Because Lucic broke the rules. It is extremely clear that under no circumstances can you hit the goalie.
While I think its absurd for him to be allowed to play the puck that far out of his net and not risk consequences is beyond me.
And just so you're aware a goalie is never, by the rules, subject to "clean hard checks."
No, Lucic did not break the rules.
Only in the bizzare world of the NHL's Pejorative Slured on-ice officiating does a Ref slap Lucic with a "Charging" penalty.
Miller is the one who broke the rules. Lucic (the skater) has just as much right to the puck, as Miller (the goaltender). The rules clearly state that.
Lucic was pursuing the puck. He has every right to it. Lucic purposely stopped chugging his legs and went into a glide...as he began to slow down. By the time he reached Miller, he had slowed down considerably.
He, Miller, played the puck and then pulled his shoulder and elbow up to deliver a hit on Lucic.
He could have just as easily turned the other way and started his motion towards the net. If he had done that, there would have been no physical contact with Lucic. And if there would have been physical contact Lucic (had Miller turned towards the net), then it would be Charging.
Instead, he positioned himself to deliver a shove or "hit" into Lucic's chest; effectively creating an obstruction/interference of Lucic's forward momentum towards the puck. Miller decided to play tough guy and initiated the physical contact. Then he played poor, little vicitim afterwards. Not to mention he purposely took a wild, high swinging hack with his stick, at Lucic's body, after the hit. But he missed. Why wasn't that called? Oh that's right, he missed
Worst case scenario, that was nothing more than incidental contact. But Miller knew exactly what he was doing and he intiated the contact. There's a reason why Shanahan and the League did not fine or suspend Lucic. Because they know he did nothing wrong. Lucic stopped chugging the legs, he attempted to slow down, he pulled his body up and placed his arms against his body to brace himself in case of collision, when he saw that Miller had turned towards him with his shoulder and elbow raised.
" "A goalkeeper is not 'fair game' just because he is outside the goal crease. The appropriate penalty should be assessed in every case where an attacking player makes unnecessary contact with the goalkeeper.
However, incidental contact will be permitted when the goalkeeper is in the act of playing the puck outside his goal crease provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such unnecessary contact.""
Clearly...and I quote....
" Brendan Shanahan found no intent in hit ".
!) The problem lies with the inept, absurdly Pejorative Slured on-ice officals, who do not seem to know the rules or capable of effectively interpreting the rules. 2) The problem lies in the over-reactionary, spineless, shameless, homer mentality of the Sabres announcer; who apparently brainwashed everyone who watched the video, into believing an enormous crime had just been commited. 3) The problem lies in biased, overly-sensitive, over-reactionary drama queen fans: who do not know the rules (even though they claim to know) and have their mind set on turning hockey into a hands-off tennis match.
Despite what the Pejorative Slured Sabres announcer claimed, this was NOT the type of hit the league wants to do away with. It was a clean hit...clean collision. Miller initiated it and he made his choice. So when does Milelr get held accountable for the choices he made?
If the league wants to do away with this type of Goalie/Skater collision type thing, they would immediately make the rule clear as a bell:
" If you come out of the net/crease to play the puck, you are subject to legal/'within the rules, physical contact/checking; just like all skaters on the ice.
If they did that, you'd see very few goalies roaming out for the puck. Almost all of them would stay safely in their safety zone...The Crease. Most of these goalies who love to come out and physicallychallenge skaters, trip them up and obstruct/interfere ...are cowards hiding behind a mattress's worth of protection and the stupidity of the NHL's on-ice officials and the NHL's mindless, moronic -rule makers.
But the NHL does not want to do away with it. Every season we see literally dozens of collisions between skaters and goalies who come way out to chase down and challenge a loose puck that could turn into a breakway or high percentage scoring chance. I've been watching these type of collisions my whole life. Fast Eddie, Beezer, Richter...all of them had many of those collisions. And that's just Rangers goalies. Happens all the time, all over the league. You didn't hear any of them whining like little girls.
You know why we never heard them whining about it? because they knew they made a choice and they were accountable for their own choices. They didn't hide behind the skirts of Gary Buttman and the moronic NHL on-ice officials and rule makers.
