Malkin High Sticking Match Penalty (Suspended for One Game)

Hockey4Lyfe

Registered User
Feb 26, 2018
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What if the spin around stick was harder and hit in the back of the head? Do you still feel the same if both incidents hit the same spot with as much intent and energy put into them?

If Malkin hits the back of the head with that spin around, then all bets are off. He hits him in the back of the head, everything comes into play right along with a punch to the back of the head. And a much greater chance of it because I’m sure that stick is causing much more trauma.

It’s easier to deal with a couple busted teeth/jaw than potentially a spinal cord injury. As you would assume.
 

CapnZin

Registered User
Jul 20, 2017
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I’m guessing that for those that have jumped into this conversation late have missed that I said Malkin should get suspended for what he did. It’s uncalled for.

My responses are because of some saying that Raffl didn’t intend to harm Malkin. I was just making a counter argument that what he did was wrong and also uncalled for. Could also cause severe injury just like what Malkin pulled off.
I stated that I wasn’t disagreeing with you. I was merely arguing your attempt at blowing up what Raffl did bringing in the specifics of cerebral damage. If so, every scrum should be looked at in the same regard. Tons of players in scrums are defenseless and taking punches. Same with throwing them. Again, not defending the action of Raffl, I’d be upset if someone did that to a player I like, but at the same time I wouldn’t be saying it’s acceptabke for that to allow him to swing a stick at someone’s face. Not saying you said that or you agree with it, but I’m finishing that sentiment of my own comment.
 

Hockey4Lyfe

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Feb 26, 2018
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Me out of context? You're literally all over the map

Players get punched in the head every game, people don't often swing their stick like a baseball bat and almost alter someone's face

I’m just going to back away from the argument. You aren’t following me.
 

Hockey4Lyfe

Registered User
Feb 26, 2018
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I stated that I wasn’t disagreeing with you. I was merely arguing your attempt at blowing up what Raffl did bringing in the specifics of cerebral damage. If so, every scrum should be looked at in the same regard. Tons of players in scrums are defenseless and taking punches. Same with throwing them. Again, not defending the action of Raffl, I’d be upset if someone did that to a player I like, but at the same time I wouldn’t be saying it’s acceptabke for that to allow him to swing a stick at someone’s face. Not saying you said that or you agree with it, but I’m finishing that sentiment of my own comment.

Yeah, I agree that any sane individual would say that both moves are bush league and neither should be tolerated. Malkins move should definitely be more punishable than Raffl’s.
 

Bank Shot

Registered User
Jan 18, 2006
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Did Rafl get called for any penalty on the play?

Not to excuse Malkin's retaliation but Rafl could have been called for 4 minor penalties in that 2 second clip.

First he crosschecks Malkin in the back.

Then he hooks into his midsection.

Then he holds him.

And finishes off with a punch to the head.

If the refs just called the rulebook I think the game would be better off, and we would see less retaliation.
 

Ogrezilla

Nerf Herder
Jul 5, 2009
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Yeah, I agree that any sane individual would say that both moves are bush league and neither should be tolerated. Malkins move should definitely be more punishable than Raffl’s.
agreed. My issue is that Raffl's is pretty much a typical hockey play at this point. No matter what the rules are, players will always occasionally cross the line. When punching guys in the back of the head is common practice, this is what crossing the line looks like. Luckily Malkin didn't really get him or it could have been ugly.
 

DearDiary

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Aug 29, 2010
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That was an errant stick to the face by Malkin.....???

It wasn’t a baseball swing to the head/shoulder area??

Huh...I had no idea.

At which level of baseball is that move considered a baseball swing?
 

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
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Dude. Adjust.





You tried to turn this into smack talk, not me. You left me an angle for a dagger and I took it, but just because I finished it doesn't mean I started it. You could have bothered to respond to the content of my posts instead of trying this tack, so why deliberately act like a child?

Yeah. I brought up the Caps when saying if Giroux took a punch to the back of the head a Flyers fan would be upset.

Good point.
 

zerogoose

Registered User
Dec 29, 2018
31
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Cool, so the result and not the intent is all that matters. If so, the Flyers should feel free the swing away at Malkin’s visor in two weeks.
Justifying one wrong with another is never a good look. Malkin took the swing and got a major penalty leading to a goal against as well as a game misconduct. Those were appropriate punishments. A suspension would be a bit much, unless you are considering Raffl for a suspension as well as he actually DID act on his intent which was to cheap shot Malkin in the back of the head.


Raffl was on the ice for a couple seconds. It's not like he was rolling on the ice like he got shot. He probably wanted to make sure **** wasn't leaking out of his pants after seeing a stick go flying by his head. Because, ya know, that happens every game.

He was grabbing his ear pretending it hit is head when it clearly did not. He also did not get penalized for his obvious infraction of punching another player in the back of the head, which you do not address at all.
 

