NHL (2021-2022) v. Congrats Avs. Jack Johnson is a Stanley Cup Champion.

[jingle.boy]

Crazy back and forth game tonight in STL, as the Leafs snag one on the road.  Winning goal was a weird one, but hey it all counts, right? The Blues need to tighten up defensively, but love seeing the young guys continue to produce on the score sheet.

Agreed... that was a really fun game to watch.  Refs were kinda inconsistent, but towards both teams. There were some "missed" calls - arguable the 4th goal for the Blues was a result of a nice tackle/hold by a Blues player, but I wasn't too stuffed about it.  Muzzin got away with a clear trip later in the period with the ref about 3 feet away from the play.  And yeah ... that GWG was a stinker.

Rangers on Wednesday.  Given the NJ game postponement on Monday, this will be a 2 week road trip, with it actually being 3 weeks between home games.  I don't think the league can postpone anymore home games just because of the fan attendance limitations - which are supposed to be re-evaluated on the 26th.

[pg1067]

And Saturday, it’s the Leafs v Blues.

 

So after the Bruins play the Preds in the afternoon, they have to play the Leafs at night? They do doubleheaders in hockey?

You read as good as King types!!   

 

[jingle.boy]

Great news that Perron, Schenn, Tarasenko and Parayko are returning from COVID tonight - as opposed to Saturday.

[gmillerdrake]

Great news that Perron, Schenn, Tarasenko and Parayko are returning from COVID tonight - as opposed to Saturday.

Yeah….no kidding!

The Blues are retiring Prongers number tonight. Man, watching those highlights I had forgot how freaking good he was. He was a beast!

[TAC]

He was fucking dirty.

[gmillerdrake]

He was fucking dirty.

That entire era was dirty. He fit right in.

[jammindude]

Kraken win their first shootout ever!   

Sometimes...it's the little things.   

That was a seriously fun game to watch.  I thought about going. Someone in my HOA was selling their tickets, but I just started a new job and haven't got my first paycheck yet.   And the wife didn't want to risk Covid because she's having knee surgery next week and even a positive result would through a monkey wrench into the works.

[King Postwhore]

He was fucking dirty.

That entire era was dirty. He fit right in.

Scott Stevens would lose his mind in today's NHL.

[TAC]

I loved Scott Stevens. I hated Chris Pronger. I never thought of Stevens as dirty. he'd line a guy up straight and if the guy had his head down, well, them's the breaks. Pronger's stickwork was a fucking joke.

[Anguyen92]

I mean if those guys did what they did in today's NHL, at best, the league probably would only fine them.

[King Postwhore]

I loved Scott Stevens. I hated Chris Pronger. I never thought of Stevens as dirty. he'd line a guy up straight and if the guy had his head down, well, them's the breaks. Pronger's stickwork was a fucking joke.

Sure he wasn't dirty. Lol

https://youtu.be/7JC7xyBuHrc

[pg1067]

I mean if those guys did what they did in today's NHL, at best, the league probably would only fine them.

He'd finish most games with about 5 minutes on the ice and 20+ PIM.

Dirty AF.

[TAC]

I loved Scott Stevens. I hated Chris Pronger. I never thought of Stevens as dirty. he'd line a guy up straight and if the guy had his head down, well, them's the breaks. Pronger's stickwork was a fucking joke.

Sure he wasn't dirty. Lol

https://youtu.be/7JC7xyBuHrc

What's wrong with that.? You carry the puck over the offensive blue line, you keep your head up. I have NO PROBLEM with that hit. I mean, he put his shoulder into Lindros' face/head, but it's not like he leapt up to do so. It's just the way it lined up.





Unrelated...The only person happier than the Canes tonight is Jeremy Swayman.  Rask getting shallacked in the first. 5-1!

[King Postwhore]

The elbow to the head maybe?  Lol. It wasn't illegal back in the day but you know for damn sure the elbow was up for maximum damage and that is evil.

[TAC]

The elbow to the head maybe?  Lol. It wasn't illegal back in the day but you know for damn sure the elbow was up for maximum damage and that is evil.

Did you even watch the video? The elbow was NOT up. His shoulder gets Lindros in the jaw. Even Panger says so.

[King Postwhore]

Sure Tim. He wasn't going after the head at all.  You're right. That was a clean hit.


I love snd miss the violence too but you can still go after a head, a knee.  And it was back then.

[TAC]

Sure Tim. He wasn't going after the head at all.  You're right. That was a clean hit.

Was he targeting the head? I don't really think so. I mean, he wasn't avoiding the head. He lined the guy up. So be it. He didn't elbow him. His arm was against his body, and he hit him with a square shoulder. He didn't leap or extend. He just hit him square.

Was it clean? My opinion is....yes.

[KevShmev]

Not sure how anyone could see that Stevens hit and think it was clean, but vision does start to go after we hit 45...

[TAC]

Not sure how anyone could see that Stevens hit and think it was clean, but vision does start to go after we hit 45...

What was dirty about it?

Besides, I'm only 40.

[KevShmev]

Watch the hit. If you can't see that it is dirty, then nothing I say will matter.

