Ovechkin hits Michalek

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Ovechkin's, no. Michalek's, yes (and the Capitals scored on the ensuing PP).

Agreed. Ovi was a few inches from it being shoulder to shoulder contact (not that the same can't be said for any dirty hit). It just looked like he missed and hit Michalek's head. That being said, Ovi deserves whatever suspension they give him. The standard the NHL wants to maintain is that head hits are unacceptable regardless of intention.

I'd classify Ovechkin's hit as reckless and Michalek's as dirty. Ovi's a force of nature when he gets going and this type of stuff just happens with him. I wonder if he'd be a more effective player if he went back to being reckless and overly aggressive like he was when he entered the league. He's just not the same player when he tries to rein himself in.

Edited January 23, 2012 by Drake_Marcus

[toby91_ca 620]

Yeah, pretty much. I've watched it a bunch of time in slow-mo...and at the very least...it was a front/shoulder hit and wasn't from behind. NHL hit.

Whether it was from behind or not is irrelevant. He hit him in the head with his shoulder, while leaving his feet to make the hit....I'm not sure how you can consider that a clean hit.

Even 5 years ago, that wouldn't have been a clean hit due to him leaving his feet.

[Learn2LuvIt 246]

I get your point. I didn't say it was clean, I'm just saying that it wasn't dirty. I don't think Ovie primary point of contact in this case was the head...more of the upper shoulder/chest which lead to his head slamming back. Nor do I believe he was aiming for Michalek's head.

Btw...(this coming from one of his biggest fans/supporters) if you're judging whether or not a player leaves his feet as an indication of clean vs. dirty hit, you'd better start going back and re-classifying a good number of Kronners hits because he often leaves his feet (most cases...just a little ). This however does not sway my support and overall like for Kronners game, because I personally look at just more than leaving the feet to gauge whether or not a hit was dirty (e.g. what angle was the hitter coming from, what position was the hittee in, was it open ice or on the boards, did the hittee see the hit coming, were elbows up, was the hitter aiming for hittee's head, etc...).

All in all though, it's professional hockey and non perfect hits are a part of the game. Having the league office dissect every big hit I just see as being a slippery slope to changing the game I (we!) love. I see your point though

[toby91_ca 620]

I get your point. I didn't say it was clean, I'm just saying that it wasn't dirty. I don't think Ovie primary point of contact in this case was the head...more of the upper shoulder/chest which lead to his head slamming back. Nor do I believe he was aiming for Michalek's head.

Btw...(this coming from one of his biggest fans/supporters) if you're judging whether or not a player leaves his feet as an indication of clean vs. dirty hit, you'd better start going back and re-classifying a good number of Kronners hits because he often leaves his feet (most cases...just a little ). This however does not sway my support and overall like for Kronners game, because I personally look at just more than leaving the feet to gauge whether or not a hit was dirty (e.g. what angle was the hitter coming from, what position was the hittee in, was it open ice or on the boards, did the hittee see the hit coming, were elbows up, was the hitter aiming for hittee's head, etc...).

All in all though, it's professional hockey and non perfect hits are a part of the game. Having the league office dissect every big hit I just see as being a slippery slope to changing the game I (we!) love. I see your point though

Oh, okay. I do think Ovechkin is more "reckless" than "dirty", but he does have his moments.

[Tim.D 176]

Michalek gets nothing. What does this mean for Ovie?

Bob McKenzie:

PIT has been told no fine and no suspension for Michalek after hearing with Shanahan.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

I get your point. I didn't say it was clean, I'm just saying that it wasn't dirty. I don't think Ovie primary point of contact in this case was the head...more of the upper shoulder/chest which lead to his head slamming back. Nor do I believe he was aiming for Michalek's head.

Btw...(this coming from one of his biggest fans/supporters) if you're judging whether or not a player leaves his feet as an indication of clean vs. dirty hit, you'd better start going back and re-classifying a good number of Kronners hits because he often leaves his feet (most cases...just a little ). This however does not sway my support and overall like for Kronners game, because I personally look at just more than leaving the feet to gauge whether or not a hit was dirty (e.g. what angle was the hitter coming from, what position was the hittee in, was it open ice or on the boards, did the hittee see the hit coming, were elbows up, was the hitter aiming for hittee's head, etc...).

All in all though, it's professional hockey and non perfect hits are a part of the game. Having the league office dissect every big hit I just see as being a slippery slope to changing the game I (we!) love. I see your point though

I know I've beat this drum before but I think the league needs to bring hitting back to how guys used to do it, without the "exploding up" because that's inevitably going to direct the energy towards a player's head. And I'm including many of Kronwall's hits in this category. Players didn't used to hit this way, but leaping up slowly became acceptable, when it probably should be a charge.

It's not going to take hitting from the game. It's how it used to be done. Stevens and many other big hitters like Vladdy to name another, crushed guys without leaping at all. And Kronner could still Kronwall guys without leaping like that. He catches them with their head down when he sneaks in from the blueline, that's not going to change. It'll just help make sure he hits them in the chest and not the head.

As for Ovie, when a player has as many reckless plays as he has, to me it crosses into being a dirty player.

[drwscc 212]

Michalek gets nothing. What does this mean for Ovie?

