46 replies to this topic

[Wings_Dynasty]

Me thinks 3 games.

[Seraph]

It looks pretty benign until the very last replay. There you clearly see that Nikitin loses his edge after Z places his hand on his back. Shan-a-ban will probably say something like, "although we can recognize that Zetterberg makes minimal contact and did not have the intent to injure, he nonetheless places the player in a vulnerable position propelling him dangerously into the boards."

[redwings1914]

If he gets suspended for a completely accidental play then it's horses***...let's see Z get suspended for something like this when Datsyuk couldve gotten his knee blown out on a knee on knee hit earlier in the game and there was no call at all. This was nothing more than 2 minutes from behind, no intent, not even a (real) physical force induced.

[Wings_Dynasty]

1327219496[/url]' post='2248072']
If he gets suspended for a completely accidental play then it's horses***...let's see Z get suspended for something like this when Datsyuk couldve gotten his knee blown out on a knee on knee hit earlier in the game and there was no call at all. This was nothing more than 2 minutes from behind, no intent, not even a (real) physical force induced.

Accidental or not, an injury occurred. I am pretty sure Z is going to be suspended because the league has to be consistent and this type of play has been brought up for suspension already this season (can't remember specifics, someone else might). Since he doesn't have a history of suspensions, I think that the only reason this goes past a one game suspension is that an injury occurred that could have been worse.

[Nev]

Its harsh, cos Z barely touches him and it results in a freak injury, but nevertheless that contact (however minimal) caused him to lose his balance.

[achildr1]

Its plays like this that are probably going to lead to huge problems with suspensions in the future. If you can get suspended for that play, where your point of contact almost certainly didn't cause the play, what happens next time when your a repeat offender? Zetterberg the repeat offender? All it takes in the fast game today is someone to lose their footing or turn their back to you at just the right time and suddenly our stars (the ones who aren't out with concussions mind you) are benched. The real interesting time will be the playoffs, because if they keep this up I wouldn't be surprised if opposing players (Ott, Cooke, The Vancouver Canucks) start to get themselves in these situations, essentially diving for suspensions. Not to mention the double standard/inconsistent calling of them that we will almost certainly see. This is a really crazy and pivotal time in the history of the game, the speed, concussions, and how we deal with them is starting to really threaten the future.

Edited by achildr1, 22 January 2012 - 07:52 AM.

[MidMichSteve]

It seems the Wings may have that gritty player that everybody wanted. If my memory isn't failing me, this is the third boarding call against Zetterberg in recent weeks. If he gets suspended for 2 games, he'll have nine days off. Maybe the rest would do him good.

[Holmstrom96]

Zetterberg is guilty. I don't think there was any malicious intent, but you can't be reckless. Even a little push or bump when a guy is in that position isn't acceptable.

I think Zetterberg deserves a one game suspension. Two at the very most.


I'm glad everyone's OK.

[13dangledangle]

Obviously didn't shove the guy but the fact he had his hand somewhere it shouldn't have been. The result was horrible, so I think he's gone for a couple as well.

[Donaldjr2448]

I just do not know what to think of this play? Or what type of reaction the league will have. I understand the rule and by that I think Z will be out until after the All Star Break, which really hurts us Monday night. I guess you never know how you feel about the rules until one of our players suffers the consequences from it.

Guys are dropping like flies this season and with the new CBA agreement coming this summer there needs to be something done on protecting the players. I say get rid of the interference calls and allow the game to return to where it was in 2004. The game is too fast and guys simply cannot get out of their own way. Thats what happened on the Datsyuk play, the Columbus player never meant to hit knee on knee with Dats, he simply could not get out of the way simply due to speed.

I think its time to put a restrictor plate on these guys and slow it down.

[WorkingOvertime]

IMO there will not be a suspension. Watch the CBJ player's foot before the hit. Further, there is no evidence that Z pushed the CBJ player with his hand.

It is an unfortunate play, but it is not a suspendable play, especially since the punishment on the ice was severe.

[Jersey Wing]

He had already begun to lose an edge on his right skate before Z breathes on him and he goes all cattywumpus into the boards. Honestly by getting kicked out Zetterberg served his "suspension". Shanahan will be better served looking for unpunished rogue elbows to the head and getting serious about those.

Edited by Jersey Wing, 22 January 2012 - 09:41 AM.

[Red Crazy]

Zetterberg should not be suspended for this. The guy loses an edge and falls into the boards. Zetterbergs hand was on his back but at no time did his arm straighten in a pushing motion. If Z gets suspended for this Andrew Ferance will get life behind bars.

[Hack & Whack Rule!]

