, their are half a dozen that happen because 'welp we are down 3 goals better do "something" now!'.

[ghost]

For every legitimate fight, their are half a dozen that happen because 'welp we are down 3 goals better do "something" now!'.

That's a big part of why I think it's irritating.  But then again I don't like deliberate violence either.  Boxing and MMA are pretty barbaric, in my opinion. 

[Bunk]

Even most fans of fighting in hockey don't support the "orchestrated" "rally our team" type fights. You take fighting out completely though, and you'll see it replaced by cheapshots and slashes instead. I'm all for it when its part of the natural flow of a game.

[Paelos]

I've seen much more dangerous incidents from pucks to the face than fights in my decade+ of watching the sport before the strike.

[ghost]

My (limited) experience watching hockey with my brother-in-law has demonstrated that 99.9% of hockey fights are like a bad cat fight with hair pulling and shirts over heads and other nonsense.  Then there's the 0.1% of fights that are some of the more brutal, bloodthirsty shit you can see.  I suppose I understand about the cheap shots, but that could be remedied as well, with suspensions if necessary.  Hockey is a violent sport, similar to american football, but at least then it's usually in the flow of the game. 

[Fordel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8rCFe6VdPs

That's a 'proper' fight, for the right reason.


Write up on that moment: http://www.downgoesbrown.com/2008/11/clark-mcsorley.html

[ghost]

I suppose that is a good reason to fight, but if you're going to go stick up for your guy you should have a better showing than that.   

[WayAbvPar]

Saw that one live...what a war.

[Ginaz]

You stay classy, London, Ontario.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2011/09/22/sp-nhl-flyers-simmonds.html

[Paelos]

Bananas.

[ghost]

I immediately think of the darkies when I see bananas.  I guess I don't get it. 

[Fordel]

I suppose that is a good reason to fight, but if you're going to go stick up for your guy you should have a better showing than that.   

http://www.downgoesbrown.com/2009/10/mcsorley-black-eye.html 

[murdoc]

You guys hear about this Crosby kid? Looks like he might be something good one day.

[WayAbvPar]

I don't know- it is pretty hard to play good hockey with every sports journalist in the country attached to your genitals by their lips.

[Fordel]

Seriously though, for all the God damn hype he gets, he DOES live up to it.

[Paelos]

They need to protect that kid if hockey wants to be relevant this season.

Now or never. The NBA is completely fucking this up, and NHL is going to be the only real game in town.

[Strazos]

Crazy season so far - how about this crazy alignment? Atlantic division us just going to get Even More Difficult

[Malakili]

Crazy season so far - how about this crazy alignment? Atlantic division us just going to get Even More Difficult

I don't feel real passionate about it either way.  I think the 4 way bracket thing in the playoffs could be interesting.

[WayAbvPar]

They really need to name the 4 conferences the old division names. Smythe 4 Lyfe, yo!

[Strazos]

So...this is the Year of the Concussion, right?

Pronger AND Giroux? FFS 

[WayAbvPar]

Hard to feel any sympathy for Pronger. He has been a cheapshot artist his entire career.

[Fordel]

Relevant? : http://www.downgoesbrown.com/2009/11/nhl-suspensions.html

Dammit Pronger! 




Still lots of hockey left, but the Leafs have managed to play down to expectations and work themselves out of a playoff spot slowly. 

[WayAbvPar]

[Bunk]

Marchand gets five games for clipping Salo. Shockingly well explained by the NHL here: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=610834

Watch that, then go read the Bruins GM's comments that Marchand was trying to protect himself. (from a guy who's never had a fight or suspension in his 15 year career) 

[WayAbvPar]

The Bruins are a classless organization. They fit the majority of their fan base well.

[Nebu]

Marchand gets five games for clipping Salo. Shockingly well explained by the NHL here: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=610834

Thanks for that video.  I have a friend that coaches youth hockey and he found that to be good as a potential instructional tool. 

[Fordel]

They going to do that for all suspensions now?

I hope they do, it really puts a lot of these retarded 'debates' to rest about what or why someone was suspended.


-edit-

Specifically, when they show the dude punching the guy in the back of the head just before the hit. That pretty much shuts most people up.

[MuffinMan]

I think Shanny has been doing that for all suspensions since the beginning of the season. It's pretty cool.

[01101010]

Really how any and all sport suspensions should be handled. Really takes the guess work and media/public interpretation of a reaction and gives you the line on how the rules committee saw the infraction and why it came to its conclusion. Unlike other sports where they lock the doors and do who knows what.

[MuffinMan]

After watching the video and reading the definition of clipping they gave, isn't that just a hip check? You can see tons of video of similar hip checks where the player is upended and there are no penalties let alone suspensions.

[Nebu]

After watching the video and reading the definition of clipping they gave, isn't that just a hip check? You can see tons of video of similar hip checks where the player is upended and there are no penalties let alone suspensions.

I thought a hip check was mid thigh and not below the knee.

[Fordel]

It's the height at which you do the check that is the issue I think.

[MuffinMan]

It's almost as if it was a failed hip check and his shoulder ended up making the check. The height to me looks fine, it was above the knee.

[WayAbvPar]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2WHmijaPRw

Those are hip checks. Notice how they bend at the waist, and don't bend their knees? Also notice that the recipient of the check either has the puck, or has just passed it? Also notice that almost all of them hit the guy in the front or side of his legs, and not in the back of the knees?

Now watch the Marchand hit again.

[Bunk]

It wasn't straight on to the knee, but it was no more than a few inches above it. Hip checks contact the hip. Salo turned part way at the last second to avoid having his knee blown out, and ended up with his ass going over Marchand's back. A proper hip check would have caught him in the ass, not a foot below it.

Yes, some of the "old-time" hip checks would probably now get called clipping, as if you go too low, it gets very dangerous, especially to the knees. Salo has a concussion because he turned and went over Marchand backwards. If he hadn't turned, he might not be walking.