OT: What if this was an Oiler?

[Oilhawks]

Deterrents are a myth.

They’re not as effective with the instigator rule but having a player that (at least theoretically) stands up for those that won’t stand up for themselves can prevent this sort of shit.

I’ll contradict myself in saying that I think the biggest reason the Oilers don’t get pushed around as much is that a good portion of the roster is willing to dish it out (see McDavid and Draisaitl’s occasional retaliatory cross check, elbow etc). The team actually plays for each other nowadays, winning certainly helps with that

 

[nabob]

I'd think it was crap. Two incidents that come to mind that disgusted me. Nurse's beatdown on a Sharks player although he thought that player injured Matt Hendricks and Andrew Ference's mugging of Matt Stajan. Like Nurse's toughness but that was just bad and never liked Ference to begin with. Kassian's rag dolling of Tkachuk doesn't bother me because the pos deserved it. Tom Wilson's was way worse than any of those and I'd lose respect for him completely.

Polak has a huge reputation for being a spot picker and a dirty player. Polak also weighs 250 lbs, did injure a veteran leader in Hendricks, and chose to turtle when a player who weighed 35lbs less than him challenged him to face the music.
If you’re ok with what Kassian did to Tkachuk for a clean hit how can you have issue with what Nurse did to Polak for a dirty play?

 

[Wretched Oil]

Deterrents are a myth.

You've never played contact hockey?

 

[Drivesaitl]

Kassian isn't a deterrent to clowns like Wilson pulling this kind of shit. Just like he's never been a deterrent to Tkachuk taking borderline runs against us. Maybe after the fact he'd go out there and try and exact a pound of flesh as retribution (or hurt himself in the process). But he wouldn't prevent it from happening in the first place.

Yeah, I'd like to know what antagonizer or goon stopped being that just because somebody tapped their shoulder for a fight? This is the NHL, highest rung of hockey where a guy like Kassian makes over 3M. Playing hockey, with the occasional stitches. Blue Collar workers in Alberta go to work each day putting their lives on the line that could be killed in savage industrial accidents and that work their whole lives making what Zach makes in a year.

Humans, earning their livelihood, tend not to be easily deterred. Should I bring up troops storming out of the trenches into likely enemy fire or storming the beaches of Normandy? What nature or force exists that stops human will in its tracks?

Maybe coronavirus...jk

 

[Drivesaitl]

Deterrents are a myth.

Nuclear deterrents might not be. Depends on who's fingers are on the buttons. Ultimately I'd bet you're right but nobody collects on that bet.

Given human nature the mere concept of Nuclear détente is sheer madness but we've lived for awhile on that precipice. The experiment probably doesn't end well.

 

[soothsayer]

Nuclear deterrents might not be. Depends on who's fingers are on the buttons. Ultimately I'd bet you're right but nobody collects on that bet.

Given human nature the mere concept of Nuclear détente is sheer madness but we've lived for awhile on that precipice. The experiment probably doesn't end well.

Mutually assured destruction is definitely a valuable deterring strategy, so long as both sides are aware of the prospect of their assured destruction (as Dr Strangelove rightly explained).

 

[Little Fury]

Not sure if it’s been said as I haven’t read the whole thread but, we still sure about wanting to trade Kassian after this Wilson incident?

Yes. Kassian isn't who you think he is.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Polak has a huge reputation for being a spot picker and a dirty player. Polak also weighs 250 lbs, did injure a veteran leader in Hendricks, and chose to turtle when a player who weighed 35lbs less than him challenged him to face the music.
If you’re ok with what Kassian did to Tkachuk for a clean hit how can you have issue with what Nurse did to Polak for a dirty play?

I don't think he did. Hendricks caught the boards and got injured on his own. Tkachuk is not a "spot picker". He is relentless. There's the difference.

 

[Oilhawks]

Yes. Kassian isn't who you think he is.

Not really a fan of him, I’ve stated it elsewhere but I’d be shocked to see Wilson pull the shit he did on the Rangers on the Oilers. No, it wouldn’t be Kassian alone that makes it that way

 

[Samus44]

I'd think it was crap. Two incidents that come to mind that disgusted me. Nurse's beatdown on a Sharks player although he thought that player injured Matt Hendricks and Andrew Ference's mugging of Matt Stajan. Like Nurse's toughness but that was just bad and never liked Ference to begin with. Kassian's rag dolling of Tkachuk doesn't bother me because the pos deserved it. Tom Wilson's was way worse than any of those and I'd lose respect for him completely.

