NHL Playoffs

[slotdirt]

That's absolutely a legal hit if Horton still has the puck, IMO. Even legal if Horton was in the process of dishing the puck. Definitely not legal three seconds after the puck leaves his possession. Then again, he's probably not in such a prone position if he did have the puck in his possession, so part of the injury surely had something to do with the lateness of the hit.

Seriously though, big hits are a part of hockey, and should be, but absolutely not when a guy is far removed from the play. A timing hit like that is typically legal, but also very difficult to pull off for a defender. Like I said the other day, Rome should ask a big, legal hitter like Nik Kronwall how one is supposed to make an explosive check whilst a man still has the puck. Here are a couple good examples of how a similar play can be legal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfX5BwDKjq0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf-HK776GHA&feature=fvst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL94Y...eature=related

[slotdirt]

P.S. - I think there's a big difference between leaving one's feet to make a hit, and leaving one's feet because of a hit. Rome left his feet because he hit Horton just that hard, as opposed to leaving one's feet to make an illegal hit.

Here is an example of the latter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5E90MtPMYg

[slotdirt]

Another of Steve Downie "launching." This is what the NHL means by "leaving one's feet" to make a hit, certainly not what Rome did the other night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=322zq...eature=related

[Danzig]

it was exactly the type of hit that the nhl has been trying to put a stop to-and with good reason. the puck was long gone; illegal hit resulting in a severe concussion.

[pgiaco]

Whether he left his feet or not, he targeted Horton's head...there's no way to spin it otherwise. If that's a legal hit, then toss the rule book.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by slotdirt

P.S. - I think there's a big difference between leaving one's feet to make a hit, and leaving one's feet because of a hit. Rome left his feet because he hit Horton just that hard, as opposed to leaving one's feet to make an illegal hit.

Here is an example of the latter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5E90MtPMYg

he left his feet because he launched himself, made a vicious hit, and an illegal hit. i love hockey, love the physicality of it, and the hard, LEGAL hits. this was definitely beyond the boundaries, and he was given the appropriate punishment. i don't think there's a difference, or a reason to make any type of judgement as to why he left his feet. he left them, hit a guy who wasn't on the puck anymore.

[slotdirt]

Originally Posted by Danzig

he left his feet because he launched himself, made a vicious hit, and an illegal hit. i love hockey, love the physicality of it, and the hard, LEGAL hits. this was definitely beyond the boundaries, and he was given the appropriate punishment. i don't think there's a difference, or a reason to make any type of judgement as to why he left his feet. he left them, hit a guy who wasn't on the puck anymore.

I said from the get-go that the guy deserved games for a clearly dirty hit. That being said, I'd much rather a guy try to make a big play like Rome did the other night than do what Matt Cooke or Steve Downie do with regularity, i.e., turn into a human missile.

I stand by the statement that if Horton still has the puck, that's 100 percent, absolutely a legal hit. At some point, the onus has to be on the player with the puck to be somewhat aware of his surroundings. Rome hit him with a shoulder in the open ice - if that is the kind of hit we're trying to get rid of in hockey, then the NHL might as well ban checking in general.

Three youtube videos were posted before of perfectly legal hits of a similar ilk to what Aaron Rome did the other night with the only significant difference being that the players in those videos has the puck whilst Nathan Horton didn't. There's a big difference between hitting to kill (see: Matt Cooke on every shift) and trying to make a big hit and epicly failing in its timing (see: Aaron Rome in game three). Rome deserved the suspension, but for the result rather than the intent.

[Danzig]

i think downie and cooke should be run out of the game. the thugs need to go.

[slotdirt]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i think downie and cooke should be run out of the game. the thugs need to go.

Cooke is a weasel of the highest order. No place for him anywhere outside a professional wrestling ring.

[Heels1989]

Another strong performance for the Bs last nite. Hopefully they can maintain their momentum tomorrow nite.

Milbury with funny comment between 2nd and 3rd periods. He called the Sedin twins Thelma and Louise. While very funny, probably not an appropriate comment. T & L were very tough girls.