Does Barzal deserve a suspension? (Update: fined $5k)

[OKR]

It wasn’t a scrum. He attacked a player at the end of the period

I’m well aware of that, but if you’re talking about the first crosscheck you see those literally every game and they most of the time don’t even lead to a 2min minor, the next crosscheck is something that happens in almost every scrum, and was partly due to Rutta grapping Barzal leading the stick to go higher.

i mean yeah a 5k fine, but suspension for that? No way in hell

 

[Angler]

Probably should be a suspension. It was a hard crosscheck to the face/neck. They weren't in a scrum. They weren't competing for position or the puck. It wasn't done "in the heat of the moment". That was a choice.

 

[jcaulfield8]

Are people just ignoring the fact of him hitting the linesman that was holding him after the scrum.
Can’t do that.
If you put yourself in a position to be suspended, you can’t blame the league if or when it happens

 

[Gereth]

Yikes, what a bad look on Barzal. Cheap shot with a stick to the face followed by jumping on a player. Don't be a coward and drop down your gloves if you want to fight.

 

[Outl4w]

You honestly think thoose two incidents are comparable?

I mean any direct targeting to the head, especially in a non-hockey can lead to concussions and long term brain damage. So yes, are you okay if we send Schenn over to cross check Barzal when the pucket isn't near and cross check in the head a few more times while he is laying on the ice not moving? I am sure the answer is no. It doesn't belong in the sport and Barzal wasn't even "tough" enough to throw off his gloves and wait to answer for what he did like the days. The answer is simple, if the NHL doesn't want to police the league the players will. Do you remember when Claude the Turtle pulled some similar shennigans like this and McCarty went to the Avs players and started hitting them until Lemieux would answer. This is your game fake tough game. Cross check a guy in the back of the head from behind in a non-hockey play and hit him in the head a couple times while he is down. If he isn't suspended then the DPOS doesn't care about its image or protecting the players. So if you want to goon it up then and ruin guys careers and life after it that is all you. Revenge is going to be sweet sending the Islanders packing in 6 and watching Barzal cry two years in a row.

 

[theimmortal1]

That was a shove to the shoulder that happens all the time, and second shove the glove and stick carried up to the face. Again, happens all the time, often without penalty. All the time. Just watch every scrum after a whistle.

The major itself was excessive, the usual NHL inconsistency. Further discipline would be a joke.

A shove when he has both hands on his stick? It’s clearly a cross check to the face of an unsuspecting player. Rutta was skating away and Barzal effectively jumped him.

I don’t think the cross check to the face was intentional. But if you are going to start a scrum with a player skating away from you then you simply can’t hit him in the face with your stick (ever, but especially before the other player can defend themselves)

 

[Outl4w]

Then there's the baseball bat swing to Perry's face that got nothing. They should all be suspensions, would love some kind of consistency.

Amen . I love old school hockey, but the guys dishing the pain how to answer with the first. Theses days the players run and turtle after throwing cheapshots.

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

If Palmieri got nothing for the shoulder hit on McAvoy, Barzal shouldn't....but with DOPS, who knows

Doesn't make it okay that Barzal was a frustrated idiot last night

 

[Byrddog]

I mean any direct targeting to the head, especially in a non-hockey can lead to concussions and long term brain damage. So yes, are you okay if we send Schenn over to cross check Barzal when the pucket isn't near and cross check in the head a few more times while he is laying on the ice not moving? I am sure the answer is no. It doesn't belong in the sport and Barzal wasn't even "tough" enough to throw off his gloves and wait to answer for what he did like the days. The answer is simple, if the NHL doesn't want to police the league the players will. Do you remember when Claude the Turtle pulled some similar shennigans like this and McCarty went to the Avs players and started hitting them until Lemieux would answer. This is your game fake tough game. Cross check a guy in the back of the head from behind in a non-hockey play and hit him in the head a couple times while he is down. If he isn't suspended then the DPOS doesn't care about its image or protecting the players. So if you want to goon it up then and ruin guys careers and life after it that is all you. Revenge is going to be sweet sending the Islanders packing in 6 and watching Barzal cry two years in a row.

Damn Im a Bolts fan and this is an absurd take. What the kid did was stupid I agree but a suspension?????? If it gets to that we will play half our games without MAroon Palat, Gourde, Killer or Kuch in the line-up. All have made similar hits this year.

The whole damn argument comes down to intention to injure. Now if one believes that Barzal is a threat to injure players night in night out then yeah the league should come down hard. Otherwise let him play games 6 let him take his punishment by going round with Yanni not Maroon or Schenn and be done with it. Or plead to the league to suspend Barzal and we win game 6 and hear the repercussions going forward. Hell this team catches enough ire for location and the look of circumventing the cap. We do not need more controversy. Beat the team at there best.

 

[Gurglesons]

Damn Im a Bolts fan and this is an absurd take. What the kid did was stupid I agree but a suspension?????? If it gets to that we will play half our games without MAroon Palat, Gourde, Killer or Kuch in the line-up. All have made similar hits this year.

