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Just saw a post game with Stamkos on NHL network and some jackass in the crowd was wearing a #19 Yzerman Lightning Jersey... I don't care if he's their GM, that's all kinds of wrong...

Used to be that questionable calls by the refs didn't incite hordes of doomsayers decrying the state of the sport. Ah, the good ol' days... Given that the kid was bent over pretty far, and was starting to turn inside when he got hit, I'd be inclined to give the hitter a pass. But he did put his shoulder into the guys face, so I can see how the ref might have thought it was worse than it was. Maybe plays should be reviewed before a player can be ejected, but I don't see this as being all that bad.

Here is the biggest issue with the hit. The hit is clean as clean can be, but every DAMN time a player gets hit he or team of the player that gets hit decides they need to fight the hitter. This is whats wrong; fights after clean hits. I am so sick of these meaningless fights after good clean hits. As far as I'm concerned, the scrums after clean hits need to be penalized in either 5 minute delay of games or 5 and 10. Keep your head up and hits like this will not happen. Or how about getting the hitter back later on with yet another clean check. I don't know about anyone else, but nothing frustrates more than these scrums, just like our buddy Kesler wanting to fight Kronner after a good clean hit.

Well said. Question: do you ever get tired of being reasonable and considerate when you respond to this stuff? Seems like having to sift through ten tons of reactionary bulls*** everyday would begin to take it's toll. Either way, keep up the good work.

His shoulder very cleary hits the guy in the facemask. Doesn't make it a dirty hit or even a penalty, but there was contact with the head. I don't know the college rule, and going by NHL rules I wouldn't call it a penalty. I wouldn't say the head was targetted or the principle point of contact. Just saying that with all the attention on head hits and concussions, I can understand why a call was made. There's a reason slippery slope arguments are considered fallacious. Refs are probably a little over-zealous when calling headshots. That doesn't mean it won't improve as refs and players adapt to the new rules, and certainly doesn't mean that refs will become over-zealous in calling other types of hits. No one is trying to get rid of body checks. They are trying to reduce head injuries. I would think that head injuries are more 'universally undesireable' than tapping a guy on the hip or mitts with a stick. A good arm tackle used to be considered "defense". Used to be fine (sometimes still is) to rub a guy out along the boards after he chips the puck past you. Used to be fine to try to take a guys head off if he didn't see you coming. Yes, there are inherent risks to the game. However, exaclty what those risks are hasn't been known for long, and I'd bet are still not widely understood by the players. Head injuries can have permanent debilitating effects on people. Players have been getting bigger and faster. Equipment gives better protection so players feel the need to more agressive. As the game becomes more violent, and the risks better understood, you'll get adaptations like this to minimize those risks. Yeah, maybe you'll see people pulling up on these hits more often. And really, so what? Hits like that happen maybe once a game. If that's all hockey is to you then I'd have to say you're no more a fan of hockey than the guy who tunes into NASCAR for the crashes is a fan of racing. There are big hits that don't involve head contact, and they very rarely result in injury. If anything, I'd expect players to become more adept at laying a big hit without hitting the head. People always say they don't want to see someone get injured, but it seems to me that is exactly what they want. Maybe not a lasting injury, but you all sure cheer loud enough when someone gets knocked senseless. Well, guess what. That's a brain injury. Maybe not severe, maybe not one that will cause any lasting harm, but an injury just the same. We still do not really understand how those little injuries can add up. Much better to err on the side of caution. Worst-case we see fewer big hits and fewer injuries. Players are always going to push the envelope; try to get away with as much as possible without crossing the line (or getting caught doing so at least). If you're too lax with the rules, the worst-case is you see a lot more frequent and more severe head injuries. I'd certainly prefer the former.

It was a good hit, and a bad call. Nuff said. Seems like every time a call gets blown there's always a bunch of people screaming referee conspiracy or the end of the game as we know it. The game's still physical and always will be, I don't think anyone actually believes that they didn't blow calls in years past.

