Official NHL 2016-2017 Thread

[jingle.boy]

Agree with Nick.  It was an unfortunate hard hit that resulted in an injury.  Frankly, I don't even think the hit deserved a penalty.  Scott Stevens would be proud.

The high-stick before hand, that was penalty-worthy.

[KevShmev]

I didn't see a lot of the game, so I cannot comment on the hit, but if there is one thing I have learned in my many years of message board chatter, it's that Pittsburgh sports fans a) never think their guys do anything wrong,  and B) most things done to their players are unfair or cheap, so that tells me that this hit was probably clean and legit.

[mikeyd23]

I'm just of the opinion that headshots need taken out of the game. The NFL is trying to do this by cracking down on headshots, I feel the NHL should as well.
 

Agree with Nick.  It was an unfortunate hard hit that resulted in an injury.  Frankly, I don't even think the hit deserved a penalty.  Scott Stevens would be proud.

The high-stick before hand, that was penalty-worthy.

I do think it was unfortunate and I think it was a total accident because of the position Chad was in, but to me, a headshot should still be penalized, intent shouldn't matter. If you want less headshots in the game, you have to start penalizing them every time they happen. No gray area, no room for, oh well it didn't look like he meant to do it...

But if you don't even think that was a penalty I guess trying to protect guys from head trauma and concussions isn't important to you.

I didn't see a lot of the game, so I cannot comment on the hit, but if there is one thing I have learned in my many years of message board chatter, it's that Pittsburgh sports fans a) never think their guys do anything wrong,  and B) most things done to their players are unfair or cheap, so that tells me that this hit was probably clean and legit.

First off that's a) insulting and rude, and b) not what I'm going on about. Last nights hit is the latest example of how the NHL continues to drop the ball in this area, and continues to put out a worse product because of it.

[Jarlaxle]

I didn't see a lot of the game, so I cannot comment on the hit, but if there is one thing I have learned in my many years of message board chatter, it's that Pittsburgh sports fans a) never think their guys do anything wrong,  and B) most things done to their players are unfair or cheap, so that tells me that this hit was probably clean and legit.

Said the St. Louis fan 

[jingle.boy]

If you want less headshots in the game, you have to start penalizing them every time they happen. No gray area, no room for, oh well it didn't look like he meant to do it...

But if you don't even think that was a penalty I guess trying to protect guys from head trauma and concussions isn't important to you.

C'mon man, it's not black and white.  And painting me into a corner where if I don't agree with you means I'm all for head trauma?  Geez.  Where do you stand on slashes that sever fingers?   

The reality is the NHL is a fast moving, aggressive and 'violent' game.  From what I remember of the hit (can't seem to find a replay of it), Ruhwedel leaned in towards the puck a split second before (who was it, Ryan?  Smith?) clocked him.  So, the 'hitting' player should be penalized because the 'hi't player put himself in a vulnerable position?  FFS, why have contact at all then if the only thing you can aim for is essentially a strike-zone (because hitting below the thigh is definitely a no-no as well - which I agree with)?

The NFL is trying to take away helmet/shoulder to head contact.  With the speed of the two sports, there is no way to fairly penalize any/all headshots, because it is just as often the result of the recipient's movement that causes the headshot.  Shall the NHL create a new penalty 'leaving yourself vulnerable'?

It's unfortunate - and yes, the league (both leagues) should take reasonable steps to minimize head injuries.  I don't think that penalizing every headshot like it's mandatory isn't the answer.

Edit - found video https://www.thescore.com/news/1304441; NBCsports has it in full speed.  In slow motion, it looks bad.  In realtime, tell me how Ryan is supposed to alter the hit he's going to throw - which would have been perfectly legal if Ruhwedel remained upright.

[KevShmev]

Well said. 

Seeing a playoff game a few weeks ago 10 rows from the ice reminded me of how fast the game moves and how difficult it has to be to officiate.  Even with two refs and two linesman, things are going to get missed sometimes.

