Lighting reaction to hit on Hedman completely embarrassing

[Five Alarm Fire]

I really don’t know what we’re doing in preseason anymore. I get that making big hits and standing up for teammates creates a lot of goodwill within the team, but is it really improving someone’s chances of making the team? Just seems like everyone has lost their minds this year.

 

[Bunch of Jurcos]

KUCHEROV SHOULD GET *checks Hurricanes schedule* A TWO GAME SUSPENSION!

 

[BLNY]

No it's not a recent history thing. Fights after clean hits have been happening for decades, f*** when I started watching a borderline hit could lead to a line brawl, maybe even a bench clearing brawl and a coach beating a fan with a shoe

I've been watching games since the early 80s and seen more than my fair share of game tape from the 70s. Guys weren't chased around the ice after a clean hit back then. You'd take a number and hit back. The only exception would have been Semenko protecting Gretzky.

It crept in after 94 lockout, but didn't become standard operating procedure for teams until the last 20 years.

No one went after Larry after this hit and that was the Broad Street Bullies. Hit like that today and there's an expectation from far too many people.

 

[Marlowe Syn]

I could see a reverse "it's just preseason" reaction to the hit. It was a great open iced hit that just by that jerk Newton's laws could have injured him. So I could see the TB players, especially the stars getting more heated in the moment of a meaningless game to them. I'm sure Patrik Laine was in the back of their minds. Geekie still looked like a clown out there.

 

[Bouboumaster]

The Lightning is completly embarassing, I agree with that

 

[aylib]

Histrionics

 

[HBK27]

Clean hit or not, if you have some scrub going around taking shots at star players in a preseason game, I don't have a problem with players going after him.

 

[Beyonder91]

I can see how hit looked blindside/dangerous from Kucherov's perspective. Instinctive reaction from him and he really did nothing to do the guy. Nothingburger.
Geekie on the other hand... Suspension should be incoming.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

I've been watching games since the early 80s and seen more than my fair share of game tape from the 70s. Guys weren't chased around the ice after a clean hit back then. You'd take a number and hit back. The only exception would have been Semenko protecting Gretzky.

It crept in after 94 lockout, but didn't become standard operating procedure for teams until the last 20 years.

No one went after Larry after this hit and that was the Broad Street Bullies. Hit like that today and there's an expectation from far too many people.

Robinson could beat the f*** out of the broad street bullies, so that's part of a reason they didn't.

Plus, Robinson was a well respected player.

You can point to a story where Avery was on Detroit and went to chirp Sakic and was basically told to shut the f*** up and sit down by his Detroit teammates because it was Sakic.

That level of respect has sort of left the game.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Hedman receives the cleanest open ice hit in the history of hockey and Kucherov and
Geekie respond like it was the dirtiest hit ever

f***ing embarrassing from the Lighting

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841636395246617005

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841632918684217772

You must be new to hockey.....

 

[Il Stugotz]

Geekie's gonna get suspended, probably 2 games

 

[Zalos]

Nothing to see here.

 

[Laus723]

 

[MOGlLNY]

Relatively unknown guy hits a hall of famer in the preseason where a lot of guys have gotten injuries. Another hall of famer grabs him to let him know to relax and doesn’t even throw a punch.

Seems more like an embarrassing thread to make than anything.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Perfectly clean hit. While these are “just” pre-season games for guys like Herman and Kuch, they’re the chance to make an impression and maybe earn an NHL roster spot for guys like Davies. Kucherov’s reaction is dumb but totally unsurprising. Low key one of the dirtier stars in the league.

 

[DJJones]

Players don't know or care if its clean. They just react to their friend getting hit

Especially when you got young kids flying around like dumbasses

 

[JianYang]

Are we all tired of watching star players get rocked/injured in the preseason yet? I don't understand playing your best players in meaningless games when half the players are borderline NHL'ers looking to make their mark with physical play.

Kucherov is a slimy player, but I think what got him triggered is that his star teammate got rocked by a non established guy during a mean nothing game.

This has always been taboo. Heck, if some young guy comes to camp and gets physical with the star guys on his team, some other teammate generally comes in to make sure that player never tries that again... . So when an opposition does this during camp, the aftermath is very predictable.

 

[HisNoodliness]

Hedman receives the cleanest open ice hit in the history of hockey and Kucherov and
Geekie respond like it was the dirtiest hit ever

f***ing embarrassing from the Lighting

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841636395246617005

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841632918684217772

That is a super clean hit, and definitely doesn't deserve any response in a regular game. The only thing that makes me understand from the Tampa side is just that it's preseason. There's definitely usually a "we don't hit each other too hard" All Star game style agreement for the preseason games. I'd say that laying people out in preseason is at least gauche and very ungentlemanly.

It's an open ice hit. That's a hockey play all day. A kid trying to make his way into this league should be making that play every game. That's what the "meaningless" preseason is for. You get a look at guys who are not on your team yet and see if you might want to put them on your team.

I could see why you don't do it in a practice on your own guys, but if you're letting up on your biggest rival because it's only preseason, then I don't want you on my team for the regular season.

I would absolutely tell this kid that was a great hit and tell Hedman to keep his head up. He's not a rookie and he should know better, even if it is preseason.

I don't love this take. The NHL has a ton of implied cultural agreements to prevent injuries. "You don't hit people in all Star games, preseason, etc" is definitely one of them. Young players trying to break onto the team are a small part of preseason. It's mostly a way for the players to get their legs under them before the real games. If your game is predicated on going for big hits, and that's the only way you can show your value to the team- you have to go for them. You'll piss people off doing that in preseason though. "I can take it when the other team wants to murder me" has to be a part of your game too.

I'll also say that this preseason has been the dirtiest that I can remember. There's been a lot more of the "AHL scrub tries to hurt star player" events than normal. Some guy had a high hit on Raymond. It definitely made me go "this is preseason. What are they doing? Well, time to send in our AHL scrub to break someone's knees."

 

[RickyLafleur]

good clean hit, embarrassing response from the lightning here

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Players have absolutely lost their minds in the preseason. Absurd overreaction by both TB players.

I don't get why folks think throwing around "hall of famer defending another hall of famer after a clean, moderately hard check" makes this a logical thing to happen. Being a future hall of famer doesn't entitle players to not be hit, or to be allowed to just skate around and drag down whoever you want from behind.

 

[Pavels Dog]

This preseason is crazy

 

[Idiot Stick]

Live Maurice reaction

 

[LOFIN]

Meh. I think even in a "normal" preseason (without all these injuries and dirty stuff) this would've been the reaction because it's the preseason. It's an unwritten rule that you are not supposed to hurt other players (especially star players) in these games.

You want to get rid of these overreactions to big clean hits? Let's get rid of fighting, and stop players policing themselves.

 

[Lunatik]

I've been watching games since the early 80s and seen more than my fair share of game tape from the 70s. Guys weren't chased around the ice after a clean hit back then. You'd take a number and hit back. The only exception would have been Semenko protecting Gretzky.

It crept in after 94 lockout, but didn't become standard operating procedure for teams until the last 20 years.

No one went after Larry after this hit and that was the Broad Street Bullies. Hit like that today and there's an expectation from far too many people.

Yeah I have been watching that long too and they absolutely went after guys for big hits.

Even if I conceded to '94... thats still f***ing 30 years ago... you know 3 decades

 

[WaitingForThatCab]

Nikita Kucherov and being a pissy slimeball: Two great tastes that have tasted great together on many occasions.