Is There A More Momentum Shifting HIT than Aaron Rome on Nathan Horton in the 2011 Scf

[Albatros]

which reminds me,



carrying a precarious 4-3 lead to the juggernaut of all offensive juggernauts (which they would lose on the ensuing PP) in the second half an elimination game

the plucky isles finished that game out with a pair of third period goals then squeaked by with the OT winner in game seven

greatest upset in NHL history

Besides it definitely wasn't just that one incident, he took out Jágr as well who subsequently was even more invisible than Lemieux in game seven.

 

[Crosby2010]

Game 3 ended up being a perfect storm with the Rome hit being the catalyst. Game 3 was also where Julien changed his strategy from trying to skate with the Canucks to playing Bruins hockey by putting Thornton (DNP in games 1,2) back into the lineup and you already had a pissed off Bruins team from Bergeron getting his fingers bit by Burrows. They already had a boost then you toss in something as galvanizing as the Rome hit and you have the beatdown that was games 3-7.

I know Canucks fans like to point to injuries, but half of the ones they blame happened in that series. If a team wears you down and knocks your guys out that's called getting beat.

Exactly. I can remember the Chicago/Anaheim series in 2015 when the Hawks lost some of their defense but still had Keith who had an amazing run that is probably the best a defenseman has ever had in the 21st century. The idea for the Ducks was that all they had to do was keep hammering the Hawks' defense and eventually over a 7 game series it would wear them down. It almost worked, the Hawks won in 7 and Keith was just dynamite that spring, taking the Hawks on his back. So yeah, if you wear the other team out it is what it is - hockey.

Plus Horton getting injured wasn't a big deal and a big blow to the Bruins? It sure was. People seem to forget this when they point out the Canuck injuries.

 

[BraveCanadian]

A big part of the Messier narrative was catching Potvin off balance and knocking him down, supposedly making Potvin seem mortal and the Islanders beatable in 84.

Trottier's hit on Bob Gainey in Game 4, 1984 was said to be a turning point in the Islanders beating Montreal. After losing the first two games, New York won the next four.

The hit was pretty bad. Trottier ran at him from halfway across the rink and hit Gainey high and hard. He got a 5 minute major for boarding.

Yikes, that is bad. Unusual for Trottier to leave his feet like that. You know it is bad when it is a major back in the olden times. They just forgot to call stuff for a while during the Stevens era a bit later.

 

[PavelBure10]

Definitely the biggest game changing hit probably in NHL history. Not because of the hit but because of the suspension. Longest suspension given in NHL playoffs history, which is BS since Scott Steven's made a living of making this exact hit in the playoffs.

Either way it was definitely a momentum shifter.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Definitely the biggest game changing hit probably in NHL history. Not because of the hit but because of the suspension. Longest suspension given in NHL playoffs history, which is BS since Scott Steven's made a living of making this exact hit in the playoffs.

Either way it was definitely a momentum shifter.

Yeah, losing Aaron Rome for the series totally was a bigger blow than losing Nathan Horton for the series...

 

[Brodeur]

Scott Stevens on Lindros seemed to sap the will of the Flyers.

My Best-Carey

It's been awhile since I've watched the game in its entirety. I remember a few years back that it was on NHL Network and Andy Delmore missed on a good scoring opp (and I was irrationally worried). The Lindros hit happened fairly early in the game and my vague memory was that both teams were kinda tentative afterwards. Flyers tied it in the 2nd and outshot the Devils that game.

When I saw the thread title, I thought Stevens/Kozlov was more of a momentum shift than the Lindros one. Stevens/Kozlov was midway through Game 2 that was tied 1-1. Devils would win that game 4-2 and then would win Games 3/4 at home.

 

[Primary Assist]

Tucker on Peca is another good one. Happened in a pivotal Game 5 and the Leafs ended up winning that bloodbath of a series.

It's the most infamous hit of the series, but Roberts also flatlined Kenny Jonsson with a super dirty hit for a 5 minute major. And that was the same series when Shayne Corson got his ass kicked and tried to kick Eric Cairns

Oh on the subject of the Leafs I thought of another one, not exactly a hit though. Tie Domi's sucker punch on Niedermayer. Like the Rome hit it galvanized the other team and totally shifted momentum against the Leafs.

 

[frisco]

Ulf Samuelsson on Neely in Game 3 on the 1991 Conference Finals. Boston won the first two games but after Samuelsson hit Neely (clean hit, BTW) the Bruins came unglued and lost the game and the next three. Milbury and Co. seemed more intent on getting back at Samuelsson than winning the series.

My Best-Carey

 

[Johnny Engine]

Oh on the subject of the Leafs I thought of another one, not exactly a hit though. Tie Domi's sucker punch on Niedermayer. Like the Rome hit it galvanized the other team and totally shifted momentum against the Leafs.

Is there something I'm not remembering from this series that actually gives some kind of evidence of that, beyond "some people said New Jersey would win after that, and they did"?
The Domi elbow came at the end of a game that tied the series 2-2, and the Leafs won the game after that. The Devils outshot the Leafs in all 4 games leading up to the elbow, and in 2 of the 3 following it (in game 6 they both took 26). New Jersey was pretty obviously the better team, had lead the league in goals, were 4-deep with great centres, had 3 star defensemen (still 2 with Niedermayer nursing his headache) and were the defending champions.
I'm not going to say that the Devils weren't pissed off and revved up after that hit (maybe not Mogilny, haha), but this always seemed like it was blown up into something other than "it was a best of three, the better team won, not immediately". Is there more?

 

[sr edler]

Hamhuis hip-check on Lucic was probably more devastating, since he was a much better and more important player. But then with Rome out, the whole D group became a desperate patch-work. It's also been said that Rome had a bit of a bodyguard role for the Sedins.