Are the playoffs becoming too violent?

[Zbynek]

I love how the commentary just keeps going

 

[cbcwpg]

The game would never be considered overly violent if the refs would just call the games by the rules as written.

 

[Seedtype]

I would like to see a third party arbiter to review the dangerous stuff and hand out suspensions.

 

[Darren McCarty]

It’s always been like this, and was much worse in the past.

Past was better.

 

[VaporTrail]

Bring back enforcers

 

[barkovcanfinnish]

 

[tabness]

It's just way too rough, Matthews wrist been bothering him since the respect in the handshake line years back, NHL gotta protect the stars

 

[bossram]

The Domi hit on Barkov was really egregious and the league was lucky it didn’t send the defending Selke winner to the ICU.

The league responded with a $5K fine, no suspension.

That tells you all you need to know.

Yep. That was the most blatant, sole intent to injure type of play that was made this playoffs. Absolute dirtbag move. No time on the clock, Barkov doesn't have the puck, and Domi tries to break his neck.

And in true NHL fashion, no real punishment.

 

[Kryten]

I would like to see a third party arbiter to review the dangerous stuff and hand out suspensions.

Yea, Colin Campbell could probably squeeze that title into his daily schedule

 

[winnipegger]

Maybe just take out the refs and let an arms race determine the winner. I'm actually curious what would happen with no rules. I guess we would have an increase in deaths per game which would be unacceptable to the bottom line.

 

[D Wakaluk]

They have lost the plot. Playoffs have always been mixed up with borderline dirty stuff but in the past they atleast had the balls to give out games

It's a joke right now

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Sleazebag plays are up but that's coward stuff. NHL is to blame for that. I think they could be handling stuff way better than they have. Letting things get out of hand in those instances.

This.

The refs and DoPS have done such a piss poor job that players are taking matters into their own hands. Not through fighting but cheapshots.

In the playoffs I like to see hard hits, scrums, the occasional fight. Not elbows to the head and crosschecks to the face.

 

[Oilslick941611]

No, not "violent" the playoffs are becoming a tournament of who can get the most cheap head shots, and "accidently on purpose" injure the other team without the blind refs making a call.

Its a direct result of not calling actual penalties, they give an inch, the players take a mile. Too many cheap players are allowed to skate around no repercussions for their actions and it costs teams games. Imagine two goalies have been injured so far on plays with uncalled GI, meanwhile, they'll call a small tap on a wrist, or a hug, players can haul down other players, sit on them, hold them down, not let them up for several seconds with no call. The refs are gutless and the rats and cheap shot artists are taking full advantage, and its not just this year, this is years in the making.

having two different "rule" ( i use that term loosely) books for the regular season and playoffs is the source of this.

At the end of the day, i want to see skill, not slower less skilled players waterski off the back of faster more skill players, I dont want to see not so sneaky elbows and headshots.

Sam Benett hiding from the media like an idiot after one game because he took out the leafs goalie and then 2 games later he couldn't find a microphone fast enough to speak about Domi. Players like him are ruining hockey.

 

[CupsOverCash]

This.

The refs and DoPS have done such a piss poor job that players are taking matters into their own hands. Not through fighting but cheapshots.

In the playoffs I like to see hard hits, scrums, the occasional fight. Not elbows to the head and crosschecks to the face.

It's passive aggressive bs that can be dramatic and can lead to entertaining things happening but it's probably being overly done at this point and the NHL does nothing. It could lead to someone getting seriously hurt by something dumb like that. Had some close calls already.

 

[Devilsfan118]

The playoffs are not violent enough.

The playoffs are too violent.

Do hockey fans like hockey? I'm still not sure.

It's always the folks on the fringes that make the most noise.

Most of us are just enjoying the product.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Nah.Fans are getting softer.

It's always funny to me that people think watching the dirty violent plays somehow makes them tough by extension.

You're still just sitting on the couch watching tv like the rest of us.

 

[Oilslick941611]

The Domi hit on Barkov was really egregious and the league was lucky it didn’t send the defending Selke winner to the ICU.

The league responded with a $5K fine, no suspension.

That tells you all you need to know.

and they completely ignore an elbow to the head of Marner from Bennett. Its league issue that the league caused. The league needs to fix it before someone dies.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

The league is generally softer than it ever has been before but yeah they need to get a handle on the cross checks to the face specifically

Yes. The softness is actually a significant issue these playoffs, but then there seem to be more outlier outbursts for majors as well... odd.

 

[Painful Quandary]

The tread's title is overly dramatic. It makes it sound like the league has brought bench clearing brawls and blindside hits. With that said, cheap shots and selective enforcement have always been a problem in the playoffs as long as I have been watching.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Clearly you weren’t around during the Wings/Avs rivalry or in the 90s/00s.

The league does everything it can to keep it tame.

If you think back on the Avs-Wings rivalry though, 90% of it was big hits and scrums and fights. There was some stuff like Kozlov slamming Foote's head into the glass, Lemieux's dirty play of course, then McCarty jumping Lemieux, and a fair amount of slashes to the leg. But I don't remember as many crosschecks to the face or players throwing chicken wing elbows trying to clip a guy in the head.

In the 2002 Cup Finals Jiri Fischer crosschecked a Canes player in the mouth in a similar way to what we've in this playoffs. That was over 20 years ago and in the Cup Finals and he was still suspended a game.

 

[Oilslick941611]

The tread's title is overly dramatic. It makes it sound like the league has brought bench clearing brawls and blindside hits. With that said, cheap shots and selective enforcement have always been a problem in the playoffs as long as I have been watching.

correct, the violence isn't the issue, its the cheap shots and a multiple generations of players who grew up without anyone saying no to them, or having to answer for their own actions. Its almost like they feel entitled to try and hurt someone else as a right, but get offended at any attempt on them. Its not only ruining hockey, but its going to get someone seriously hurt. Some of these players need a good vintage punch to the face in an one on one fight to set them straight. The league and the refs have given up on enforcing safety measures and are letting a the inmates run the asylum while turning a blind eye. No one knows the rules are, and even worse, no one knows the line is.

 

[MK9]

Nah.Fans are getting softer.

 

[the_fan]

Do you not remember the Avs Wings bloodbath playoff games? This is child’s play compared to those games when we’re talking violence

 

[Oilslick941611]

Also the idea of a playoff game "being more important" when it comes to determining punishment needs to end, if its suspension worthy, the act needs to be punished the same. The league needs to stop protecting dirty plays by suspending them less games because its the playoffs, f*** no, if its a 2 game suspension in the season, it should be a a 2 game suspension in the playoffs. f*** what the player think or the team about losing a player for 2 playoff games. We are punishing the act, are we not? It needs to make the player think twice before they do something stupid.

 

[elmaco]

Bettman saw the ratings of 4Nations where violence was ramped up and decided to try it this post season.