Ekblad hit on Hagel - suspended 2 games

[Bruce Granville]

Han Solo shot first…I mean Hagel…he started it.
Ekblad tried to protect himself from the impact of a known dirty player.

 

[zeroG]

if this isn't suspension-worthy, ekblad's hit isn't. this was grotesque. predatory. i'm astonished that people are celebrating it.

i haven't seen a great angle of ekblad's elbow actually hitting hagel's jaw or face. it looks like ekblad was trying to plant his forearm into hagel's chest and drive him down. it was not a violent elbow. almost looked like it was slow-motion.

 

[TotalHomer]

Like that shoulder just a moment ago that Malinski drove directly through Steel's jaw was a worse hit. And resulted in a 2 min penalty.

 

[Chainshot]

Should've been a major and then he's not on the ice to score that goal late. Playoff officiating is such a dubious beast.

 

[More 2004]

Mr Roid Rage with a juiced up elbow.

 

[CupsOverCash]

67 looking right at it too. Bad look for the NHL to be honest.

 

[Anemia]

No penalty there is incredible... until you remember the NHL is reffed by biased idiots.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Now THIS should be a Florida suspension. Dirty

 

[WaitingForThatCab]

I would argue that Ekblad should receive the same discipline that Leon Draisatl received for a very similar maneuver in last season's Stanley Cup Finals.

 

[fansse]

So many dirty plays by the Panthers almost like it seems encouraged by Paul Maurice

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

I would argue that Ekblad should receive the same discipline that Leon Draisatl received for a very similar maneuver in last season's Stanley Cup Finals.

Yup. This is a similar nothingburger.

 

[hirawl]

Yeah he throws his elbow at him. Luckily it was only the forearm that got Hagel's chin. The majority of the force being the elbow landed on his upper chest area. Could have been worse.

Also neither of the players had too much forward momentum which is good. Without the elbow it's a nothing push.

Pretty much the same hit as Draisaitl on Barkov last spring. FWIW.

 

[WaitingForThatCab]

So many dirty plays by the Panthers almost like it seems encouraged by Paul Maurice

To be fair, he DID have the puck.

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

So many dirty plays by the Panthers almost like it seems encouraged by Paul Maurice

I don't think that it's encouraged specifically by Maurice but a fair portion of the Panthers mgmt & staff who are former tough guys of the league.

 

[pcruz]

Shouldn't this discussion be moved to the series thread?


You know, for consistency.

 

[RDTBay4]

Highly doubt there will even be a hearing.

 

[behemolari]

looks like karma to me, give him suspension it will only help Panthers

 

[behemolari]

Omfg Mikkola

that was bad

 

[behemolari]

Did Hagel leave the game?

oh yes

 

[Grinner]

Suspend a star Panthers player?
Not going to happen

 

[Anglesmith]

View attachment 1025376

if this isn't suspension-worthy, ekblad's hit isn't. this was grotesque. predatory. i'm astonished that people are celebrating it.

i haven't seen a great angle of ekblad's elbow actually hitting hagel's jaw or face. it looks like ekblad was trying to plant his forearm into hagel's chest and drive him down. it was not a violent elbow. almost looked like it was slow-motion.

None of these buzzwords actually matter in the rules, though. There is no reference to a hit being predatory or grotesque.

This screenshot shows exactly why this wasn't illegal. Wilson is going right through the centre of mass and isn't elevating in any way. Nothing he is doing is specifically increasing head contact. The same can't be said of the Ekblad hit. His use of the arm specifically creates head contact where it would have been minimal if hitting with the shoulder.

That said, if it turns out that the head contact wasn't actually that bad and it was the head hitting the ice that caused injury, then Ekblad won't have grounds for suspension either.

 

[eviohh26]

Pretty bad hit. Should be a handful of games. BUT! It wont be.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Gonna be honest, this isn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

This probably isn’t even a thread If Hagel doesn’t fall down on his back like that.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Roided up loser

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

Perfect game by Ekblad. You couldn’t draw it up any better.

No suspension