Pre-Game Talk: Weekly Thread | @DAL, vs NSH, vs CBJ

[Cousin Eddie]

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[Cousin Eddie]

1. Did any media say anything about Practice today? Not a single person I followed seems to have been present. If they were they didn’t comment on anything. Dater blocked me so maybe he showed up? Would be interesting to hear if Mikko is doing any rushes or if he’s even there at all.

2. Bet Zadorov fights someone this week. Listened to chiclets this morning and they were roasting him for declining to fight Yandle after he murder Hawerlyk, earlier in the season declining Lucic yet he tried everything in his power to try to square off with Dryden Hunt and challenged the entire Florida bench while standing behind the referee despite being scared of Keith f***ing Yandle a few minutes earlier. Players hear these things. Bet he tries something dumber than ever.

 

[The Moops]

From the replay I saw, Zadorov was ready to drop the gloves after the hit, but the Florida player declined...

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Hopefully our best player and team +/- leader Ian Cole can lead this team back into the victory column this week.


Hoping to see everyone improve those +/- numbers, we gotta get back on track in that +/- column.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

From the replay I saw, Zadorov was ready to drop the gloves after the hit, but the Florida player declined...

There you go, bringing in facts again...

 

[Cousin Eddie]

From the replay I saw, Zadorov was ready to drop the gloves after the hit, but the Florida player declined...

After Yandle was in front of him asking him to go for about 5 seconds lol. If Zadorov was willing to fight him a fight would have happened. Zadorov shook his own gloves to save the embarrassment. He very clearly declined when Yandle asked initially.

 

[henchman21]

I really don't see the replay as proof Z was ready to fight... and Yandle is buddies with Bissonette, so I'm sure he got Yandle's side of the story (which will be biased).

 

[mapletreemarty]

After Yandle was in front of him asking him to go for about 5 seconds lol. If Zadorov was willing to fight him a fight would have happened. Zadorov shook his own gloves to save the embarrassment. He very clearly declined when Yandle asked initially.

He would have killed Keith Yandle. He did Yandle a favour.

 

[AvalancheFan19]

Need 2/3 here, let's go.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

He would have killed Keith Yandle. He did Yandle a favour.

You’re actually probably right. I don’t understand why Zadorov declines to fight Yandle. Maybe he legit didn’t want to beat the piss out of somebody like that.

 

[The Kingslayer]

After Yandle was in front of him asking him to go for about 5 seconds lol. If Zadorov was willing to fight him a fight would have happened. Zadorov shook his own gloves to save the embarrassment. He very clearly declined when Yandle asked initially.

Yandle didn't want that smoke but yah Z should have fought him and the entire thing would have been over with. Hell we might have won the game had Z fought him then and there instead of giving the panthers a PP and all the momentum.

 

[Pokecheque]

Love Biz, but "The Code" always has been and always will be bullshit.

Two things: Z laid a big hit, but legal, and should not have to "answer" for anything. That said, he had to know that they were going to keep hacking away at him to get him to do something foolish, and he should have done a better job of keeping his composure.

 

[The Moops]

What else does he have to do? He isn't obligated to fight Yandle. Yandle doesn't shake his gloves or anything. If Yandle wanted to fight, he could have dropped his gloves. Sounds like a bitch crying to Biz about Z not fighting him when he didn't drop the gloves or anything himself.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Biz and Yandle are best buds. Sure there’s no bias there.

 

[henchman21]

Love Biz, but "The Code" always has been and always will be bull****.

Two things: Z laid a big hit, but legal, and should not have to "answer" for anything. That said, he had to know that they were going to keep hacking away at him to get him to do something foolish, and he should have done a better job of keeping his composure.

The last part of your statement gets at the crux of the issue. If Z doesn't answer to 'The Code' then he has to keep his cool. Z simply didn't do that. Now not answering the bell can also create a situation where the Panthers would have started running Avs' players. I know the theory behind not having to fight after a clean hit, but I'd much much rather Z answer and fight than Ekblad taking a flying elbow at MacKinnon.

