Orlov with the HOTY

[Kaapo Cabana]

Marchand does this hit and people say it's lowbridging. I don't understand life

This was my thought when I saw the hit. Either they're both dirty or they're both clean.

I happen to think they're both dirty. Orlov gets way too low

 

[fighterfoo]

This was my thought when I saw the hit. Either they're both dirty or they're both clean.

I happen to think they're both dirty. Orlov gets way too low

Agree fully. Hip checks are supposed to be delivered with the hip into the hip or thigh area. This is hip into knees. So fortunate there was no injury on the play -- could have been season-ending.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Avalanche fans seem like the only ones saying this hit was clean. Duchene is playing so bad we don't even care to try to defend him

 

[powerstuck]

Reminds me of this.

Exactly, or of many plays Marchand did in past and got called and even suspended doing them.

I mean hit it clean, is nice, but I guess it depends on player doing the hit. Same hit, same results, different instigator and different outcome by refs/league officials.

 

[g00n]

From last year's rulebook:

Clipping - Clipping is the act of throwing the body, from any direction,
across or below the knees of an opponent.

A player may not deliver a check in a “clipping” manner, nor lower
his own body position to deliver a check on or below an opponent’s
knees.

An illegal “low hit” is a check that is delivered by a player who may
or may not have both skates on the ice, with his sole intent to check
the opponent in the area of his knees. A player may not lower his
body position to deliver a check to an opponent’s knees.

Both players lowering themselves at the same time makes it hard to prove "sole intent". Orlov was also raising up to make the hit, not diving low to clip the knees.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Not sure how that isn't a penalty, it was CLEARLY clipping. He went way too low.

A hip check is at the hip, not the knees...

Not sure how anyone could say that isn't directly at the knees...

 

[capebretoncanadien]

He obliterated him obviously but it is low.

 

[g00n]

Not sure how that isn't a penalty, it was CLEARLY clipping. He went way too low.

A hip check is at the hip, not the knees...

The clipping rule is right above your post. That's what makes it clean or a penalty. There is no definition of "hip check" in the rules that I've seen and there certainly isn't a binding rule dictating that hip checks must be made hip to hip. It generally just means you use your hip area to deliver a check and anatomically it works out that way.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Not sure how that isn't a penalty, it was CLEARLY clipping. He went way too low.

A hip check is at the hip, not the knees...

Not sure how anyone could say that isn't directly at the knees...

Duchene's hips were about level with Orlov's, before he decided it was a good idea to stand straight up to dodge the hit.

 

[g00n]

Duchene's hips were about level with Orlov's, before he decided it was a good idea to stand straight up to dodge the hit.

This. Plus that's a cherrypicked angle. The ice-level camera better shows how they came together and how Orlov was hitting UP while Duchene was trying to go up and over/around.

First couple of posts have the tweet. It's not hard to watch it a few times and even freeze it at the moment they're both low for contact.

 

[Devil Dancer]

I love seeing good clean checks like this, too bad they have gotten so rare.

And as someone said early on, good for the Avs for not retaliating. This is how the game used to be played.

 

[GoldiFox]

Honestly, that was a dangerous play by Orlov and borderline clipping.
Would not call that a hip check

This. It wasn't even really a check. Orlov just crouched and Duchene's own momentum made him flip. More of a Jiu-Jitsu form of clipping than anything.

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

That's ****ing beautiful.

 

[Caps8112]

Not sure how that isn't a penalty, it was CLEARLY clipping. He went way too low.

A hip check is at the hip, not the knees...

Not sure how anyone could say that isn't directly at the knees...

dont care that much but
point of contact is his shoulder into duchenes hip/chest. knees hit afterward. scary looking CLEAN play.

 

[4thTierSport]

Knees weren't targeted and main area of contact was shoulder in the waist area. It was awkward but nothing dirty.

 

[Muston Atthews]

Not sure how that isn't a penalty, it was CLEARLY clipping. He went way too low.

A hip check is at the hip, not the knees...

Not sure how anyone could say that isn't directly at the knees...

