HockeyGuy1964
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- Oct 7, 2013
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Johnny Gaudreau pulled from game after hit to the head
- Thread starter Snakepit
- Start date
Bounces R Way
Registered User
Everybody knows the Bs were the 2nd best team tonight. The relevance to this play ?Charlie sure made a lot of those tonight
Anglesmith
Setting up the play?
Not sure why people still talk about the word "blindside" in these discussions. It hasn't been part of the rule in ages.
Burke the Legend
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- Feb 22, 2012
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Sounds like an excuse for just about anything....
The league has put out notice that you gotta keep the hitting lower, away from the head area. Players have an obligation to avoid smashing guys in the head. McAvoy recklessly went in high and hard against a guy in a vulnerable position and the end result is an exciting young star is probably concussed. This is everything that the NHL is trying to avoid and cut down on.
I don't know if it was intentional or not, let's give him the benefit of the doubt, but it can't happen. Should get a suspension IMO.
Thanks. Info wasn't published when I looked before.
Looking more like he left the game for precautionary reasons. Hopefully he isn't actually injured
Anglesmith
Setting up the play?
The only way this is elevated to a suspension is through the angle of it being interference. There are different standards on a hit that isn't legal no matter what. If Gaudreau had the puck here, it's not even a penalty based on the rules. But given he didn't, if the league thinks he knew the puck had already gone, then the standards for a dirty hit are completely different. There is no such thing as acceptable head contact if the player isn't legal to be hit.
But my gut feeling on this is that it's a play where he thinks he's just finishing his check on the guy who just lost the puck, and he doesn't do anything to make this a violation of Rule 48 (it's worth reading the rule if you think the NHL is trying to get rid of all head contact). So I don't think he even gets a phone call.
Finally good angle gif, thanks for uploading.
Kind of hard to say how egregious this is. Gaudreau is still swiveling around and his head is down searching for the puck when McAvoy makes contact.
It doesn't appear as though McAvoy actually contacts Gaudreau's head with his elbow/forearm (I'm seeing forearm to chest) according to this gif. The head is the "principal point of contact" though (i.e. first part of Gaudreau that is contacted) and it hits McAvoy's shoulder.
Maybe McAvoy had some time/space to maybe lighten up seeing that Gaudreau's head was in a very vulnerable position?? Hard to say since it's a sort of bang-bang play.
I would be fine with McAvoy getting a short suspension (1-2 games max) and I'd be fine with him not getting suspended either. I think a long suspension would be unwarranted.
HTFN
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- Feb 8, 2009
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I guess we're just done expecting offensive players to take responsibility for their own safety.
You are not entitled to the slot, or the area around the crease. If you want to stop in a high traffic area and look for the puck, you need to be aware of your surroundings. It's not a charge, it's not an outrageous hit or follow through, it's just a tiny guy in a high traffic area meeting a hit halfway. Gaudreau's head is literally on the other side of his body when the D begins to commit, and the defenseman can't play "but what if" all day or he'll never be in the game at all.
Sometimes people get plastered. This should not be a suspendable hit.
You are not entitled to the slot, or the area around the crease. If you want to stop in a high traffic area and look for the puck, you need to be aware of your surroundings. It's not a charge, it's not an outrageous hit or follow through, it's just a tiny guy in a high traffic area meeting a hit halfway. Gaudreau's head is literally on the other side of his body when the D begins to commit, and the defenseman can't play "but what if" all day or he'll never be in the game at all.
Sometimes people get plastered. This should not be a suspendable hit.
SmellOfVictory
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- Jun 3, 2011
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Dude he elbowed him in the f***ing face with a late hit.
Tkachuk Norris
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- Jun 22, 2012
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Got dangled. Johnny didnt have the puck. Late. Hit to the head. Star play. Injury. Suspension.
HTFN
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He just had the puck and is hunting his own rebound, it's been maaaybe a full second since it was on his stick. I don't think you can reasonably expect the defenseman not to play his man there.
The crease is a fairly physical zone even when the puck is up at the blue line. Loose change two feet away is fair game.
Tkachuk Norris
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- Jun 22, 2012
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The guy was clearly late and the puck was no where to be found. But sure...
This thread is seriously shocking. I don't even give a shit about a possible suspension because we're making the playoffs, we're eliminating the Laughs and then we're getting eliminated by the Bolts, so who cares, but that's a great D play, even in 2018.
1989
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- Aug 3, 2010
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Not a lot of Flames fans here, seems like Bruins fans vs Montreal and Toronto fans…
I didn't like the hit, but if it doesn't result in suspension I won't be mad. But still, players have to take responsibility for hits where the case is a) a smaller player or b) a player in a vulnerable (crouched/lowered) position. It's just not a good look for the player or the league.
I didn't like the hit, but if it doesn't result in suspension I won't be mad. But still, players have to take responsibility for hits where the case is a) a smaller player or b) a player in a vulnerable (crouched/lowered) position. It's just not a good look for the player or the league.
TennisBalls
Registered User
Right, I mean some players get destroyed by a run off the mill can opener. Things happen.
TheNumber4
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- Nov 11, 2011
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Gaudreau kinda shifts into the position to which he was hit. NHL will take that into consideration. They'll also ask if McAvoy could have avoided head contact. I mean McAvoy isn't high (because Johnny is so short) BUT McAvoy also could have gone way lower. I don't think an opposing players stature should be used as an excuse for head hits. This means anyone who's considered short in the NHL, it'd be open season on their brains. Tough call at the end of the day still though.
SmellOfVictory
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- Jun 3, 2011
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Gaudreau's head is literally on the other side of his body when McAvoy is still half a second away, and he sees Gaudreau rotating the entire time he's closing. Could he have avoided hitting him at all? Probably not. But he could have easily avoided following through that strongly. Honestly the kid looked mad/embarrassed he got walked, and he put a little extra stank on a borderline hit.
Devonator
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- Jan 5, 2003
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