 

[Goulet17]

Was the practice closed today?

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Biz and Yandle are best buds. Sure there’s no bias there.

Bissonette didn’t know the Yandle thing happened. He spoke specifically about Lucic and Hunt and challenging the entire Florida bench. His argument was that he loves Zadorov’s game but he can’t have it both ways. If he’s going to refuse to fight Lucic one game he can’t stand there and pretend to be a tough guy who’s willing to take on an entire bench next game while the referee is in between them. I actually full on agree with that.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Love Biz, but "The Code" always has been and always will be bull****.

Two things: Z laid a big hit, but legal, and should not have to "answer" for anything. That said, he had to know that they were going to keep hacking away at him to get him to do something foolish, and he should have done a better job of keeping his composure.

I don’t agree it all. If you’re going to headhunt and try to hit defenseless players as hard as humanly possible you should also be willing to square off if you’re called on it.

That’s my opinion, but I feel you can’t have it both ways. Zadorov could have simply made a poke check there which honestly would have been the smarter hockey play. If he chooses to injur players instead of playing the puck he should be willing to answer the bell.

If Radko Gudas caught Nathan Mackinnon at centre ice with a “clean hit” you bet your ass I’m screaming at the TV for somebody to go make him pay for what he just did.

 

[henchman21]

Bissonette didn’t know the Yandle thing happened. He spoke specifically about Lucic and Hunt and challenging the entire Florida bench. His argument was that he loves Zadorov’s game but he can’t have it both ways. If he’s going to refuse to fight Lucic one game he can’t stand there and pretend to be a tough guy who’s willing to take on an entire bench next game while the referee is in between them. I actually full on agree with that.

Or refusing to fight all of Winnipeg until the point he gets jumped.

In the grand scheme, whether you like the unspoken rule or not, Z has to answer for some of those hits. It creates more problems than it solves by refusing.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Yandle didn't want that smoke but yah Z should have fought him and the entire thing would have been over with. Hell we might have won the game had Z fought him then and there instead of giving the panthers a PP and all the momentum.

This is exactly what I said on here following that game. Twinsies

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Or refusing to fight all of Winnipeg Vancouver until the point he gets jumped.

Hmmm, sounds familiar...

 

[henchman21]

Hmmm, sounds familiar...

And in no way was what Bertuzzi did in the right. 'The Code' was broken more than a few times in that whole situation.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Also Biz mentioned that Lawson Crouse asked Zadorov to fight last game and Z refused. I don’t remember ever seeing that happen though.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Or refusing to fight all of Winnipeg until the point he gets jumped.

In the grand scheme, whether you like the unspoken rule or not, Z has to answer for some of those hits. It creates more problems than it solves by refusing.

In his defense on the Scheifele hit(assuming thats what you’re referencing) he didn’t have any time time time to fight. He got jumped from behind by Trouba like .5 second after the hit. Then Laine(?) jumped on him right after, so he was never given the opportunity to fight there.

 

[henchman21]

In his defense on the Scheifele hit(assuming thats what you’re referencing) he didn’t have any time time time to fight. He got jumped from behind by Trouba like .5 second after the hit. Then Laine(?) jumped on him right after, so he was never given the opportunity to fight there.

There were 3 huge hits by Z in that game... the third one was his second against Scheifele that game and Trouba jumped him. He had the whole Jets team's attention after the first and after the second they were after him. The third Trouba lost it and purely jumped Z. That wasn't the right reaction by Trouba, but it was setup by the prior two hits. That was a situation that spilled over until a team snapped and didn't let Z refuse.

I 100% get Z's desire to be a physical force out there and lay out some guys to keep things honest. It is a big part of his game. With that, there are times he has to answer the call. The whole hockey fanbase could hate it, but North American players play the game that way and feel self policing has to happen. As long as that idea exists (and it will for a long time), Z has to be pretty willing to drop the gloves.