Around the NHL: Part VII – Sweeps and Suspensions (Mod Warning Post #249)

[Irishguy42]

Fighting in hockey is dumb. That is all.

 

[Fugazy]

Fighting in hockey is dumb. That is all.

Last night’s game showed us why.

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

Fighting in hockey is dumb. That is all.

Agreed.

But the league also needs to step up its act as an enforcer. As fighting becomes less and less, I think it will be outlawed fully soon enough. That being said, you can't allow slashes like Svechnikov's last night and without fear of a fight, the league will need to be the one to safeguard its players.

 

[Edge]

Super frustrating game. Dallas should have won this one no question. Makes this series really hard for them to win now

They seem just good enough to hang, but maybe not good enough to win.

On the bright side, Zucc is certainly making his case for being resigned.

To me though the key is that St. Louis series. They need to win on home ice and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

I thought they started well the other night, and then imploded.

 

[Irishguy42]

To combat fighting, you don't even have to outright ban it.

Increase the punishment. Ejection. Automatic suspension. Something more than a 5 minute penalty, because that's not scary for the most part.

Would Ovi or Svech still drop the gloves if theu knew they would be ejected for the rest of the game or suspended for the next game or two, instead of coming back in 5 minutes (or just Ovi, in last nights case)?

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Also would have been completely ridiculous if the Avs got to add Hughes/Kakko

So ****ing glad that didn’t happen

Ah, but maybe they might now want Kreider...

 

[Ori]

I think it’s selfish of us not to want him to go to another team and try and win. I’m getting a lot of joy out of watching Zucc in Dallas right now battling.

Hank should go he’s got nothing left to prove here. Go try and win if there’s a place that wants him. There might be the bigger issue. Who would be a potential landing spot? I don’t see many.

But the fact of the matter is it’s probably for the best that he leave one way or the other at this point.

We MAY get away with it this year with both Georgiev and Shesterkin waiver exempt they can play the game there split their time even if it comes down to it between Hartford and NY to get games. But after this year. Hanks going to have to retire or be traded.

He is battling vs injury @Kovalev27 - he is visible in pain. Because normally it take 10-12 weeks for the bone to heal properly, but 5 weeks later playoffs. It was a risk and a gamble for Gorton the conditional, but he get the chance to resign players as UFA and he still get the two lower picks at TDL. Gorton was lucky in lottery with #2 oa - so it do not matter much about the conditional picks - if he do an okey trade window this summer and at draft day for a possible another top #8-10 center pick in 2019 I`m more than happy.

 

[Gardner McKay]

I get that Svechnikov was game, but maybe Ovechkin could have been the bigger man there. It was like fighting a child size-wise. Not impressed.

It isn't Ovechkin's responsibility to protect Svechnikov from making poor decisions. In fact, it is probably better that Svech learned early to pick his spots wisely and from Ovechkin, vs. someone who could have done a lot more damage.

 

[TheTakedown]

Honestly I think it’s more that these 8 seeds are outliers

Most 8 seeds don’t have a player as good MacKinnon, let alone Rantanen. Those are guys that can win a series by themselves practially. And the Blue Jackets roster is just far superior to a typical 8 seed. They’re like the 11-12 Rangers on steroids.

^^^ is true...

Took CBJ 96 points to get into the playoffs
Colorado needed only 90, but they went thru a stretch where they went 5-22
Montreal could have made it if they had a few more breaks
Vegas looked like trash after October... Somehow they just turned it right back up around playoff time. That Stone Acquisition was a big get for them
Carolina sucked ass until Mrazek took that #1 goalie position. That's been their problem for years, they finally stop-gapped it

There are a lot of outliers here, but the Rangers aren't far off from being one of these teams. 2 years max

 

[FJB]

Less fighting in hockey!? WTF!? NO!!!!!

We need more! Get rid of the instigator rule too.

 

[NYR Viper]

Yeah count me in the group that would prefer to let the players handle things on the ice.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Less fighting in hockey!? WTF!? NO!!!!!

We need more! Get rid of the instigator rule too.

We don't need more or less. What we need is to let the game naturally dictate how it should be decided. I am of the belief that if you removed the instigator rule, injuries from head shots would go way down and I don't think fighting would drastically go up.

 

[JimmyG89]

There are a lot of outliers here, but the Rangers aren't far off from being one of these teams. 2 years max

They kind of are. When looking at the current roster, there are 7 forwards on the team that have shown they are NHL players: KZB, Strome, Names, Fast, and Vesey. Past that, the younger players haven't proven it, the closest being Chytil. We're talking about trading Kreider. Names, Fast and Vesey are UFAs entering next season. Strome an RFA. That leaves Zibanejad and Buchnevich. Even with progression, you are looking at Lias, Chyil, Howden, and Lemieux added to that list. There are 6. Kakko should be 7 by then. Will Kravtsov join them? Still looking to fill roles. And who knows how impactful those players will be.

Same goes for the defense. I wouldn't put a time on this thing. It's going to take around 3 years to understand where these players could be.