I didn't see a lot of the game, so I cannot comment on the hit, but if there is one thing I have learned in my many years of message board chatter, it's that Pittsburgh sports fans a) never think their guys do anything wrong,  and B) most things done to their players are unfair or cheap, so that tells me that this hit was probably clean and legit.

Said the St. Louis fan 

Hey now, I am the first to call out a player on a team of mine if they did something I do not agree with.  For example, I am a Broncos fan and frequently call out Aquib Talib for his dirty play.

[mikeyd23]

If you want less headshots in the game, you have to start penalizing them every time they happen. No gray area, no room for, oh well it didn't look like he meant to do it...

But if you don't even think that was a penalty I guess trying to protect guys from head trauma and concussions isn't important to you.

C'mon man, it's not black and white.  And painting me into a corner where if I don't agree with you means I'm all for head trauma?  Geez.  Where do you stand on slashes that sever fingers?   

The reality is the NHL is a fast moving, aggressive and 'violent' game.  From what I remember of the hit (can't seem to find a replay of it), Ruhwedel leaned in towards the puck a split second before (who was it, Ryan?  Smith?) clocked him.  So, the 'hitting' player should be penalized because the 'hi't player put himself in a vulnerable position?  FFS, why have contact at all then if the only thing you can aim for is essentially a strike-zone (because hitting below the thigh is definitely a no-no as well - which I agree with)?

The NFL is trying to take away helmet/shoulder to head contact.  With the speed of the two sports, there is no way to fairly penalize any/all headshots, because it is just as often the result of the recipient's movement that causes the headshot.  Shall the NHL create a new penalty 'leaving yourself vulnerable'?

It's unfortunate - and yes, the league (both leagues) should take reasonable steps to minimize head injuries.  I don't think that penalizing every headshot like it's mandatory isn't the answer.

Edit - found video https://www.thescore.com/news/1304441; NBCsports has it in full speed.  In slow motion, it looks bad.  In realtime, tell me how Ryan is supposed to alter the hit he's going to throw - which would have been perfectly legal if Ruhwedel remained upright.

I am totally okay with slashes that sever fingers, obviously because I'm a Pittsburgh sports fan and have been informed that I can't have a fair balanced opinion without being a homer.

Of course I'm not okay with that, I think Sid should have got penalized for that, just like Ryan should have gotten a penalty last night.

Respectfully, the rest of your post is excuses. All I'm saying is cracking down on headshots. I don't care if the player who got hit seems to be in a vulnerable position, it should still be a penalty. With your logic a slash shouldn't be a penalty I guess if the guy with the puck sticks his arms out in a vulnerable way. Couldn't help but slash those arms, must not be a penalty. Oh and it's a fast game, so no biggie.

Or we could use the NFL analogy again, WR that gets put in a vulnerable position coming across the middle, led into a hit by his QB. If he gets absolutely blasted in the head the NFL is at least pretending to seem like they care. Doesn't matter if people think he's vulnerable or not.

That all being said, I agree it is a fast game and stuff will get missed. First off, this situation shouldn't have been missed because there was a ref right there watching it. But I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he blinked and missed it. Understood. So I'll await the department of player safety to call Ryan to address the hit. It's a hit to the head that concussed a player. Period.

[Jarlaxle]

Well said. 

Seeing a playoff game a few weeks ago 10 rows from the ice reminded me of how fast the game moves and how difficult it has to be to officiate.  Even with two refs and two linesman, things are going to get missed sometimes.

I didn't see a lot of the game, so I cannot comment on the hit, but if there is one thing I have learned in my many years of message board chatter, it's that Pittsburgh sports fans a) never think their guys do anything wrong,  and B) most things done to their players are unfair or cheap, so that tells me that this hit was probably clean and legit.

Said the St. Louis fan 

Hey now, I am the first to call out a player on a team of mine if they did something I do not agree with.  For example, I am a Broncos fan and frequently call out Aquib Talib for his dirty play.

just poking fun at the St. Louis fans here who seem to have a similar mentality, though I love the passion for the game and I get a good chuckle out of it because almost every hardcore fan talks like this to some degree.

