Are the playoffs becoming too violent?

[PhysicalGraffiti]

Yes! I'm in such shock that these players are being physical in a contact sport.

Who will think of the children?!

Quick, get rid of all of the videos of when the game actually had real hits and fighting.

 

[Pucklington]

Lol... Really. I'm guessing you didn't watch it on the 90s and early 2000s.

Pretty sure you can find pieces of Eric Lindros's helmet and brain somewhere in the neutral zone in Philly.

 

[rboomercat90]

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

On to something here. The game is a fiasco because it isn’t called to the rule book and the standards are different for teams (some times both but frequently just one) on any given night.

 

[OysterForever]

Nah. The sport needs more violence and hate. The more violence and hate, the more entertaining the product and higher the ratings.

So, uh, what you are saying is that you want see 1st line star getting carried to the quiet room and getting replaced next match by fringe NHL capable fourth liner.

In the series against Blues, Scheifle was replaced with Dominic f***ing Toninato. May ask as well who the f*** he is.

If Barkov was injured on the Hagel hit the Panthers would have brought AJ Greer or an equal nobody to the roster.

Replace skill over quantity because we want to see cheapshots physicality on the ice?

 

[OysterForever]

Pretty sure you can find pieces of Eric Lindros's helmet and brain somewhere in the neutral zone in Philly.

And that's why his prime years were cut short. Is this what we want?

Imagine MacKinnon playing only 50-60 games per season and basically quitting as 30-year-old (which is next year).

 

[slybel]

League is softer... just the idiots getting away with cheap shots since there are no enforcers anymore because of... well.. its 2025 etc..

 

[behemolari]

Seems like skilled teams like Florida have to change up their game to compete physically with the lesser talented gooner squads like Toronto

funny thing thats exactly what they did after 2023

 

[behemolari]

ask Domi after game 5

 

[Chootoi]

Some of you guys have never watched Dale Hunter, Marty Mcsorley, Tie Domi, Ulf Samuelson, Mark Messier, Donald Brashear, Bryan Marchment, Dave Schultz, Scott Stevens, Matthew Barnaby, Chris Chelios, Darcy Tucker, Tiger Williams, Pat Verbeek, Shayne Corson, Chris Simon, Lyle Odelein, Chris Pronger, Bill Guerin, Eddie Shore, Dave Brown, Claude Lemieux and Bobby Clarke play.

 

[LaffyTaffy13]

So, uh, what you are saying is that you want see 1st line star getting carried to the quiet room and getting replaced next match by fringe NHL capable fourth liner.

In the series against Blues, Scheifle was replaced with Dominic f***ing Toninato. May ask as well who the f*** he is.

If Barkov was injured on the Hagel hit the Panthers would have brought AJ Greer or an equal nobody to the roster.

Replace skill over quantity because we want to see cheapshots physicality on the ice?

Yes. Tell me the last time you heard someone saying to a casual sports fan, “you gotta watch this hockey game tomorrow, theres just so much skill on display”.

 

[Derailed75]

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

While I will never not laugh at a joke against the leafs I'm not sure this is the year to bring that up, being that they are in the 2nd round and are 2-2

 

[Pucklington]

And that's why his prime years were cut short. Is this what we want?

Imagine MacKinnon playing only 50-60 games per season and basically quitting as 30-year-old (which is next year).

Quote me where I said that.

 

[Dubi Doo]

League is softer... just the idiots getting away with cheap shots since there are no enforcers anymore because of... well.. its 2025 etc..

Teams figured out it was better to have effective 4th lines that can flip the ice rather than having plugs who hurt you on the ice if they're not punching faces in. Also, did you miss all the cheap shots in the previous generations? Remember Domi elbowing Neidermayer in the head? 2000s and earlier was probably some of the dirtiest hockey ever.

 

[RussianBum86]

Just let the players police it without repercussions for fighting or starting a fight in last 5 minutes.

 

[OysterForever]

Quote me where I said that.

You didn't exactly but I asked. Do we want to see more concussions, stars missing games and fewer skill on the ice? And beyond that, players are humans, dads, someone's sons after all.

Brain damage and CTE is no joke. Ask relatives of Boogard, Belak, Probert etc.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

The running into goalies (specifically Sam Bennett) and cross-checks are cheap and stupid, but a lot of the other stuff (even that which can be considered “dirty” by some) really should not be fully eliminated in my opinion. A certain amount of the game should always be policed on the ice.

