BTW, did anyone hear Selanne whining about the hit he took from Kronwall? :-)

No, but he certainly had good reason to b*tch. :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKF6tojKdfI

Selanne took quite the head shot

Shhhhhh this is a Homer zone didn't you get the memo. Frigging crybaby complaining because someone got the shoulder in their face and rode up on them. Lord knows no one on the Wings would ever complain about getting hit in the head. Hey wait aren't hits to the head not okay. Frigging crybaby. :-).

Even the Wings announcers didn't seem suprised that the Ducks took a couple runs at their star players imemdiately afterwards.

I understand he hit him in the head with his shoulder, but at the same time they guy skated directly into him with his head down. Kronwall caught him right on the chin.

It was actually alot like the hit he put on Havlat a while back.

This season there is a rule change about head shots, but read the definition....

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=539622

48.1 Illegal Check to the Head- A lateral or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principle point of contact is not permitted.

There is a video to explain...
http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=538073

The video even explains that "North-South hits" are legal and show a guy skating into a check where they guy hits him head on. IMO, that is exactly what Kronwal did. The many examples of illegal hits are lateral or blindside hits to the head.

Lately, legal hits are often followed by retaliation.

Lately, Mike? It's been going on for the 40+ years I have been an NHL fan. :-)

That's true, especially if it is a skilled player/scorer. Just seems to be happening more now than it used to. I mean the Kronwall/Selanne hit was hard but IMO legal and 5 seconds later guys are throwing elbows at Franzen in retaliation. If a hit is dirty I expect dirty retaliation or fights. But, if a hit is clean I kinda expect clean retaliation or escalation of hitting. Know what I mean?

I get if it's borderline like the example I used but often regular clean (unquestionable) hits are met with dirty cheapshot retaliation.

Removed first part don't want to hurt fellings.


Selanne was complety aware of kronwall. Selanne as a forward was trying to get to the Puck to chip it out of their zone. Selanne had his head down because he was reaching for the puck and that is a natural motion for your body when on skates reaching for a puck. When it went past him he let up because he is not a hitter. Kronwall who was largely playing stationary on the wall to contain the Puck not only drove in to Selanne, but left his feet to drive his shoulder into and through Selannes head.

I really think the "he had his head down argument" is not a good use of the catch phrase. Most everyone here knows when going through the NZ on a buddyfock pass bad things can happen, or if you are looking down at the puck. Using it here implies Selanne was not aware of his position and the player on the wall which he was clearly aware of and why he reached to try to get to the puck and let up when it got past. Other players would have hit Kronwall. Selanne is one of the best skaters both on and off the Puck to play the game. He doesn't get hit like that because of his ice awareness. He was pissed and rightfully so because he felt he let up on kronwall and Kronwall took the opportunity to take a head shot. Its a respect thing.

Tom can likely weigh in, but their are players who let up. If a player lets up on you and you take the opportunity to hurt them it's bush.

Just my take. Not a fan of either team. Thought I have seen people suspended for leaving their feet to deliver a headshot regardless do to danger and intent. If he had been skating at any speed and left his feet like that it could have been really bad.

As to a rise in retaliation. Go pack and look at games from when Wayne entered the league. There is a reason why no one hit him. Hitting a star player back then guaranteed a ass beating and possible multiple ones through the game and likely the next game.

Unfortunately or fortunately the league removing the 2 line pass has sped up the game. With more speed comes bigger hits more injuries and more retaliation by teams wanting to protect their stars.
D

When a big hitter / middle of the road player makes a big hit on another team's star, especially to the head, expect a response, and often not a "clean" one. Players expect it, why wouldn't fans? :-)

You have to expect retaliation for that hit. You basically knock out one of the most respected Ducks players. I'm not surprised they went after someone. Clean hit/dirty hit it doesn't matter. It's hockey there will be payback.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbcaeCGcFMo
Holy Crap how the hell is that not called at 3:50. Kind of sad as it likely won them the game. The ref is right there. Got to imagine the league will ask the ref some questions.

In the WTF fight of the night. Not to people known for fighting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHylwNc_SLs

Referees in general have been pretty bad this year. The overcalls on the hits to the head are hurting the game more than the hits to the head were.

That goalie interference noncall was real real bad. That play was one of the reasons the NHL went to 2 Refs and 2 Linesman in the first place.

There are two hits prior to the goal both seem pretty clean to me. :-)

I see what you're saying Mike, OTH if Selanne is able to knock down Kronwall's dump-in and get by him, Kronwall gives up a HUGE 1 on 0 breakaway. Kronwall has to check him in that spot because he's a defensemen pinching in. Yes he hit him in the head, but IMO (and what I believe the NHL has defined) it was legal. It's true Kronwall didn't have to hit him in the head, but he did have to hit him. Clean or dirty I would probably not be too happy if I was Selanne; he got his bell rung. I get that he's going to be pissed, as are his teammates.

I also don't see Kronwall leave his feet. His right skate came up, but it looked like his left skate never left the ice.

Jon I am referring to where Colton Orr tackles Guigere and as a result of the contact he can't even attempt to make a play on the Puck. The ref is right there as he is Johnny on the spot calling goal. When even the Leafs announcers are saying its bad you know its real bad. Honestly that may be the worse non call I have seen this year. Worse of all it likely cost the panthers the game as they would have opened it up in the third and that last goal was the result of that. Its not even like there was a Scrum, he just ran his arsenic.

Mike as to leaving his feet its clear on the second angle seconds 1:-)6-1:30 of the clip The Admiral posted.

I see it now. Good catch.

This is going in the Funny Pics thread too:

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