Red Wings

[WingsFan]

I think charging is 3 strides (?) Abdelkader was lining him up longer than that. There are other angles showing where Abdelkader shoulder runs up to the head. Abdelkader is still an idiot who for some reason is Babcock's favorite. ESPN's Barry Melrose said every one of Scott Stevens crushing checks is a penalty theses days.

[Fraquar]

He deserved to be tossed for that, this isn't your fathers NHL anymore - you launch and go for the head - you gone. Stupid ass should know you get far more into your check if you keep you blades on the ice though.

[Malto Marko]

Abdelkader with a STUPID hit. Every minute of that 5 minute major was deserved. He left his feet and went right at Ludman's head.

Yup.

And this game has officially become an embarrassment.

Yup.

Why r the oh so faithful, legendary Wings fans leaving with 11:30 left?

ANA came back from 4-1

The line for the people mover is shorter and getting a premiere seat at the after game watering hole is too much of a draw for purists that are still angry about the lock out.

Not sure how these Fox Det announcers are defending the hit right as I post, Mickey and Ken celebrated it too when it happened. Justin Abdelkader has a knack for taking dump penalties, this one seemed to turn the game.






Nice poke check by Howard On Getzlaf

He should get a game misconduct for that hit. He knew what he was doing and zeroed in on his head. Intent to injure should not be tolerated.

Babcock at the mic, sticking up for his boy....it was shoulder to shoulder clean hard hit, should not be a penalty, its playoff hockey ...I want my players being physical.

I like gritty chippy players but he could have cleaned up that hit and given the way concussions are becoming a big problem in the contact sports, there is just no justification for that hit.

I thought the hit was fine, it's the ANA way of old and part of the game that i grew up watching. The part where he launched himself off the ice is what the officials had to call.

I had no problem with him following through on the check (continuing the hit after he got rid of the puck) but, he did focus the hit on his head and I agree, leaving his skates sealed the deal.

Saw a different angle of the hit now, he did get hit in the jaw and there was a launch made. Certain penalty.

These guys know how to drive through a check, they have been doing it most of their career. He knew his target was in a vulnerable position and to me, there was a blatent intent to injure. That does not belong in the game. Today or years gone by.

I think charging is 3 strides (?) Abdelkader was lining him up longer than that. There are other angles showing where Abdelkader shoulder runs up to the head. Abdelkader is still an idiot who for some reason is Babcock's favorite. ESPN's Barry Melrose said every one of Scott Stevens crushing checks is a penalty theses days.

You are correct on the charging. Actually if you watch it, he wasn't taking any strides at all he was zeroing in on the target and preparing to launch.

Agree on Melroses' take on Scott Stevens hits also but, Stevens did throw a lot of dirty hits.

He deserved to be tossed for that, this isn't your fathers NHL anymore - you launch and go for the head - you gone. Stupid ass should know you get far more into your check if you keep you blades on the ice though.

Still think he should have gotten a game, not just a major.

BTW, the Rangers Caps game was a very good, tight hard hitting game.

Enjoyed it thoroughly.

[chemiclord]

For the record, Malto, Abdelkader DID get a game misconduct for that excessive dipshittery. He will likely be sitting Game 4 as well.

[Malto Marko]

Deserved.

[DanO]

Jeez guys. I don't think he was going for the head at all. He was going for shoulder to shoulder and caught mostly that. You're not going to knock a guy over like he did by hitting him in the head. It's also harder to knock a guy "over" hitting him in the midsection. Simple physics tells us that. That's why you aim for the shoulder. The video obviously proves he caught mostly that as the guy toppled. I don't think he was aiming for the head at all. Excitement and adrenaline were obviously in effect. He shouldn't have left his feet. I agree with that but you guys are making this out to be way more than what it is.

Ironically, the lone objective opinion comes from a fan of the other team. Thanks Gonz.

[jaadam4]

Stupid play by Abby. There's no need for that kind of hit right there. That guy was in a pretty defenseless position.

[CaptainBlue]

Re: Red Wings

If a Duck did that to a Wings player I'd want him penalized and suspended.

Clean or not, it was a dumb thing to do in a playoff game.

The other thing that annoyed me was Brunner turning over the puck right in front of the Wings net right at the end of the PP. That goal was a back breaker.

[Malto Marko]

Jeez guys. I don't think he was going for the head at all. He was going for shoulder to shoulder and caught mostly that. You're not going to knock a guy over like he did by hitting him in the head. It's also harder to knock a guy "over" hitting him in the midsection. Simple physics tells us that. That's why you aim for the shoulder. The video obviously proves he caught mostly that as the guy toppled. I don't think he was aiming for the head at all. Excitement and adrenaline were obviously in effect. He shouldn't have left his feet. I agree with that but you guys are making this out to be way more than what it is.

Ironically, the lone objective opinion comes from a fan of the other team. Thanks Gonz.

Disagree.

I would be the first one to speak up about sissifying the sport.

However, he glided right to him, launched himself, followed through with an elbow, and oh ya, just so happens his head was where his shoulder should have been had he been standing straight up.

He had time to think about how he was delivering that hit.

He intentionally decided to skate right through him.

I do not have a problem with skating through him. I do have a problem with (and the player knows this) launching himself through him.

They know the difference between a clean check and a highlight check.

He wanted a highlight check aka Kronwall style but had poor judgment on how to deliver it.

[DanO]

"However, he glided right to him, launched himself, followed through with an elbow, and oh ya, just so happens his head was where his shoulder should have been had he been standing straight up."
----------------------------------------Yep, yep, Yep, and disagree. If he hit him in the head completely and totally like you are suggesting he wouldn't have been knocked over as he was. Much worse he might have a broken neck. The guy was knocked off his feet and over. You don't knock someone over in the fashion it happened by hitting their head. You have to hit them solidly in the shoulder. Did he slide up and hit his head....Yep? Was it intentional? I don't know, but I don't think so. Leaving his feet was his only infraction.......and the fact he did so is what caused the hit to the head. If he runs straight through his shoulder without lifting nothing comes close to the head. The upward motion of leaving his feet caused the slide toward the head. But he still caught 95% shoulder. No intention. No intent. Excitement and adrenaline.

[CaptainBlue]

Re: Red Wings

I hope the Wings are taking notes on how to play from behind. The Pens were down 2-0 a couple minutes ago and now lead 3-2 after the first.

[chemiclord]

That's exactly the point, DanO.

THAT's what makes it stupid. He left his feet for absolutely NO reason. Intent is largely irrelevant to the fact that A) he charged in, B) left his feet, and C) made contact with the head.

That's going to be a major penalty damn near every time, and it's not like it's some secret rule the NHL just started enforcing these playoffs.

[DanO]

I agree it's a major penalty. I disagree his intent was to hit his head.

[chemiclord]

I agree it's a major penalty. I disagree his intent was to hit his head.

Never said anything about the intent, merely its stupidity.

[DanO]

Never said you did but others have.