Zibanejad headshot on Bozak

[Do Make Say Think]

No news is a good news!

 

[Karl Eriksson]

Looks like the league agrees this was clean as a whistle. Diving doesn't as always pay.

 

[uncleben]

Looks like the league agrees this was clean as a whistle. Diving doesn't as always pay.

okay, maybe you can have your opinion its not suspension worthy, but clean as a whistle??

 

[jbeck5]

Looks like the league agrees this was clean as a whistle. Diving doesn't as always pay.

Doesn't mean it was clean. Just not worthy of supplementary discipline.

 

[Micklebot]

Looks like the league agrees this was clean as a whistle. Diving doesn't as always pay.

Bozak clearly got hit in the head. Penalty was absolutely deserved.

My guess is the league thought it was an accident, or at the very least lacked enough evidence to be sure it wasn't and didn't see it as reckless.

Hope Bozak is ok, never like to see a guy get concussed.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Bet the lack of intent is why there is no discipline. He didn't appear to be looking at Bozak when contact was made. For those calling it a dive, catching a punch/elbow to the chin can make your legs/body do weird things.

 

[Micklebot]

Bet the lack of intent is why there is no discipline. He didn't appear to be looking at Bozak when contact was made. For those calling it a dive, catching a punch/elbow to the chin can make your legs/body do weird things.

It looked pretty innocuous live, but when you see multiple angles, and how it went down, I really don't understand how anyone could call it a dive.

 

[hatterson]

This league is a complete joke. Don't want a suspension? Just pretend to look the other way while you chuck your elbow out, you'll be fine!

He went out of his way to hit a player ineligible to be checked while also flinging his elbows about, it should be two games without even a thought.

 

[NyQuil]

He went out of his way to hit a player ineligible to be checked while also flinging his elbows about, it should be two games without even a thought.

Yeah, it's pretty criminal the way you describe it.

 

[Korpse]

All came down to a player changing his path prior to contact. Once hockey fans realize this is apart of the decision making they will have a better understanding of the decisions made. Hell its covered in the rule, go read that.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Dirty hit, 2 games. He clearly got hit, but the way he propelled forward on the dive was pretty funny.

 

[Paris in Flames]

Suppose I should start the post by saying I'm a Leafs fan...

1) Bozak didn't dive. Have you never seen a forward jump around a defending player to get around him and into the zone? That's exactly what Bozak was in the process of doing when he got clipped. To not realize that seems insane to me.

2) It's not suspension worthy. The penalty on the play is fine because there was head contact but I don't see anything malicious or even much intent there.

3) It sucks if Bozak is hurt. He's been a real strong player for the Leafs this year and proving he's not just dependant on Kessel. He's a legitimate and good NHL player.

 

[jbeck5]

This league is a complete joke. Don't want a suspension? Just pretend to look the other way while you chuck your elbow out, you'll be fine!

He went out of his way to hit a player ineligible to be checked while also flinging his elbows about, it should be two games without even a thought.

I think you're exaggerating.

IMO yes he could have easily gotten a couple games, but it would have been due to recklessness, not due to intent.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Looks like the league agrees this was clean as a whistle. Diving doesn't as always pay.

Ya, bud, he's really trying to sell the dive too. He's not going on the Western road trip. What a faker.

So, basically you have Ottawa fans saying it wasn't a dirty hit, then you have everyone else.

Sounds about right.

 

[Nizdizzle]

There is absolutely no consistency with the suspensions in this league. This absolutely deserves a suspension. Headshots are not okay, regardless of intent.

 

[Mugzy97]

5 for interference and a game would have been sufficient.

 

[Raymoondo]

Looks like the league agrees this was clean as a whistle. Diving doesn't as always pay.

lol. Just because it doesn't get a suspension doesn't mean it's a clean hit. Just waiting for you to claim the penalty was unwarranted too, unless I missed that post already.

 

[Boud]

Ya, bud, he's really trying to sell the dive too. He's not going on the Western road trip. What a faker.