I'm with you though, I believe myself to be very fair when judging against and for my team. Like already said, the Sid slash, while gruesome, should have been a penalty and no more. If I had it my way, almost all stickwork would be eliminated from the game, but some people seem to think that slash was an excerpt from the Texas chainsaw massacre. The Rust hit, while a headshot yes, is just something that happens in a fast paced contact sport. Speaking from the perspective of someone who has had 8-10 concussions, I wish there was an easy way to eliminate them entirely without affecting the one ice product, but unfortunately I don't know how that is possible. I never saw the Ruhwedel hit, but since it wasn't all over Twitter or anything, I'll assume it was a similar kind of play.

[jingle.boy]

@ Mikey, we'll have to agree to disagree as we aren't going to agree with our respective points of view.  What you call "excuses", I call the realities of the game.  Also, I was just teasing and being facetious about Sid's slash on Methot in the regular season.  It was gruesome, but a freak thing.

As for Ryan getting a call from Quintal, I haven't heard anything that suggests that is in the works.

@ Jarlaxe... the link I had showed a quick twitter .gif.  Here it is in full-speed https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2017/05/19/video-bobby-ryan-crunches-chad-ruhwedel-who-didnt-return-for-start-of-second-period/

I wish there was an easy way to eliminate them entirely without affecting the one ice product, but unfortunately I don't know how that is possible.

Bingo!

[Jarlaxle]

Seeing it now, I wouldn't complain if there had been a 2 minute penalty, wouldn't complain of there was no call either. Unfortunate play, but again, I don't know how to eliminate those hits.

[gmillerdrake]

just poking fun at the St. Louis fans here who seem to have a similar mentality,

yeah....so annoying them always whining about the refs and unevenly officiated games......   

[mikeyd23]

@jingle - it's all good man, I totally understand where you are coming from, I just think you and I (like you said) probably will just continue to disagree.

Seeing it now, I wouldn't complain if there had been a 2 minute penalty, wouldn't complain of there was no call either. Unfortunate play, but again, I don't know how to eliminate those hits.

I don't really know how to either, and that's part of the reason why it upsets me to a degree, I'm not sure how the NHL would eliminate those things totally, but here comes the cliche- a good start would be to actually call the rule book as written.

just poking fun at the St. Louis fans here who seem to have a similar mentality,

yeah....so annoying them always whining about the refs and unevenly officiated games......   

Ah, lets be real, no fan base is better or worse at this than others. Different people just develop different ideas about how they choose to view certain fan groups, that's all. Besides I love reading your posts here, joyful posts and frustrated posts, it's all a part of being a fan of any team. 

[gmillerdrake]

So mutha  sick of the mutha  Nashville Predators. Just really can't stand them any longer and it's safe to say that the affection I had for them as kind of my 'second' team is now completely eroded and I pretty much just hate them now.

Their celebrations make me rage

[TAC]

I don't know, bro. The Ducks are acting like assholes now.

[gmillerdrake]

I don't know, bro. The Ducks are acting like assholes now.

Are they? I turned the channel after the latest bout of fortune blessed the Preds with a broken stick on a simple pass attempt leading to the empty netter.

I don't see how anyone's going to beat them when they get the majority of the 'breaks'. Sure they lost Johansson but that's more or less 'expected' to happen in a deep playoff run .....losing someone.... it the little crap like broken sticks, bounces, momentum shifting calls etc. just continue to pile up in their favor. It's officially permanently embedded underneath my skin....the distain I have for that Franchise now.

[TAC]

[gmillerdrake]

 

[TAC]

 


I feel the same way about Ottawa as you do about the Preds (I bet you even hate when people call them the "Preds"   )


Sens/Preds final?? That doesn't even make sense!




 

[jingle.boy]

Gutsy win by them, and yeah.... very fortunate to have Silfverberg's stick snap like a matchstick.  Nothing bugs me more than the broken stick issue.  Never - NEVER - with wooden sticks did you see this many breaks.  Easily a couple every period - and last night there was two in a single shift.  Seriously, you'd think these fucking stick companies could figure this shit out.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Wonder if Perry gets in trouble for the sucker punch and forceful tug away from the ref.