Bob McKenzie:

If Michalek gets nothing, Ovechkin should get nothing as well. Michalek's was worse IMO

[RedWingsRox 614]

I'm surprised that neither got suspension.

Correction, Ovie gets 3

Edited January 24, 2012 by RedWingsRox

[toby91_ca 620]

If Michalek gets nothing, Ovechkin should get nothing as well. Michalek's was worse IMO

Matter of opinion I guess. There wasn't much force at all behind Michalek's hit as compared to Ovechkin's. Two different plays, so hard to compare. The other thing to consider is that Ovechkin is a repeat offender.

A somewhat similar hit to Ovechkin's I thought was Sutton's hit on Ponikarovsky. Sutton got 8 games for that. Big difference may be that Sutton got his arms up into Poni's head though.

I guess the other thing to think about is that the ruling on Ovechkin isn't complete yet....maybe it is the tougher decision.

[FinRedWing 172]

Ovie gets 3 games.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Shanny's explanation

[dropkickshanahans 463]

i thought he just had a couple 1 and 2 gamers due to multiple game misconducts but i could be mistaken...

I can't remember. I thought a couple years ago he got 10 games for a knee on knee hit. I remember the media made it sound like he was going to jail for life. I'm probably wrong, though.

[edicius 3,269]

I guess Bettman had a talk with Shanny.

"Brendan, you won't be suspending Michalek."

"Why not? I thought that one was pretty cut and dry - an elbow with the principal point of contact being the head."

"No, you're not going to suspend him."

"But why-?"

"The Penguins have too many injuries right now to deal with a suspension. Michalek will not be suspended. Not if you value your job."

"Well, Ovechkin has a hearing later today and his hit wasn't even close to Michalek's. So if I can't suspend Michalek, reason would stand that-"

"No, f*** Ovechkin. He gets suspended."

"Wait...what?"

"Do your ******* job, Brendan. The way I tell you to."

If what Ovechkin did warrants three games (even as a "repeat offender"), neglecting to give Michalek anything for a much more egregious hit stinks of tampering on Bettman and Campbell's part. I refuse to believe that Shanahan is that ******* blind.

[Tim.D 176]

He's actually not a repeat offender by how it is defined in the rule book; the last offense has to be within the last 18 months.

[LeftWinger 5,131]

I guess Bettman had a talk with Shanny.

"Brendan, you won't be suspending Michalek."

"Why not? I thought that one was pretty cut and dry - an elbow with the principal point of contact being the head."

"No, you're not going to suspend him."

"But why-?"

"The Penguins have too many injuries right now to deal with a suspension. Michalek will not be suspended. Not if you value your job."

"Well, Ovechkin has a hearing later today and his hit wasn't even close to Michalek's. So if I can't suspend Michalek, reason would stand that-"

"No, f*** Ovechkin. He gets suspended."

"Wait...what?"

"Do your ******* job, Brendan. The way I tell you to."

If what Ovechkin did warrants three games (even as a "repeat offender"), neglecting to give Michalek anything for a much more egregious hit stinks of tampering on Bettman and Campbell's part. I refuse to believe that Shanahan is that ******* blind.

Sounds much like our Country works....

[hooon 1,089]

League really got this one wrong.

[Danielsm 244]

Very surprised they both were not suspended, given I figured Michalek would get more games.

[miksteri 55]

Im convinced that pens could get away with murder, maybe buttman, campbell and lemioux have wholesome 3somes to make up for all noncalls...

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

From TSN:

Alexander Ovechkin is taking a pass on this year's All-Star Game in Ottawa.

Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee told reporters on Tuesday that Ovechkin will not be participating in this year's event.

''He really doesn't feel like he deserves to be there and doesn't want to be a distraction,'' McPhee told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre Lebrun. ''When he came in this morning, he said, 'I'm a suspended player and I don't deserve to be there.'''

...

Your move, Mr. Bettman.

[Uncle Danny 155]

From TSN:

Your move, Mr. Bettman.

ESPN is reporting that there will be no suspension for opting out. This was one hell of a ballsy move by AO. Love him or hate him, you have to admit the guy's got brass in his pants.

[RedWingsRox 614]

Right thing to do. If you're suspended from regular games, why should you go to ASG?

That and OV didn't want the embarrassment of being picked last while filmed by Kessel .

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

If he has "brass in his pants", he would have reversed the order of his stated observation.

ESPN? They don't even give NHL scores during their reports when I take the dog out for her "2 AM pee".

[Uncle Danny 155]

Right thing to do. If you're suspended from regular games, why should you go to ASG?

That and OV didn't want the embarrassment of being picked last while filmed by Kessel .

I agree. Seems to me that all parties involved did what was right from their spot in the world:

1) Shanny had to suspend AO. Intent or maliciousness aside, it hit several of the marks for exactly what he's said he'll punish.

2) AO is a fiery character, and it sounds like truly believes the suspension was excessive. In his eyes, if you're going to suspend me, why should I play in your cash cow?

3) Bettman (or whomever the powers that be are in this case) recognize that his point is valid, even if it is a latent middle finger to them. No need to further rake the muck.

I'm a little personally disappointed, as he's one of the most entertaining guys to watch at these events, but I get it. Cest la vie.