I think hyperbole like “the league is lucky the Selke winner wasn’t sent to the ICU on that Domi hit” (a pretty standard hit from behind) is pointless. The Panthers have any number of players than can try to make Domi pay. If they do something dirty, penalize them. If they injure someone on a clean hit in retribution, that’s the game.

The game is just better with the tension that sometimes comes from borderline plays. Yes, there’s needs to be limits but let’s not get after every incident that occurs. Let it play out.

 

[5 Minute Major]

It's weird then that the most popular sports in the US and in the world don't allow fighting and punish cheapshots pretty severely relative to the NHL.

Are you saying football isn’t a violent sport?

 

[Satoru Gojo]

Yes. NHL has forgot to come to the current millenium. Looks like, somestar player have to die on ice before the circus realizes that this has no sense.

You are the definition of a modern audience

 

[Satoru Gojo]

Some of you on here are so new to this

 

[Andy]

Yes! I'm in such shock that these players are being physical in a contact sport.

I think a statement like this is deliberately misleading.

There is a huge difference between being physical and playing the game to injure people.

We all love the playoff grind, but trying to hurt your opponent for the sake of sucks the fun out of the game. No one wants their team's playoff chances to be affected by cheapshots and intent to hurt.

The crosschecks, headhunting, and goalie crashes are just cheap. Few get mad at heavy checks or intense board battles. But the after the whistle scrums. hunting players in vulnerable positions, and goalie targetting decreases sucks.

 

[Bileur]

It's weird then that the most popular sports in the US and in the world don't allow fighting and punish cheapshots pretty severely relative to the NHL.

Do they though?

Azeez Al Shaair got three games for a wicked cheap shot on Trevor Lawrence. Raffi Torres territory.

Receivers regularly get their knees blown up and there isn’t even a flag, let alone a suspension despite most agreeing those are cheapshots.

Hip drop tackles are rarely called.

Fighting is another matter, but you have to account for the fact that fighting has always been tolerated in hockey. It is deeply ingrained. It’s not the same as other sports.

 

[Wondercarrot]

This issue could easily be addressed, but Bettman and Parros do nothing about it. That’s because they think violence could draw in new viewers, who now eagerly wait to see who will retaliate and how.

Apparently, the NHL wants to see star players taken out night after night. Hockey is a physical and tough sport, but there’s nothing tough about blindsiding or hitting a defenseless player from behind.

Right now we are not far from career ending injury any given night.

If they do they finally understand what fans want…there is a reason the NHL playoffs are extraordinarily compelling every year compared to other sports - players play like it means something to them.

 

[OysterForever]

I think a statement like this is deliberately misleading.

There is a huge difference between being physical and playing the game to injure people.

We all love the playoff grind, but trying to hurt your opponent for the sake of sucks the fun out of the game. No one wants their team's playoff chances to be affected by cheapshots and intent to hurt.

The crosschecks, headhunting, and goalie crashes are just cheap. Few get mad at heavy checks or intense board battles. But the after the whistle scrums. hunting players in vulnerable positions, and goalie targetting decreases sucks.

Nailed my thoughts.

"Because it's the cup" shouldn't excuse deliberate injuries.

 

[Channelcat]

I enjoy the physical game, but when it's become a contest of taking out the other best players, we've gone too far.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Do they though?

Azeez Al Shaair got three games for a wicked cheap shot on Trevor Lawrence. Raffi Torres territory.

Receivers regularly get their knees blown up and there isn’t even a flag, let alone a suspension despite most agreeing those are cheapshots.

Hip drop tackles are rarely called.

Fighting is another matter, but you have to account for the fact that fighting has always been tolerated in hockey. It is deeply ingrained. It’s not the same as other sports.

There are 17 game in an NHL season versus 82 in hockey. Not exactly apples to apples. And remember how long it took the NHL to actually do something about Raffi Torres.

Football is a very physical sport, but over the years there are more and more rules to protect players from violent hits. On kickoffs, on quarterbacks, on receivers.

And then there's the obvious point that soccer is the most popular sport in the world and it's not like guys are punching each other in the head. It's regularly referred to as soft here.

The claim that fans love violence and more of it would make the game more popular simply isn't backed up by reality.