If there is even a one game suspension on this play, it will push the NHL one step closer to being out of my life. I don't disagree that Zetterberg's hand was on Nikitin's back, but there is zero evidence that it caused the fall. Common sense will rule on this one. The player lost his footing as he neared the boards...maybe he panicked, maybe it was a bad spot on the ice, maybe it was a skate issue. What you really have to watch is Zetterberg. His hand comes off the player's back and kinda circles down before coming up. If it was a push, the hand would have jerked forward as if you were pushing on a door that someone suddenly opens. Watch Zetterberg's body...for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction...Z's body movement doesn't change. If he had pushed the player, the player's body would have pushed back, which would have been indicated in Z's movement.

I agree that the players must have some kind of protection, but if this is going to a no contact league, I will not be watching. In my, not so learned I'll admit, opinion, the reason that there are so many injuries is that the players are trusting some new rules too much. Why wouldn't a guy skate hard to the corner, knowing that just about any hit will result in a penalty and possible suspension? It's making them reckless and they aren't watching out for themselves.

I'm predicting that no suspension will come down, Shanahan will release a video detailing why there is no suspension, and Evgeni Malkin will always look like a potato from the neck up.

[St. Michael (the Red Wing)]

I'll bet no suspension.

[puckloo39]

example of suspension-worthy hit, with intent to injure. Yes, Pronger was suspended one game.

What Zetterberg did... skating too fast, and unable to pull up in time, was not at all the same thing. We shall see if the league wants to make these two situations equal in magnitude and intent. One of these things is not like the other.

I am glad Nikita is fine. He left the arena under his own power.

[LeftWinger]

No suspension....

...they were both slowing and stopping, The guy would've have fallen whether Zetterberg was there or not. The play on Mursak's injury in the pre-season was worse than this and did anyone get suspended? If Shanahan suspends Zetterberg, he should be erased from the Detroit Red Wings history books. His goals and points should be taken away and his name should be removed from the Stanley Cup...it's the ref that should be suspended for making the call. I watched it over and over and over, he just places his hand on his back, there is no push, no shove, no intent, not even a tickle...

[T-Ruff]

DarrenDreger

@kuklaskorner. There will be no sup discipline. View is there was no intended shove.

[haroldsnepsts]

Zetterberg is guilty. I don't think there was any malicious intent, but you can't be reckless. Even a little push or bump when a guy is in that position isn't acceptable.

I think Zetterberg deserves a one game suspension. Two at the very most.


I'm glad everyone's OK.

Guilty of what exactly?

Guys put their hands on a player like that all the time as they ride him into the boards. There was no real shove to speak of. Just an unfortunate outcome.

5 and a game was too much punishment already. It'd be a joke if Z got any suspension, while Subban gets a little fine for a dangerous slewfoot on a player headed to the boards.

[Jedi]

Guilty of what exactly?

Guys put their hands on a player like that all the time as they ride him into the boards. There was no real shove to speak of. Just an unfortunate outcome.

5 and a game was too much punishment already. It'd be a joke if Z got any suspension, while Subban gets a little fine for a dangerous slewfoot on a player headed to the boards.

Agreed. Had Nikitin's legs not slipped out from under him, that would have been a pretty harmless check into the boards.

For what it's worth, Mlive has a bunch of quotes from players and the coaches about the incident...

DETROIT -- Here is some reaction about the play in which Detroit Red Wings center Henrik Zetterberg received a five-minute major for boarding and game misconduct for pushing Columbus defenseman Nikita Nikitin, who injured hurt his left ankle:

--Zetterberg, on the play: “The puck went down to the corner and I chased down their defenseman. I had my hand on his back. I don’t think I pushed him hard. He went down. It looked bad, it looks really bad, so I can’t blame the referee for giving me five minutes. ... I really don’t know what to say, it looks bad.”

--Zetterberg, on potential disciplinary action by the NHL: “It’s up to (NHL vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan). Shanny and the league are going to review this and see what they feel. The rule is the rule, I made contact and he went down. Hopefully he’s OK, I didn’t mean to hurt him and we’ll have to wait and see.”

--Red Wings coach Mike Babcock: “There wasn't (anything malicious), but still that's the way they're calling it. They're trying to protect the D-men. I talked to (referee) Denny LaRue right away. I just said, 'Denny, is that the way you're calling it?' and he said that's the way. So why wouldn't they (call it)? We're trying to protect the players. It was an unfortunate play. I hope the guy's not hurt.''

--Columbus captain Rick Nash: “It's a dangerous play. But the whole league knows that (Zetterberg) is not that kind of a player. I thought he was going for the puck. I don't think Zetterberg is that kind of player.”

--Columbus coach Todd Richards: “I did see it. I looked at the replay. He obviously goes into the board awkward. It looks like Zetterberg puts his hand on his back just as he’s getting close, so it will be something that the league will have to look at and then make a ruling on.”

--Richards: “It’s that danger area, where guys are going into the boards and at full speed when guys are moving it’s dangerous. ... And that’s really where the danger comes. It’s not the physical hit. It’s throwing a guy off-balance, which I think in looking at it … the hand on the back throws him off-balance a little bit. The game is moving so fast now that, again, just a little bit here or there and you’re going into the boards at full speed.”