[King Postwhore]

Not sure how anyone could see that Stevens hit and think it was clean, but vision does start to go after we hit 45...

What was dirty about it?

Besides, I'm only 40.

Head hits make you lose a decade.

[TAC]

Watch the hit. If you can't see that it is dirty, then nothing I say will matter.

You haven't said anything though.

Did he charge?...NO
Did he elbow?...NO.
Did he leap or reach?..NO

He hit a guy with his head down with his SHOULDER. The fact that he caught him in the jaw doesn't matter. He hit Lindros laterally.

So now I've told you why I don't think it was dirty. Surely you can tell me why you think it is.

[jammindude]

I could be wrong, but I don't think he's defining "dirty" as "against the rules". 

My personal take is this.  (and I will put on my flame suit now)   I personally believe that hits (checking) should be strategic.   I personally hate the idea of going out with the full intent of causing someone to be carried off the ice.   I understand that I'm operating in a moral grey area here...but I can't help how I feel about it.    To me, the intent to cause harm, the intent to injure someone to the point of taking them out of the game is always "dirty" in my book, regardless of whether or not they are following the "rules". 

TLDR - I hate "head hunters" on principle. 


EDIT - I want to clarify that I did not always feel this way.  When I was in my 20s, I followed the WHL Spokane Chiefs when they went on their 1991 minor league championship run.  We had an "enforcer" named Topperoski who was THE BEAST of the entire minor league.   Not a great defenseman, but when he was on the ice, he was only there to hurt and intimidate people.    I loved him in my 20s.  But I hate the whole idea now.  Play the freaking game.   

[KevShmev]

Watch the hit. If you can't see that it is dirty, then nothing I say will matter.

You haven't said anything though.

Did he charge?...NO
Did he elbow?...NO.
Did he leap or reach?..NO

He hit a guy with his head down with his SHOULDER. The fact that he caught him in the jaw doesn't matter. He hit Lindros laterally.

So now I've told you why I don't think it was dirty. Surely you can tell me why you think it is.

See the bolded.

[King Postwhore]

Tim, I loved the violence of that era but saying that targeting the head was not dirty is disingenuous. 

Illegal,  no.  Dirty, yes.

[TAC]

But I don't think he targeted the head at all. He certainly didn't avoid it, but it was body on body.


@ Kev...you are choosing not to explain yourself.


@ J-dude...More than acceptable POV. 

[KevShmev]

Correct, and I stand by my choice. Some visual things do not need explaining.

[jammindude]

But I don't think he targeted the head at all. He certainly didn't avoid it, but it was body on body.


@ Kev...you are choosing not to explain yourself.


@ J-dude...More than acceptable POV.

If you watch that video again, they show replays that *prove* that it’s a pattern for him. He goes for that exact hit when he sees the opportunity to deliver it.

My interpretation is that he knows it’s a technically “legal” way to hurt and potentially injure someone.

[King Postwhore]

And of course Tim, I loved that type of punishment back in the day. Saying that many time, Stevens intent was to injury even though it was legal, it was dirty.   I still loved it.

[TAC]

If you watch that video again, they show replays that *prove* that it’s a pattern for him. He goes for that exact hit when he sees the opportunity to deliver it.

My interpretation is that he knows it’s a technically “legal” way to hurt and potentially injure someone.

I think there's still a difference between "intent to injure" and lining a guy up.

[Anguyen92]

Whistles...., not a good day for Rask.  Makes me feel a bit better about yesterday's game between Kings/Sharks where Quick got lit up fast.  Allowed 6 goals.  Timo Meier scored five of those. 

[King Postwhore]

And I agree Tim there are levels like Claude and Ulf.  They are 150% dirty.

I just think if you played in a street hockey league and a guy lined you up with a shoulder to the head you'd call it dirty after you woke up. 

[KevShmev]

Yep, playing reckless can be dirty even if you aren't attempting to injure.

It's like if someone is driving 100 MPH on the highway and crashes into a car and kills a family of four. Even if their intent was not to crash into a car and kill people, the reckless behavior was dangerous (dirty in the sports context).

[jammindude]

Yep, playing reckless can be dirty even if you aren't attempting to injure.

It's like if someone is driving 100 MPH on the highway and crashes into a car and kills a family of four. Even if their intent was not to crash into a car and kill people, the reckless behavior was dangerous (dirty in the sports context).

Well…now you’re comparing something technically legal to something that is obviously illegal, so that doesn’t stick.

But OTOH, the reason they changed the rules in football (like going after a defenseless receiver for example) is because hits very similar to that video are what put Daryll Stingley in a wheelchair for life. Because they recognized that the “technically legal” hit that Jack Tatum (who was extremely well known at the time for going after those very punishing, but technically legal take down hits) were “dirty” even if they were within the rules.

For the younger ones here…this happened in a preseason game between the Patriots and the Raiders in 1978. You can read about it here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darryl_Stingley?wprov=sfti1 But I watched that hit, and that hockey clip we’re all referring to bears a strong resemblance.

[TAC]

I watched that game live. I was almost 10.