A bunch of players hooking the crap out of Datsyuk after he deked them out of their jockstrap wouldn't have been called 10 years ago either. It was a great hit and a bad call. But lamenting the death of hockey as we know it assumes that these calls (or any other problem we don't like with the game) will continue unchanged until it runs the game into the ground. That's not how it works. Players adjust, refs adjust, the league adjusts. The game adapts. When we came out of the lockout, it felt like you couldn't touch another player without a hooking penalty. After a little while it settled down. With hitting it feels like the pendulum has swung too far in the direction of calling clean hard hits just because the guy had his head down. But I'm hoping they'll figure out some better standards and settle down and adjust. To me the biggest adjustment they need to make to hitting (other than the obvious east west headshots) are the exploding upwards into hit (Sorry Kronner). Go back to old style hitting of skates on the ice, all the energy directed towards the guys body, not leaping up towards his head. Again, great hit by Ramage. He totally read that play. And man am I old because so many of the player's names that I recognize now, it turns out to be their kid. Or the player is now a GM.

So the problem is that someone in Tampa is a big Yzerman fan? We had him for over 22 years as a player, and a few more in management. Can't we at least let Tampa enjoy him for a while until he comes back to replace Holland?

But you will. You're losing to the 8th seed in the final day of the regular season in a tight playoff race, falling right out of the playoffs with the Stars at #8.

Those are the exact hits the league wants to end, Ramage comes from the other side of the ice with the sole purpose of making a hit, not to play the puck. With that much time to make your hit, if you appear to make head contact you should expect a penalty, at the refs discretion, 2 or 5, and possibly a game misconduct. How about this, there is 45 mins left in that game, after 15 mins Ramage's team is down by 1 and a guy who barely saw the puck coming gets blind-sided without regard for his safety and no way to defend himself. Ramage saw the play coming, bravo, he made the wrong play in response. As much as everyone hates it, the checking player has a responsibility to the puck possessing player in blindside instances, real hockey is not a video game where you can turn off injuries and they are trying to protect these possible future stars. Seriously, stick lift right there and you are in a position to score instead of the showers. Incidental/minor contact with the head, in college, perfect time to teach. I don't agree alot with refs, but, I think they got it right sending off the trailing team's captain when that kind of disregard for safety is shown. Sorry goon fans, this was spot on.

Getting eliminated in the second round in consecutive years doesn't mean things are working. The Wings have higher expectations than that. If you're talking about our position in the standings, that doesn't matter come playoff time. We've seen that before. The President's Trophy is s***. I don't know about trading Zetterberg, but we do need to make some kind of move, not only because of our past playoff failures, but because our competitors will make moves themselves.

Bad call but the ref who called it was behind the play and probably only saw the head jerk back thinking an something made contact with his head. Beautiful textbook hit. Arm and elbow down and skates on the ice.

Get well, Sunshine. We miss you.

We got the best effen team on the ice, the envy of the league of a organization off the ice, and some aren't happy! Trading away Z would be ridiculous! You want to be unhappy? Be my buddy who is a season ticket holder for the Ducks!

This. It's scary to see that there are fans of this team that still aren't satisfied even though we're in 1st place overall in a "rebuilding" season.

I hope Babcock actually learns something from this....like the fact that you need to play your back up more often so the team can feel confident in front of him. I'm sure Ty can handle it but I'm not sure how the team feels with him in net. I hope Howard isn't out too long, but this the reason I do not like the way Babs has been handling the goalie situation last couple of seasons. If he doesn't have faith in the guys we have he needs to get management to work on finding someone. Looking forward to seeing Conklin put a good effort in the upcoming games.

I would only trade Zetterberg if the following trade was offered: 29 1st Round Draft Picks. Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Zach Parise, Suter, Weber, Iginla, the Sedins and Zdeno Chara.

It might take this, but I wouldn't like to see Smith and Flip gone. The best I can come up with is; Mule Eaves Tatar Kindl 1st For Nash and Dorsett. Nash is a better player, but FWIW Flip does have more points this season. Why Flip and not Mule? Mule likely has more trade value, and his contract isn't great (if you consider Z's contract with it). IMO Flip is undervalued by a lot of poster's on LGW.

My grandfather suffered from this before passing away. When this man passes away, I'm going to weep like an infant and throw elbows at anyone who dares tease me about it. All the best Mr. Hockey. We love you.

By reading this forum one would get the impression that Dallas Drake is the best thing that has happened to this organization in the last 15 years.

Could we set him on fire but preserve the Yzerman name?

I'll meet them half-way. They can wear a Steve Yzerman autographed suit and tie. The jersey is OURS.

I am usually a pacifist, but i would undoubtedly pummel that mofo.

Gross... Agreed... It's like he was fishing for a throwback, but they're too young of an organization to really have an iconic one, so he reached... and failed horribly...