[SchecterShredder]

Gutsy win by them, and yeah.... very fortunate to have Silfverberg's stick snap like a matchstick.  Nothing bugs me more than the broken stick issue.  Never - NEVER - with wooden sticks did you see this many breaks.  Easily a couple every period - and last night there was two in a single shift.  Seriously, you'd think these fucking stick companies could figure this shit out.

I actually saw a pitch on Dragon's Den last night for a company called Colt that makes a nearly indestructible stick. Not sure if it'll catch on,  but interesting nonetheless.

[SystematicThought]

It's a reverse of Game 3 in Pittsburgh right now. Instead of Pittsburgh being tired and sloppy, we're tired and sloppy. Jesus Christ

[mikeyd23]

It's a reverse of Game 3 in Pittsburgh right now. Instead of Pittsburgh being tired and sloppy, we're tired and sloppy. Jesus Christ

I was thinking the same thing, it was the polar opposite of game 3. It's been a weird series.

[SystematicThought]

I was thinking the same thing, it was the polar opposite of game 3. It's been a weird series.

God, I must feel how you felt last week. I just wanted it to be over 

[Rattlehead]

That was ugly... I stopped watching after the 1st period. Looks like I'm gonna have to pull for Nashville soon.

[SystematicThought]

Now who does Ottawa go with next? 

I'm one of the weirdos that likes Condon's game and Anderson has been shaky recently. But he got us this far....

Shitty birthday for Anderson

[TheCountOfNYC]

Wow. It's amazing what happens when a team plays their game instead of trying to play Ottawa's game. The Penguins are the far superior team, and they proved it this afternoon.

[Nick]

I would fully expect Pittsburgh to win a game 7 at home if it comes to that, but frankly there are no excuses for them losing game 6. If they somehow lose this series now it's a monumental failure.

And on that note, STOP FUCKING GETTING INJURED WESTERN TEAMS.

[mikeyd23]

God, I must feel how you felt last week. I just wanted it to be over 

Pretty much, like I said, it's been a weird series.

Now who does Ottawa go with next? 
I'm one of the weirdos that likes Condon's game and Anderson has been shaky recently. But he got us this far....

I'd think you'd have to go back to Anderson, he's got you this far.

Wow. It's amazing what happens when a team plays their game instead of trying to play Ottawa's game. The Penguins are the far superior team, and they proved it this afternoon.

Exactly. This is the game the Pens have been trying to have against the Sens all series. This was a Penguins style hockey game. Give credit to the Sens defense and strong structure for holding back the Pens speed and scoring up until yesterday.

I would fully expect Pittsburgh to win a game 7 at home if it comes to that, but frankly there are no excuses for them losing game 6. If they somehow lose this series now it's a monumental failure.

I hesitate to say monumental failure, but I'd certainly call it a disappointing upset if that happened.

[jingle.boy]

I expect Ottawa to bounce back tomorrow, just as Anaheim did after their shellacking at the hands of the Oilers last round, and when the Oilers did the same vs the Sharks.  And then... anything can happen in a Game 7.

[mikeyd23]

I expect Ottawa to bounce back tomorrow, just as Anaheim did after their shellacking at the hands of the Oilers last round, and when the Oilers did the same vs the Sharks.  And then... anything can happen in a Game 7.

Yup, I expect a much tighter game tomorrow. I'm just hoping the Pens can get a couple goals again. They are catching on to a couple things in terms of transitions against the Sens that has helped them the last couple games. I'll be curious to see if the Sens recognize that and adjust tomorrow.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Preds!!! 

[Dr. DTVT]

What a great third period, even if you ignore the empty netters.  Still hate the Ducks from when the Wings were in the west.  That shot of Perry with his head down was freaking sweet.  Sweet, sweet tears of pain.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Colton Sissons playing like a beast in RyJo's stead. Hopefully he can keep it up.

[SystematicThought]

Good for the Predators. Good for PK Subban and good for Mike Fisher