So, basically you have Ottawa fans saying it wasn't a dirty hit, then you have everyone else.

Sounds about right.

I'm a Sens fan, I don't think it was a clean hit since the point of contract was the head.

Whether or not it is intentional is a different question though, I really don't think it was but that doesn't change the fact that a hit where the point of contact is the head is basically a head shot and whether or not the player receiving the hit is injured, whether or not it was intentional, there should be a suspension and that's on the league to set some clear rules.

If the league wants to eliminate headshots, it will have to regroup incidents where player are injured or not, where it was intentional or not, and whether the gravity of the injury is severe or not. Bottom line is a headshot is a headshot. Now, I agree that there should be different lenght based on the things I mentioned before, but at least a suspension or fine should be given to the players to let them know that it is unacceptable and that they are responsible for what they do on the ice, again intentional or not.

For what it's worth, I'd be surprised if Zibanejad didn't get a call from the league or get a warning. IIRC it's the first time Zibanejad has ever done something like this so I'm guessing the league let it go, whether it's right or not is another question, but it's the precedent they've set so far.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Love the Leafs outrage. Finally something they can rally behind and try to show their team still relevant.

 

[Frosty415]

Oh look, nothing happened, another overreaction by leaf fans and hfboards.

Hockey is a physical sport, if you can't handle it... I hear baseballs coming up

 

[LeafsNation75]

This league is a complete joke. Don't want a suspension? Just pretend to look the other way while you chuck your elbow out, you'll be fine!

He went out of his way to hit a player ineligible to be checked while also flinging his elbows about, it should be two games without even a thought.

It seems whenever a Maple Leafs player gets hit in the head and suffers a concussion the league never suspends the guilty player. Besides Zibanejad inuring Bozak since he won't be on their road trip to Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, remember when Ovechkin gave Leo Komarov a concussion and he missed a lot of games after that, along with no suspension to Ovechkin.

 

[benjiv1]

Huh?

I thought Mika was trying to bat the puck out of the air, and when he misses, his elbow comes up and hits Bozak, who is trying to jump around him.

Unfortunate, but no malice or intention.

 

[Micklebot]

Huh?

I thought Mika was trying to bat the puck out of the air, and when he misses, his elbow comes up and hits Bozak, who is trying to jump around him.

Unfortunate, but no malice or intention.

hmm I never considered that Zibanejad might have been swinging at the puck, might have to re-watch the footage to see if that's a plausible explanation.

My initial though was he was trying to get body position on Bozak, but his elbow coming up always seemed a touch reckless. If it's a follow through on a missed attempt to bat the puck out of the air, it would potentially explain a lot as if it was his regular skating stride, I don't know why he'd spin around a bit after contact.

 

[Gavy]

Love the Leafs outrage. Finally something they can rally behind and try to show their team still relevant.

The centre of the hockey universe is never irrelevant.
Pretty funny coming from a Sens fan, though.

 

[JD1]

Suppose I should start the post by saying I'm a Leafs fan...

1) Bozak didn't dive. Have you never seen a forward jump around a defending player to get around him and into the zone? That's exactly what Bozak was in the process of doing when he got clipped. To not realize that seems insane to me.

2) It's not suspension worthy. The penalty on the play is fine because there was head contact but I don't see anything malicious or even much intent there.

3) It sucks if Bozak is hurt. He's been a real strong player for the Leafs this year and proving he's not just dependant on Kessel. He's a legitimate and good NHL player.

this is the most intelligent post in here. well played sir!

Bozak got clipped trying to avoid a collision that looked to be accidental. I agree it wasn't suspension worthy. It was fine worthy. It wasn't discussion worthy. He got two minutes and that's all it was worth. And it always sucks when one of your guys is hurt.

This thread is part of the problem with HF. You have people in here that I presume are just trying to stir the pot. And then you've got the crowd that cannot get beyond their own team bias.