sens @ Leafs - Feb 1st, 7:00pm - CBC, TSN 1050

[Heroic Shrimp]

I think one of the things that Kadri's hit does, aside from provide some beautiful and long overdue karmic retribution, is highlight what seems to be an ongoing confusion regarding hits near the boards and is a situation where I think the NHL really needs to, if not show any actual leadership, at least make some clarifications.

Look at the chunk of the rulebook Potvin posted. A ref has to "take into consideration" if a player turned their back but does that mean it negates the act entirely? Mitigates it? There are a lot of sports where players turn their back to shield the ball from another player, sports where measures of contact are allowed in efforts to gain control of the ball, and that's seen as a legitimate tactic, not as a reason why other players are allowed to clobber them.

So when Ceci says that he saw Kadri coming and turned to him in an attempt to not get demolished I can't help but feel that whatever the NHL's position on the matter is, it's not getting through to some people. Either the Kadris of the world need to be told to lay up in that situation or the Cecis of the world need to be told that they should brace themselves for the hit they see coming. Right now, and the inconsistency of Shanahan's decisions don't help, it seems like the NHL's position on the issue is "both" which seems like it leads to just a ton of dangerous hits and a really arbitrary seeming discipline process.

Well put.

 

[losveratos]

I think one of the things that Kadri's hit does, aside from provide some beautiful and long overdue karmic retribution, is highlight what seems to be an ongoing confusion regarding hits near the boards and is a situation where I think the NHL really needs to, if not show any actual leadership, at least make some clarifications.

Look at the chunk of the rulebook Potvin posted. A ref has to "take into consideration" if a player turned their back but does that mean it negates the act entirely? Mitigates it? There are a lot of sports where players turn their back to shield the ball from another player, sports where measures of contact are allowed in efforts to gain control of the ball, and that's seen as a legitimate tactic, not as a reason why other players are allowed to clobber them.

So when Ceci says that he saw Kadri coming and turned to him in an attempt to not get demolished I can't help but feel that whatever the NHL's position on the matter is, it's not getting through to some people. Either the Kadris of the world need to be told to lay up in that situation or the Cecis of the world need to be told that they should brace themselves for the hit they see coming. Right now, and the inconsistency of Shanahan's decisions don't help, it seems like the NHL's position on the issue is "both" which seems like it leads to just a ton of dangerous hits and a really arbitrary seeming discipline process.

You seem to be anti-Leaf.

Absolutely nothing in that post was anti leaf >_>

 

[Kin]

You seem to be anti-Leaf.

True. Some guys from the fan club just came by and confiscated my official Al Iafrate skull cap.

So, to get back in the team's good graces, here's a pro-Leaf criticism of the officiating that might even bear more discussion than the Kadri hit. I realize that asking the referees to explain themselves or the league to defend the decisions of their officials is something that the NHL is wisely leaving to the real leagues but regardless of your feelings on the Kadri hit what in the world is the explanation for how the Senators don't end up with a penalty on the play for Neil repeatedly punching Kadri?

Even if you're a Senators fan, even if you think Kadri should be suspended for 20 games, what's the justification there? If the Refs miss or blow a call it becomes open season? The fact that that isn't receiving more attention really reveals why so much more transparency is needed with the officials. I mean, debatable calls are one thing, not seeing something is another but the officials wrestled Neil away from Kadri.   

I might, on balance, have decided to give Kadri a penalty on his hit but I appreciate that the vagueness of the rule book and the NHL's stance leaves the Refs in somewhat murky waters there. Doesn't someone, the Refs if they were wrong or the League if they were right have to give any explanation for the lack of a penalty to Neil?

 

[Kin]

You seem to be anti-Leaf.

Absolutely nothing in that post was anti leaf >_>

In the business, we refer to what HS did as a "call back".

 

[Rebel_1812]

Those photos contradict what you are saying. It was from the side.

the other weird thing about the hit...kadri hits him on his left side yet he goes into the boards like he had been hit directly in the numbers.  Like he was hit perpendicular to where he was actually hit.  It's like he should fall to the right because he was hit from the left but instead falls (or jumps) directly forward, headfirst into the boards.

Here's a series of images, starting with the one Potvin posted.  Sure, Kadri does start the hit to Ceci's left side.  However, watch the follow-through:

As he delivers the hit, Kadri does not push Ceci to the right - he plants his right foot and pushes Ceci down and into the boards.  As he follows through, his arms move sharply to the left:

He isn't shoving Ceci to the side as you would with a hit from the side, he's shoving him directly into the boards.

He's hitting from the back, and to the left.  From the back, and to the left.  Back, and to the left.  Back and to the left.

yep...you're right.  Although I'm not positive that he wasn't just adjusting to go after the puck and thats what motivated his follow through.

but anyways I guess I am surprised that there will be no hearing as it seems the leafs always get the suspension...maybe they feel bad for the 2 free shots he took from the senator while cowan was engaging him.

I think this is being overanalyzed to death.  It was a borderline dirty hit.  End of story.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

Well thank god you showed up! We could of been here for days! ;D

 

[Bullfrog]

I think this is being overanalyzed to death.  It was a borderline dirty hit.  End of story.

You realize that because it was borderline is exactly why it's being analyzed and debated?

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

Why is you sound very disappointed a Leaf never got suspended. You seem to be anti leaf. I think its the right call if the Gleason call was right.

I know this may be very hard for you to understand, but it's actually possible to be a fan of the Leafs and still have an opinion that the team or a Leaf player deserved punishment they didn't get.  You're the one who was musing about the Gleason incident and why there's no mass outrage about it, so I figured I'd step up and try to explain to you why that is.  It's not anti-Leaf, it's pro-objectivity.

Pff, is 'go sens go' basically.

Sez you, Pol Potvin.