Lol his shoulder is driving directly into his stomach

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Look at Duchene trying to dodge Orlov by jumping over him. No wonder he ended up upside down 6 feet in the air.

 

[TheFinnishTrap]

Looked low, but I'm all for clean, hard hits that don't result in injuries.

 

[Pez68]

Hopefully next time Orlov goes to hit someone like this, they skate through him and knee him right in the face.

If Duchene doesn't try and jump over him, he's probably got a blown out knee. Since that's where Orlov's hip/butt make initial contact. Your butt isn't 6 inches off the ice when you're making a hip check, for those confused, thinking this is a "beauty" hip check.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

Avalanche fans seem like the only ones saying this hit was clean. Duchene is playing so bad we don't even care to try to defend him

Bizarro universe here. Usually we're homers defending a player that was blindsided cleanly, now we're blind for not noticing how dirty that clean hit was.

Duchene evaded a hip check, no one got injured, Orlov made a good play. It's really that simple, analyze it however you want but unless you're about to get a measuring stick out and have them reenact the hit then there's no room for complaining, still frames and one camera angle don't tell the whole story.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Look at Duchene trying to dodge Orlov by jumping over him. No wonder he ended up upside down 6 feet in the air.

He's not jumping.... that is mid hit when he is already going up from being hit so low..

 

[FLYLine27*]

I love seeing good clean checks like this, too bad they have gotten so rare.

And as someone said early on, good for the Avs for not retaliating. This is how the game used to be played.

Wonder if that hit was done on AO you would be saying the same thing.

 

[HTFN]

Hopefully next time Orlov goes to hit someone like this, they skate through him and knee him right in the face.

If Duchene doesn't try and jump over him, he's probably got a blown out knee. Since that's where Orlov's hip/butt make initial contact. Your butt isn't 6 inches off the ice when you're making a hip check, for those confused, thinking this is a "beauty" hip check.

Since you seem equally confused, let me remind you that Orlov's hip is nowhere near that low before he starts braking to account for Duchene's change in direction.

In three quick steps: Orlov is pushing Duchene to the outside boards. He pivots towards the boards to begin skating forwards with Duchene, to make sure the puck gets down into the corner.

Duchene reads the pivot and, with his opponent now moving towards the wall, attempts to open up the middle of the ice.

Orlov slams the brakes on, which drops his body height while Duchene's rises during his cut to the middle.

Orlov still makes/follows the hit through with as much of his upper body as possible, minimizing any potential knee contact.

As far as I can see it, Orlov wanted to rub Duchene into the boards and force a dump in. Duchene cut to the middle, but Orlov is a good skater and stopped a lot sharper than Duchene expected.

Orlov loves lining up hip checks, so I'm pretty sure he knows you're usually not supposed to do them with your own head facing the boards. What happened after that is just reflex by two hockey players.

 

[Caps Circle]

Wonder if that hit was done on AO you would be saying the same thing.

AO is smart and strong enough not to be caught with a hit like that. This is a clean hit that looks bad because Duchene doesn't know when to skate forward and when to cut back.

 

[Pez68]

Since you seem equally confused, let me remind you that Orlov's hip is nowhere near that low before he starts braking to account for Duchene's change in direction.

In three quick steps: Orlov is pushing Duchene to the outside boards. He pivots towards the boards to begin skating forwards with Duchene, to make sure the puck gets down into the corner.

Duchene reads the pivot and, with his opponent now moving towards the wall, attempts to open up the middle of the ice.

Orlov slams the brakes on, which drops his body height while Duchene's rises during his cut to the middle.

Orlov still makes/follows the hit through with as much of his upper body as possible, minimizing any potential knee contact.

As far as I can see it, Orlov wanted to rub Duchene into the boards and force a dump in. Duchene cut to the middle, but Orlov is a good skater and stopped a lot sharper than Duchene expected.

Orlov loves lining up hip checks, so I'm pretty sure he knows you're usually not supposed to do them with your own head facing the boards. What happened after that is just reflex by two hockey players.

At no point during a hockey stop are you that low.... Ever.