Vegas Major Call

[Illinihockey]

Another example of a huge overreaction when the player doesn't jump back to his feet.

The player not jumping back to his feet seems like a bit of an understatement

 

[Backyard Hockey]

Well at least we know that would never be called on Toews.

Because refs kick Toews out of 99.7% of all faceoffs!

Seriously though, things aren’t mutually exclusive.

Horrendous call by the refs.

Horrendous PK, goaltending and choke by Vegas.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Funny, the officials from the Vegas/San Jose game that called the major aren't moving on to ref in the next round, or any round thereafter. One of the refs is usually reffing in the late stages of the playoffs and Stanley Cup every other year. Hmmm, I wonder why they aren't moving on, maybe it's because they majorly f***ed up @Illinihockey

 

[Blue Liner]

I thought you were "done" with this.

 

[BobbyJet]

Vegas supporters will never be done with this. We'll hear about it for years and who can blame them.

 

[Hawkaholic]

I thought you were "done" with this.

I was done for the day. Now that there's more info, thought I should share

 

[Hawkaholic]

Vegas supporters will never be done with this. We'll hear about it for years and who can blame them.

I'm far from a Vegas supporter.

 

[ChiHawks10]

I thought you were "done" with this.

To be fair, that's good information to know. It says to me that the NHL realizes these guys f***ed up pretty bad.

 

[Blue Liner]

I guess I should've made it clearer I was being sarcastic.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

Good call, terrible PK.

Was it a crosscheck? Yes, 100% clearly.
Did it result in an injury? Yes, 100% definitely.
That call has to be made.

Was it malicious? No way.
Was it unfortunate? Yes.

You still can't give up 4 goals. Vegas simply blew it.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Good call, terrible PK.

Was it a crosscheck? Yes, 100% clearly.
Did it result in an injury? Yes, 100% definitely.
That call has to be made.

Was it malicious? No way.
Was it unfortunate? Yes.

You still can't give up 4 goals. Vegas simply blew it.

A. The crosscheck/push didn't cause the injury. His awkward, off-balance fall to the ice did. It can be argued that Stastny is actually more responsible for the injury than Eakins, honestly. If Stastny doesn't contact Pavelski, he's probably in a better position to protect himself on the way down, and doesn't hit his head on the ice, at which point Pavelski gets right back up, play continues, and Vegas likely wins the game.
B. It's a penalty(a minor crosscheck), maybe. It was more of a shove to me.
C. It was not a good call. It was a terrible call. It was not a 5 minute major. The assessment of a major is dependent on the severity of the crosscheck, itself. Not the result. It should not have been a major and a game misconduct.
D. All that said, Vegas can not allow 4 PP goals on that PP. They shit the bed, so that is on them, obviously.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

A. The crosscheck/push didn't cause the injury. His awkward, off-balance fall to the ice did. It can be argued that Stastny is actually more responsible for the injury than Eakins, honestly.
B. It's a penalty(a minor crosscheck), maybe. It was more of a shove to me.
C. It was not a good call. It was a terrible call. It was not a 5 minute major. The assessment of a major is dependent on the severity of the crosscheck, itself. Not the result. It should not have been a major and a game misconduct.
D. All that said, Vegas can not allow 4 PP goals on that PP. They **** the bed, so that is on them, obviously.

He doesn't fall without being crosschecked to begin with which is why I think any ref is gotta make that call.

 

[ChiHawks10]

He doesn't fall without being crosschecked to begin with which is why I think any ref is gotta make that call.

Yeah, so they make the minor penalty call for the cross check/shove(and it was 100% more a shove than a cross check). You don't give SJ a 5 minute PP because the guy fell awkwardly by a stroke of bad luck.

That's like... a player accidentally gets his stick between someone's legs and trips the other player. Said player falls awkwardly and tears his ACL. Is that a "major" tripping call because the guy got hurt? See how this logic is completely flawed? It was a terrible call. There is no arguing against that, and I don't care how loud anyone screams that it was a good call, it just wasn't.

Now if Eakins had cross-checked him in the mouth, and caused a concussion and lost teeth... different story. But a cross-body, shove to the chest? Yeah... no...God awful call. And the NHL knows it, evidenced by them not having those officials in the rest of the playoffs.

 

[Illinihockey]

nm

 

[Pez68]

How are people still talking about this like it was not a routine play? I'm a center, and even in beer league, the opposing center is pushing off like this....about half the time. Especially in the later stages of a close game. In the playoffs, it's a regular occurrence. This is NOT a high cross check. This is NOT a cross check near the face. This was Eakins pushing off with two hands on his stick, like pretty much every good center does if he loses a faceoff. Look where his stick is in this picture... His stick comes up, because Pavelski loses balance. He was trying to move Pavelski, so he's not screening his goalie if Burns fires that puck. Stastny is trying to get out to the shooter, and Pavelski stumbles into him. It was a freak accident. Nothing more. If Pavelski doesn't stumble and run into Stastny, this is NEVER, EVER called a penalty at the NHL level. I don't know if you'll find a center at any level that even considers this "cross checking".

 

[ChiHawks10]

nm

Now you have me curious.

 

[ChiHawks10]

How are people still talking about this like it was not a routine play? I'm a center, and even in beer league, the opposing center is pushing off like this....about half the time. Especially in the later stages of a close game. In the playoffs, it's a regular occurrence. This is NOT a high cross check. This is NOT a cross check near the face. This was Eakins pushing off with two hands on his stick, like pretty much every good center does if he loses a faceoff. Look where his stick is in this picture... His stick comes up, because Pavelski loses balance. He was trying to move Pavelski, so he's not screening his goalie if Burns fires that puck. Stastny is trying to get out to the shooter, and Pavelski stumbles into him. It was a freak accident. Nothing more. If Pavelski doesn't stumble and run into Stastny, this is NEVER, EVER called a penalty at the NHL level. I don't know if you'll find a center at any level that even considers this "cross checking".

