Around the League Part XIII: The season's here, and so still is this thread!

[Proust*]

Head targeted and only point of contact, no last moment change in positioning by the person hit, suspension absolutely warranted. This isn't the 80's anymore, the NHL has to consider the massive law suits if the allow that kind of play.

Yeah, it's pretty much a text-book suspendable offense. Not sure how they can let this one slide...

 

[Icelevel]

http://www.tsn.ca/fraser-why-there-likely-won-t-be-punishment-for-gudas-1.103887

if the rules have to be changed then change them. that should be 10 games imo like i said before. gudas obviously sees upshall in front of him. he takes his hand off his stick and jets his arm towards upshall. upshall has his head down so don't do what gudas did and you won't have an injury. is it really possible for upshall to go through gudas unless he puts his forearm in his face?

i'm not very smart but i can see that should have a rule against it.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Head targeted and only point of contact, no last moment change in positioning by the person hit, suspension absolutely warranted. This isn't the 80's anymore, the NHL has to consider the massive law suits if the allow that kind of play.

I can sort of see the argument that he shouldn't be suspended just for bracing himself though: it doesn't look like he's targetting the head as much as bracing himself to me

I think it's suspension worthy but I don't think it's very obvious either

 

[YNWA14]

I think it's pretty clearly a suspension worthy hit. Principal and only point of contact being the head with no effort to make a 'clean' hit. There have been suspensions for much less, and much cleaner hits.

EDIT: Actually watching it a few more times you can see that Gudas clearly watches Upshall the whole way, and brings his arm up (or he likely wouldn't have contacted the head it looks like). The more I watch it the dirtier it looks. He even leans over and out away from where he was skating to catch Upshall.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

Breaking news: Phil Kessel is a fat ****.

Also, that Gudas hit was clean. At some point, players have to be responsible for themselves out there. Dude has his head down, he's crouched over, he never even sees a guy who's right in front of him with his elbow perfectly tucked in. Dunno, what else Gudas is supposed do there besides letting him just walk around him, or low bridge him. This is still a contact sport and part of that in knowing how to protect yourself.

 

[Caeldan]

Yeah I don't like the Gudas hit at all. Just not right.

He has time to pull up. Definitely doesn't need to put his arm through the path and gets nothing but head.

 

[Caeldan]

Apparently no discipline though, Gudas got off with a warning basically and told not to do it again.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

He doesn't "target" the head, he braces himself

I find it hard to blame him for it and I think that telling him not to brace himself in those situations isn't really reasonnable

 

[Six Assets]

Head targeted and only point of contact, no last moment change in positioning by the person hit, suspension absolutely warranted. This isn't the 80's anymore, the NHL has to consider the massive law suits if the allow that kind of play.

The play happened in a matter of seconds, just looks worse in slow mo

 

[Caeldan]

He doesn't "target" the head, he braces himself

I find it hard to blame him for it and I think that telling him not to brace himself in those situations isn't really reasonnable

It's the arm extension is what I have an issue with.


Watch this and tell me you honestly don't see him actively extending the arm to initiate contact. Bracing yourself for a collision you tighten up and let the person hit you. Like Tinordi and Schmidt.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

It was my initial assessment as well

But having watched it a bunch of times I changed my mind, I think he's just putting his arm in front of him in order to brace himself for impact

 

[Benjamin]

Thats a tough one.

Upshall put himself in a terrible position.

Gudas could of tried to hit lower but wasn't really trying to hit his head anyways. He had no other option.

Ill say 60% on Upshall. 40% on Gudas.

 

[Icelevel]

boychuk 1 goal and 2 assists so far

not bad first game

and we didn't trade for him because.....

 

[Super Cake]

boychuk 1 goal and 2 assists so far

not bad first game

and we didn't trade for him because.....

There are many reasons why we did not trade for him.

1. Any trade involving a dman would have had to have a dman going back. Boston wasn't going to take on any players because of their cap issues.

2. The Sens are a budget team. I doubt Melnyk would want to pay a dman who is playing in bingo and on a one way contract.

3. Murray putting too much faith into our defense.

 

[Qward]

Carolina is definitely in the hunt for McDavid.

 

[Six Assets]

Carolina is definitely in the hunt for McDavid.

I like your avatar

Eichel>McDavid

 

[Qward]

I think Eichel's style would fit better in our system.

 

[Six Assets]

I think Eichel's style would fit better in our system.

Agreed he's a BM type player

 

[Karlsson2Turris*]

McDavid is better than Eichel AINEC lol. It's like comparing Malkin to Getzlaf, both are great but one is on a totally different level offensively.

 

[littleD]

Head down

Clean play

Elbow extended.

Dirty play.

 

[littleD]

Tonight is going to be crazy.

During the first half of the 9 p.m. ET hour, 26 NHL teams will likely be playing at the same time.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=733929

 

[Micklebot]

It was my initial assessment as well

But having watched it a bunch of times I changed my mind, I think he's just putting his arm in front of him in order to brace himself for impact

Don't buy that at all. Gudas sees the pass coming to Upshall and from a near stop skates to initiate contact. He's not bracing himself for an incidental collision, he's going for a check to a player where with the line he took, the only possible point of contact is the head.

This is akin to boarding someone; the responsibility on on the hitter to let up and not hit someone violently into the boards. I don't see Gudas letting up, even though the puck had already been swatted away, he maintains the line and leans in.

 

[YouGotAStuGoing]

McDavid is better than Eichel AINEC lol. It's like comparing Malkin to Getzlaf, both are great but one is on a totally different level offensively.

1. Most professional scouts would disagree that it's "not even close."
2. They're both 17. Seems a bit early to be making that statement definitively.
3. With a statement like that, I'd imagine you've seen both play a significant amount of games?

 

[Karlsson2Turris*]

It's the arm extension is what I have an issue with.


Watch this and tell me you honestly don't see him actively extending the arm to initiate contact. Bracing yourself for a collision you tighten up and let the person hit you. Like Tinordi and Schmidt.

"Stamkos was trying to bat the ball out of mid-air"

Florida commentators

 

[Six Assets]

McDavid is better than Eichel AINEC lol. It's like comparing Malkin to Getzlaf, both are great but one is on a totally different level offensively.

its way closer than you think