Nurse did that to Polak a guy who had literally done the EXACT same thing to other guys in his career, guys who weren't exactly tough. Polak was a VERY dirty player and I think what Nurse did was justified. You can't try and injure guys and expect nothing to come your way. Like Tkachuk, Polak was a scumbag. The league won't punish these guys so somebody has to. The Oilers grew a couple inches that day, same with when Kassian snapped on Tkachuk. It's sad that it has to be that way but it is what it is.

 

[nabob]

I don't think he did. Hendricks caught the boards and got injured on his own. Tkachuk is not a "spot picker". He is relentless. There's the difference.

Polak took out Hendricks skate causing him to crash in to the boards...I never called Tkachuk a spot picker, Polak is a spot picker. He has no issues fighting a guy 60 lbs lighter than him in his career, but as soon as Nurse came at him, he turtled.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Fan loyalty has a way of making people look past these things. Every fanbase sees a good chunk of its fans defend regardless of the transgression.

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

Mutually assured destruction is definitely a valuable deterring strategy, so long as both sides are aware of the prospect of their assured destruction (as Dr Strangelove rightly explained).

I would have went with a Wargames analogy but I get that 1 too.

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

Polak took out Hendricks skate causing him to crash in to the boards...I never called Tkachuk a spot picker, Polak is a spot picker. He has no issues fighting a guy 60 lbs lighter than him in his career, but as soon as Nurse came at him, he turtled.

I might be remembering it wrong but I thought Polak turtled after taking a couple haymakers that hurt him badly.

 

[Laodongxi]

The hot mic confession, followed now by the Wilson spectacle. The baffling and nontransparent reactions and actions of both the Rangers and the DoPS, and the strange silence and lack of leadership of the League in general just point to a situation that has become untenable. Who is in control and what are they controlling? What are the rules now? There is no clear guidelines for anything really, going forward. Right before playoffs. It would be kinda laughable if it wasn't the sport we love.

 

[Spawn]

Nuclear deterrents might not be. Depends on who's fingers are on the buttons. Ultimately I'd bet you're right but nobody collects on that bet.

Given human nature the mere concept of Nuclear détente is sheer madness but we've lived for awhile on that precipice. The experiment probably doesn't end well.

I should have said deterrents in hockey are a myth. That was the intent of my statement.

 

[jesusbuiltmyhotrod]

The League is a pathetic joke imo....just totally mishandled everything about this.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I should have said deterrents in hockey are a myth. That was the intent of my statement.

Oh I agree, I was being tongue in cheek. The whole concept of veiled aggression as deterrence is a concept that needs to die along with violence, force, physical assaults whether they occur on ice or elsewhere. Maybe as humans we can advance. Not holding my breath though.

 

[iCanada]

Nuclear deterrents might not be. Depends on who's fingers are on the buttons. Ultimately I'd bet you're right but nobody collects on that bet.

Given human nature the mere concept of Nuclear détente is sheer madness but we've lived for awhile on that precipice. The experiment probably doesn't end well.

The correlation here would be having Kassian go run a star player like Backstrom or the goaltender Vanacek instead of fighting Wilson.

Especially if the rest of your team is butter soft like the current iteration of the Rags.

It's tough though, even the guys with the biggest screws loose don't typically like injuring guys on purpose unless they're seeing red.

 

[iCanada]

I might be remembering it wrong but I thought Polak turtled after taking a couple haymakers that hurt him badly.

No Polak refused to drop the gloves entirely on multiple occasions until nurse just fed him.

 

[fireantz]

To grow the game in the south you don’t want WWF hockey. They want more Connor less Milan. If you want to max the value of the game you can’t allow ragdolling of the stars. Horse collar, hair pull, slamming helmetless player into the ice must be penalized as attempt to injure. Wilson should be done indefinetly. Don’t change the game, enforce the rules!

 

[redgrant]

I'm more concerned if your what if was not what if Wilson was on the team hit rather what if a guy like Wilson pushed Yamamotos head in the ice.

How do we respond? Rangers didn't have enough fire power physically. Not sure we do any more either.

 

[Gordievsky]

I don't see how anyone can find the flexing anything but cringeworthy.

But as for the on the ice stuff, it was totally dirty and if it were the Oilers I'd find a way to justify it and look the the other way. It's not hypocrisy... sweet soft teams just don't win that much. Wilson cruising around protecting McD is frankly exactly what this team needs.