Thanks for the picture. I've been trying to explain this situation to numerous people for two days now... even on here. It's amazing to me that people don't realize what was happening/what happened in this situation. It was a routine play on a faceoff, one that happens on just about every single one of them...

 

[Blue Liner]

Yeah, so they make the minor penalty call for the cross check/shove(and it was 100% more a shove than a cross check). You don't give SJ a 5 minute PP because the guy fell awkwardly by a stroke of bad luck.

That's like... a player accidentally gets his stick between someone's legs and trips the other player. Said player falls awkwardly and tears his ACL. Is that a "major" tripping call because the guy got hurt? See how this logic is completely flawed? It was a terrible call. There is no arguing against that, and I don't care how loud anyone screams that it was a good call, it just wasn't.

Now if Eakins had cross-checked him in the mouth, and caused a concussion and lost teeth... different story. But a cross-body, shove to the chest? Yeah... no...God awful call. And the NHL knows it, evidenced by them not having those officials in the rest of the playoffs.

First couple of times I saw the replay I thought his right arm/hand/part of the stick made contact up near the collarbone/neck. At regular speed it looks like it, but slowed down it's actually lower than that. That makes a difference for me.

 

[Pez68]

I think it's just silly that people see two hands on a stick that contacts another player, and immediately think it is cross checking. It's not. That's not how it has ever been interpreted by the officials. It's just another example of a poorly written rule. Cross checking is pretty much never called unless you see a guys arms fully extended BEFORE, or RIGHT AS he makes contact with an opponent. If your stick is already making contact with the opposing player, with your arms tucked in, and you then extend your arms....it's a push.

This definition is just silly, from my perspective:

59.1 Cross-checking - The action of using the shaft of the stick between the two hands to forcefully check an opponent.

Forcefully is a pretty subjective word... And, check? Really? How about "strike" an opponent?

 

[ChiHawks10]

First couple of times I saw the replay I thought his right arm/hand/part of the stick made contact up near the collarbone/neck. At regular speed it looks like it, but slowed down it's actually lower than that. That makes a difference for me.

It was the standard shove that a center will give another center after losing a draw, just as Pez explained it. He's trying to move him out of the LOS of the shooter. The fact that two hands were on his stick is because he just took a draw like 1 second earlier...

 

[Blue Liner]

It was the standard shove that a center will give another center after losing a draw, just as Pez explained it. He's trying to move him out of the LOS of the shooter. The fact that two hands were on his stick is because he just took a draw like 1 second earlier...

No, I get all of that, but if you jack someone in the collarbone/neck area, THAT's a crosscheck. Across the chest? No, not so much. That was my only point; that I saw it incorrectly initially and in seeing it slower now, it's changed my perspective on the play.

I actually would have less of an issue (but still some issue) if this had been called in the heat of moment. I can see in live action how this would have looked like a bad cross-check even if it wasn't. But the fact that it happened after the fact with a discussion makes it worse.

 

[BK]

I think it's just silly that people see two hands on a stick that contacts another player, and immediately think it is cross checking. It's not. That's not how it has ever been interpreted by the officials. It's just another example of a poorly written rule. Cross checking is pretty much never called unless you see a guys arms fully extended BEFORE, or RIGHT AS he makes contact with an opponent. If your stick is already making contact with the opposing player, with your arms tucked in, and you then extend your arms....it's a push.

This definition is just silly, from my perspective:

59.1 Cross-checking - The action of using the shaft of the stick between the two hands to forcefully check an opponent.

Forcefully is a pretty subjective word... And, check? Really? How about "strike" an opponent?

It was a cross check, 100% but it should have never been a major and it is a borderline minor at best.

 

[ChiHawks10]

It was a cross check, 100% but it should have never been a major and it is a borderline minor at best.

It was a cross check by word only. It was a cross check in the mold of thousands of other "cross checks" seen throughout the season that go without being penalized.

 

[Illinihockey]

How are people still talking about this like it was not a routine play? I'm a center, and even in beer league, the opposing center is pushing off like this....about half the time. Especially in the later stages of a close game. In the playoffs, it's a regular occurrence. This is NOT a high cross check. This is NOT a cross check near the face. This was Eakins pushing off with two hands on his stick, like pretty much every good center does if he loses a faceoff. Look where his stick is in this picture... His stick comes up, because Pavelski loses balance. He was trying to move Pavelski, so he's not screening his goalie if Burns fires that puck. Stastny is trying to get out to the shooter, and Pavelski stumbles into him. It was a freak accident. Nothing more. If Pavelski doesn't stumble and run into Stastny, this is NEVER, EVER called a penalty at the NHL level. I don't know if you'll find a center at any level that even considers this "cross checking".

I just googled a bunch of faceoffs and not once does anyone do what Eakins did except Kesler who cross checks the shit out of someone from behind



Here's an entire game of faceoffs and it doesn't happen.



If that happened all the time then Pavelski would have been ready for it, guy has been in the league 13 years

I don't know how anyone with a straight face can say this isn't a cross check

I agree that pushing happens but Eakins isn't in a faceoff position here. He lost the faceoff and strides at Pavelski. Pushing does happen as guys battle for faceoffs, what Eakins did doesn't happen all the time.

 

[BK]

It was a cross check by word only. It was a cross check in the mold of thousands of other "cross checks" seen throughout the season that go without being penalized.

It was a cross-check. This clip shows it perfectly but it should have never been a major and it is a borderline minor at best.