The whole damn argument comes down to intention to injure. Now if one believes that Barzal is a threat to injure players night in night out then yeah the league should come down hard. Otherwise let him play games 6 let him take his punishment by going round with Yanni not Maroon or Schenn and be done with it. Or plead to the league to suspend Barzal and we win game 6 and hear the repercussions going forward. Hell this team catches enough ire for location and the look of circumventing the cap. We do not need more controversy. Beat the team at there best.

It’s the exact type of play that has no place in hockey.

 

[Metroid]

half game suspension

 

[Byrddog]

It’s the exact type of play that has no place in hockey.

So if a player loses his cool and automatically deserves a suspension. It was a stupid hit I agree but this is a physical game giving more and more control of the game to off ice decisions. Again I am not in support of cheap shots but the severity of the offense shopud be considered. Barzal did not hurt the guy so he should face one of our guys man to man. Not rely of the league for punishment. Or I guess it would be fine for all NHL games to be played like the All Star game no hitting no physical play. that is not what made the game popular.

 

[Gurglesons]

So if a player loses his cool and automatically deserves a suspension. It was a stupid hit I agree but this is a physical game giving more and more control of the game to off ice decisions. Again I am not in support of cheap shots but the severity of the offense shopud be considered. Barzal did not hurt the guy so he should face one of our guys man to man. Not rely of the league for punishment. Or I guess it would be fine for all NHL games to be played like the All Star game no hitting no physical play. that is not what made the game popular.

Ruutta was hurt. He played one shift after the cross check.

This isn’t hitting or physical play. This is the exact type of stuff that needs out of the game.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

So if a player loses his cool and automatically deserves a suspension. It was a stupid hit I agree but this is a physical game giving more and more control of the game to off ice decisions. Again I am not in support of cheap shots but the severity of the offense shopud be considered. Barzal did not hurt the guy so he should face one of our guys man to man. Not rely of the league for punishment. Or I guess it would be fine for all NHL games to be played like the All Star game no hitting no physical play. that is not what made the game popular.

Why are you equating a crosscheck to the head/face area with hitting?

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

Yup Rutta sold it even though he played a grand total of one shift the rest of the game and was done. This board goes full stupid at times.

 

[Bedards Dad]

5 and a game I think is fine personally…. I think refs got it right and I don’t think the league needs to step in

I have the same view. Dumb play that was unlucky with the result, but 5 and a game covers it.

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

He tried to pull away from the ref because Hedman was coming after him and the red had his arm. It really wasn’t anything egregious

Well if he is that terrified of Heddy probably shouldn’t be doing dumb shit like this.

 

[bossram]

This is the kind of play that should be a suspension. 100% violent intention on an unsuspecting player, not part of the flow of play at all (not a "hockey play"), and caused an injury.

I mean, this is DOPS, and this is the NHL, so Barzal definitely won't be suspended. But he should.

 

[The Moose is Loose]

He should get 1 game

 

[Instant]

I wouldn't be surprised if Barzal got a game out of this. It was stupid and could be very costly to his team. If he doesn't get a suspension, Trotz should handle it his way and go all medieval on his ass.

I hope Rutta is okay. Never fun seeing a player get hurt.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

I am a Lightning fan. I think it was a bonehead move but hes a kid give him a fine and let him play game 6. We have seen much worse with no suspension. I tell you this Trotz rath on the kid will be worse than a suspension or a fine.

Unfortunately he didn't learn when he did it to Lazar last round.

 

[Dondini]

I mean we’re a league trying to minimize confusions with needless blows to the head

I f***ing hate tampa but it wasn’t even in the heat of a play and accidentally high. He actually just crosschecked him right on the button and hard on purpose. Could be easily a broken jaw and a severe concussion. That’s a suspendable play and it’s not even close.

if we suspend hits that accidentally get high with no intent but don’t suspend that I don’t even know what we’re doing as a league and what our objective is when it comes to headshots/concussions/

 

[wingnutks]

Stupid play and I think it deserves a game but to say Ruuta was unsuspecting is BS. He was giving an Isles player the business (JGP I think) in front of the net, away from the puck with crosschecks to the back, ran his mouth when skating away, and then ran his mouth when passing Barzal. Did it mean he deserved it, no. Was he unsuspecting player minding his own business, no. I also dont think Barzal meant to get him in the head.

 

[jellybeans]

He will get a suspension why because he's not a goon and Parros protects that kind of player but he deserves 1 game.

 

[OurlordAndSaviorKuch]

Stupid play and I think it deserves a game but to say Ruuta was unsuspecting is BS. He was giving an Isles player the business (JGP I think) in front of the net, away from the puck with crosschecks to the back, ran his mouth when skating away, and then ran his mouth when passing Barzal. Did it mean he deserved it, no. Was he unsuspecting player minding his own business, no. I also dont think Barzal meant to get him in the head.

Not remotely the same lol One is fighting for position in front of the net the other is a check to the head in frustration to getting destroyed