HTFN

Registered User
Feb 8, 2009
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agreed. My issue is that Raffl's is pretty much a typical hockey play at this point. No matter what the rules are, players will always occasionally cross the line. When punching guys in the back of the head is common practice, this is what crossing the line looks like. Luckily Malkin didn't really get him or it could have been ugly.

Pretty much. If we were re-writing the rulebook right now I'm sure we'd all be having a different discussion on punching the back of the head and its place in the game, but for the time being that's still a roughly "okay" thing to do as long as you don't get carried away.

This is an aside because Raffl's is pretty much just a left hook, but a few times what caught my eye as a "punch to the head" turned out to be more like one player trying to knock the other's helmet down into his eyes to irritate him. Looks like a punch, but rides up the head instead of driving through it and probably doesn't hurt a ton. As long as stuff like that is "gamesmanship" it will be a while before hitting each other in the head for fun between the whistles is phased out anyway.
 
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BmxHockey

Registered User
Jan 4, 2012
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Malkin should not get a penalty because of reasons of “an idiot” or “anger issues” that are not in line with sanctions as such, he should however be suspended for intent to kill. Rafl should get nominated for an academy award for swan lake.

Hockey players generally speaking are thugs.
 

HuskerTornado

Jobu Needs Rum
May 26, 2008
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Dude, watch the punch, he's not doing any skull/neck damage with that love tap. Go watch soccer, unless that's too scary as someone could die from heading the ball
Here is the problem with your logic.

You're going bananas over Malkin swinging his stick in retaliation to a dirty rabbit punch. A stick that did not connect, thus causing zero damage.

Your argument for Raffl's dangerous rabbit punch being just fine is that
A) it happens all the time (as if that would make it ok, or as if every punch to the back of the head connects with the base of the skull, which it does not)
B) it wasn't hard enough to inflict damage

So one guy's indiscretion is ok because it didn't inflict damage in this occurance, while the other guy should be suspended although his indiscretion didn't inflict damage in this occurrence either.

Huh.
v80swo.jpg


Bottom line is that if Raffl doesn't rabbit punch, Malkin doesn't stick swing. Both did bad things and everyone is lucky nothing really happened. But it all starts due to a dangerous rabbit punch that has no place in the game to begin with.
 
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HTFN

Registered User
Feb 8, 2009
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Yeah. I brought up the Caps when saying if Giroux took a punch to the back of the head a Flyers fan would be upset.

Good point.
No, if you'd recognized the "good point" your post would have said "Oh, I see, you used Capitals players instead of Flyers players because you're not a Flyers fan, and it makes more sense to think about it that way".

Or maybe you'd have said "that's true, I guess you were just talking about Malkin and didn't actually rub anything in anybody's face until I tried to rub the playoffs in yours".

Personally I think you'd go for "got me, I think I've been subconsciously trying to tank this thread for the last few pages", seeing as you're really self-aware and pretty good at accurately analyzing the past.
 

HTFN

Registered User
Feb 8, 2009
12,186
10,712
Here is the problem with your logic.

You're going bananas over Malkin swinging his stick in retaliation to a dirty rabbit punch. A stick that did not connect, thus causing zero damage.

Your argument for Raffl's dangerous rabbit punch being just fine is that
A) it happens all the time (as if that would make it ok, or as if every punch to the back of the head connects with the base of the skull, which is does not)
B) it wasn't hard enough to inflict damage

So one guy's indiscretion is ok because it didn't inflict damage in this occurance, while the other guy should be suspended although his indiscretion didn't inflict damage in this occurrence either.

Huh.
v80swo.jpg


Bottom line is that if Raffl doesn't rabbit punch, Malkin doesn't stick swing. Both did bad things and everyone is lucky nothing really happened. But it all starts due to a dangerous rabbit punch that has no place in the game to begin with.
But Malkin swinging his stick at face-level doesn't check off A or B either, and Raffl's does. On that alone, the two instances are not equal. The league's rules (and enforcement) regarding hitting another player in the face with your hands are nowhere near as black and white as doing it with your stick, and they pretty much assume that the punching will be done on purpose and the sticks will be done on accident.

So I guess the short answer is, yes. It may seem hypocritical or confusing but you could watch every hockey game from now until next Sunday and I don't think you're going to be seeing what Malkin did again any time soon. I can practically guarantee, however, that two guys will battle along the boards, one will be bent over, and the other will start delivering muffin shots at his head and shoulders. It's the difference between breaking the speed limit by 8-10 mph and breaking it by 30, they're both technically not allowed but the grey area-to-danger ratios are way different.
 
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gwh

Registered User
Mar 4, 2013
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Keith got 6 games for similar swing. Malkin gets probably 3-4.

 

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