 

[Don Chytil]

Less fighting in hockey!? WTF!? NO!!!!!

We need more! Get rid of the instigator rule too.

Yes, let's glorify violence in an already dangerous sport and fight to shorten the lives and careers of our favorite players.

Views like this make me sick. It's a total lack of respect for the players and their mental and physical health - but yes, they should continue to destroy their bodies. For your entertainment.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Yes, let's glorify violence in an already dangerous sport and fight to shorten the lives and careers of our favorite players.

Views like this make me sick. It's a total lack of respect for the players and their mental and physical health - but yes, they should continue to destroy their bodies. For your entertainment.

Without getting too far off topic (because I do think the Kadri hit doesn't happen if the instigator rule is gone), they are well compensated. They know the choice they are making to play such a dangerous sport. There is no glorification of violence, it is merely an attempt by some to preserve what they believe to be one of the more sacred parts of our sport. While I don't necessarily agree with it, I do feel as if counter measures have actually led to an increase in head shots and are the major factor in shortening playing careers.

 

[FJB]

Yes, let's glorify violence in an already dangerous sport and fight to shorten the lives and careers of our favorite players.

Views like this make me sick. It's a total lack of respect for the players and their mental and physical health - but yes, they should continue to destroy their bodies. For your entertainment.

This isn't figure skating or some boring non-contact "sport" like golf. If I want to watch a bunch of babies, I'll watch soccer. I want to watch real hockey where men take care of things on the ice.

If they don't like it, they can go to MLS. They can wipe their tears with the cash that gets thrown at them.

 

[LieutenantLackluster]

Without getting too far off topic (because I do think the Kadri hit doesn't happen if the instigator rule is gone), they are well compensated. They know the choice they are making to play such a dangerous sport. There is no glorification of violence, it is merely an attempt by some to preserve what they believe to be one of the more sacred parts of our sport. While I don't necessarily agree with it, I do feel as if counter measures have actually led to an increase in head shots and are the major factor in shortening playing careers.

This is a reasoned take, even though I disagree.

This isn't figure skating or some boring non-contact "sport" like golf. If I want to watch a bunch of babies, I'll watch soccer. I want to watch real hockey where men take care of things on the ice.

If they don't like it, they can go to MLS. They can wipe their tears with the cash that gets thrown at them.

This is just a case study in toxic masculinity.

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

If you don’t like fighting go watch figure skating. Seriously? Hockey is a fast physical contact sport played on raw emotions. There’s going to be fights, especially in the playoffs when the tension is so high. Ban fighting, great, what’s next? Let’s take out hitting too and make it like 2 hand touch football.

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

We don't need more or less. What we need is to let the game naturally dictate how it should be decided. I am of the belief that if you removed the instigator rule, injuries from head shots would go way down and I don't think fighting would drastically go up.

Free market guy.

I like it

 

[Shesterkybomb]

My biggest problem with the Kadri cross check is that he didnt drop the gloves and fight debrusk like a man if he didnt like what was going on, it's a gutless play that cost him the series and while they won last night, having Kadri on the sidelines doesnt help.

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

Yes, let's glorify violence in an already dangerous sport and fight to shorten the lives and careers of our favorite players.

Views like this make me sick. It's a total lack of respect for the players and their mental and physical health - but yes, they should continue to destroy their bodies. For your entertainment.

What we really need to do is stop holding guns to the players heads and stop forcing them to fight!!

Please. These guys get paid millions and know full well the risk they're taking. I risk my life everyday for far less compensation. They'll get no sympathy from me

 

[FJB]

This is a reasoned take, even though I disagree.



This is just a case study in toxic masculinity.

No such thing. LOL!

 

[Shesterkybomb]

The instigator rule I dont mind if its tweaked to only be called when someone jumps a defenseless person and not when someone baits a fight. If the guys are face to face and it starts it should never be called.

 

[BklynTerp]

What we really need to do is stop holding guns to the players heads and stop forcing them to fight!!

Please. These guys get paid millions and know full well the risk they're taking. I risk my life everyday for far less compensation. They'll get no sympathy from me

They often are not well educated on the risks they are taking. Their compensation and what you do for a living are completely irrelevant to the subject matter

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

We don't need more or less. What we need is to let the game naturally dictate how it should be decided. I am of the belief that if you removed the instigator rule, injuries from head shots would go way down and I don't think fighting would drastically go up.

The REAL solution to fighting is showing that you can be a better team without it. IMO one of the reasons fighting is down so much is because teams aren't wasting roster spots on total goons anymore. They need NHL caliber players to contribute on the ice at all times.

Artificial regulation in the form of things like the instigator rule always have unintended consequences. Dirty hits have been, and will probably always be a part of the game. They have also always been penalized (though the definition of a "dirty hit" has changed with time). By outlawing fighting all together, there is no real life physical retribution for throwing a dirty hit, unless someone else just throws another dirty hit. IMO that is much more dangerous than two guys squaring up.