I'm just sad Karsums wasn't there to be rocked instead.
Hey, Swedes, you want to see a real master of body checks? Watch this. No pain, pure and clean physical hockey.
Thats as clean as it gets.. Someone could have shotted in the head easily there, very great job.
Here you see other hit made with back, puck protection ala forsberg.. kronwall happens to be on the taking side, it might help latvians feelings
Too bad the Koivu hit is illegal though (interference)
To use the "U shud have played tha game", you have to have actually played it.
A defenseman abandoning his position in the deep neutral zone and charging full speed into a hit on the half-wall in the offensive zone while the rest of his team is retreating is incredibly uncommon.
Kronwall lands these hits because players do NOT expect to be hit in this situation. They do not expect to be hit in this situation because there's a lot of X and O risk and very little benefit to this play (unless the objective is to injure the player on purpose). If Kronwall lands this, there's a whistle. If he misses, the best case scenario is he's caught 50 feet from where he's supposed to be.
If you played the game you should already know all that.
And please don't compare Norris winners who were happy to answer the bell like Rob Blake or Scott Stevens to a gutless chicken and awful defensive player like Kronwall.
Watched it again and imo its not, because he is in the controll of the puck even thought havent touched it. And kronwall is trying to hit him so it would be illegal by him too then, Koivu is counter-hitting.
Just like in dump an chase you dump the puck and then hit the defender to the boards even before he actually touches the puck, because hes just getting it, allready playing the puck with positioning ect.. same kind of situation, and based on that I think it shouldn't be a penalty. A bit of borderline thought, he should have touched the puck with 1 hand or something first so it wouldn't even be in conversation.
Yes, players are allowed to fight for possesion without touching the puck. But I don't think it's legal to take a player out like that when the hitee is not even close to be in the possesion of the puck.
Kronwall was clearly surprised by that hit.
Too bad the Koivu hit is illegal though (interference)
“No. I didn’t think so (should have been a penalty). It was a good play on his part,'' Kronwall said. "He caught me off-guard. It ended up costing us the game, so obviously I have to be a little bit more aware out there.â€
“I think it was a square shoulder,'' Kronwall said. "I kind of leaned forward to go in and fight for the puck, and he just took a step backwards. I just know that I got a little ding.â€
So Kronwalls hits shouldn't be part of the game because he won't fight after crushing someone?
Its not like he anyone comparing Kronwall's career or defensive play to Blake or Stevens, just his hits.
I love that Kronwall doesn't fight after steamrolling players, it often leads to Wings powerplays, thanks to opposing players losing their cool. My favorite part about it though is the reaction it gets from fight fans who feel he HAS to fight after he does it.
I hope he finishes his career with no fights and hundreds of hits just like this one.
these no-name guys from Latvia or whatever
Great hit, clean as well. He didn't jump BEFORE the hit. The Latvian should have been looking. Like Jagr said in one of the links posted ITT, "It's hockey. Take hits like this away and it's basketball."
For those saying it was inappropriate in such a game: It's the World Championship. Outside of USA and Canada it is considered the most important hockey event right after the Olympic Games. And you expect anyone to give you a break in such a tournament? In fact, a player that would give any opponent a break in any situation has no place in the national team.
And Latvia is no "hockey dwarf" to be treated like women, it's not so long ago that they defeated USA and sent them to the relegation group.
Great hit, clean as well. He didn't jump BEFORE the hit. The Latvian should have been looking. Like Jagr said in one of the links posted ITT, "It's hockey. Take hits like this away and it's basketball."
For those saying it was inappropriate in such a game: It's the World Championship. Outside of USA and Canada it is considered the most important hockey event right after the Olympic Games. And you expect anyone to give you a break in such a tournament? In fact, a player that would give any opponent a break in any situation has no place in the national team.
And Latvia is no "hockey dwarf" to be treated like women, it's not so long ago that they defeated USA and sent them to the relegation group.
Also: It serves as an reminder. The czechs coming up that wing today sure as hell gonna have Kronwall in the back of their mind.