178 replies to this topic

[Echolalia]

I have to watch to replay again, but Kronner commits to his hits pretty early on and that poses a problem in these situations. When he commits to his hit, it's usually while the puck is in mid pass along the boards to the winger. Theres a good second or two as Kronwall transfers his momentum from skating backwards to skating into the zone. If a player presents his head in front of his body, eyes only in the puck after getting the puck, kronwall is already on top of him. If we give the winger the benefit here, and say kronwall can still pull up and avoid the hit, the winger gets a breakaway because at this point all of kronwall's momentum is going the opposite direction of the play, and hes pinched in from the blue line. Letting up on a hit in those situations would lead to breakaways.
For Kronwall, when he decides to engage in the process of starting the hit, he either commits to the hit and risk the injury and the suspension if the Winger happens to never pull his head up, or avoid the hit and give the winger an excellent scoring opp.
The way the rules are set up really discourage these types of hits (not headshots but hitting wingers as they approach the blue line). I never really thought about it before this instance because everyone up until this point (at least since the rules cracked down) got their head up in time to avoid getting it blasted off their body.
If you compare this hit with his others, they're all the same on Kronwall's end of things. The only difference here (and the Havlat hit, before the rules changed) is that the victim never pulled his head up between corralling the puck and Kronwall hitting him. Every other Kronwall victim lifted their head up before getting blasted. Instincts do the rest and suddenly the vitctim's head doesn't get touched at all, but he still suffers a devastating hit. Voracek never looked up after getting the puck, drove himself head-first straight into a freight train, and we all saw the consequences. I'm all for eliminating headshots. I hate seeing injuries, and this hit for me is tainted because I think Voracek's injury may very well be quite serious. But he got on train tracks, saw the train coming, and barreled into with his head down. You don't do that.
As for Voracek, the way his arms flailed out after the hit seemed indicative of decerebrate posturing, which is quite serious and implies severe brain damage. I hope Voracek the best, and would love to see him back on the ice soon.

[crispychris]

You have GOT to keep your head up!!!! Man, I play in a no checking beer league and I don't skate around like that. I say clean hit. Mabe big boy just got a new pair of skates or put some different color laces in those skates of his and was just checking out his new on ice look and.......#55

[Red Wings Addict]

As for Voracek, the way his arms flailed out after the hit seemed indicative of decerebrate posturing, which is quite serious and implies severe brain damage. I hope Voracek the best, and would love to see him back on the ice soon.

It looked really really bad. I hope Voracek is alright.

[Red Wings Addict]

Daniel Briere, who was leveled by Kronwall when the teams met Feb. 12 in Detroit, said he “wanted to puke'' when he saw the hit.“I haven't seen the replay of the hit, I don't know if the (head) was targeted or if it was a clean check,'' Briere said. “It's still not fun to see when you're on the ice and you see someone laying there shaking. It was a bad feeling in everybody's stomach.

Yikes... There's an image for ya.

[Setemupknockem]

Made this for fun. Too soon?

 Handsintheairkronwalled.jpg   412.45K   251 downloads

[Red Wings Addict]

Made this for fun. Too soon?

 Handsintheairkronwalled.jpg   412.45K   251 downloads

Dude... Not cool. I hope a mod deletes it.

[Echolalia]

Made this for fun. Too soon?

 Handsintheairkronwalled.jpg   412.45K   251 downloads

Absolutely too soon. I don't want to say definitively one way or another becuase frankly I don't know the state of his condition, but the way his arms flailed on the ice is a sign of severe brain damage. Voracek might be messed up pretty badly right now.

[jollymania]

Dude... Not cool. I hope a mod deletes it.

it is just a joke, no need to go crazy

[Cali-Wing-Nut]

I have to watch to replay again, but Kronner commits to his hits pretty early on and that poses a problem in these situations. When he commits to his hit, it's usually while the puck is in mid pass along the boards to the winger. Theres a good second or two as Kronwall transfers his momentum from skating backwards to skating into the zone.

He saw his opportunity....

If a player presents his head in front of his body, eyes only in the puck after getting the puck, kronwall is already on top of him. If we give the winger the benefit here, and say kronwall can still pull up and avoid the hit, the winger gets a breakaway because at this point all of kronwall's momentum is going the opposite direction of the play, and hes pinched in from the blue line. Letting up on a hit in those situations would lead to breakaways.

He took the shot

For Kronwall, when he decides to engage in the process of starting the hit, he either commits to the hit and risk the injury and the suspension if the Winger happens to never pull his head up, or avoid the hit and give the winger an excellent scoring opp.

Made the kill.

As for Voracek, the way his arms flailed out after the hit seemed indicative of decerebrate posturing, which is quite serious and implies severe brain damage. I hope Voracek the best, and would love to see him back on the ice soon.

Im with you there, I want every guy to get up and walk away. Same goes for racing, some watch for the crash some watch for the race. I watch for the race. In hockey and other contact sports, serious injury is always imminent just ask Todd McLellan. He was on the bench and got injured.. We also heap respect on these men because they play hard in the face of such danger. What is the sport worth if you are playing powder puff hockey, football or any other wheel to wheel type sport?

Im a road racer and understand that even without being touched the opportunity for injury or death is possible. I could blow a tire and run into a wall and die. I could be hit and run into a wall and die just the same. This goes for hockey as well. You could trip and break your neck or you can get hit and break your neck. Its part of the game and part of the eliteness.

These men understand the risk, they dont accept obvious plays to injure but all the same understand it can happen.

My hopes are with both players.

[jollymania]

Roenick talked about it like it was indisputably clean, olczyk seemed to agree.

[wolverine1817]

Really? TSN calling it an elbow to the head? Did they even watch it?

[jollymania]

Really? TSN calling it an elbow to the head? Did they even watch it?

just shows how biased the media is.

[sureWhyNot]

I think the hit was fine, part of a contact sport. That said I think 75% of the hits that have gotten players suspended were good, hard, hockey hits that were avoidable if the player getting hit had his head up, wasn't admiring a pass or turning his back at the last minute to try to draw a call.

I do think though that if the roles were reverse and a Flyer laid that hit on Flip, Hudler or any Wing this board would come crashing down with cries for a suspension.

Edited by sureWhyNot, 07 March 2012 - 01:26 AM.

[Cali-Wing-Nut]

just shows how biased the CANADIAN HOCKEY media is.

Fixed it. Coaches corner will include dirty hits by Commie Swedes on American teams that wear the Russian colors next week

Dons House of Suits made from Blind Drugged *** Hookers of the 70s Bed Sheets will be the sponsor.....

Edited by Cali-Wing-Nut, 07 March 2012 - 01:26 AM.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros]

Good non-call on the play. No way in hell it should be a suspendable hit. However, it could be, since any contact with the head supposedly equals attempted murder on hitter's part.

Better not be a suspension. Kronwall has been throwing some great hits this year, what year is it, 2008???

Dude... Not cool. I hope a mod deletes it.

Gave you a + to try to offset whoever gave you a minus for a joke...

[Seraph]

Home boy had his head so far down, he led with it into the hit. And this is a hit he had already looked up and saw coming a second earlier. Kind of ridiculous. Not Kronwall's fault and the head was not specifically targeted. Clean hit. Hope he feels better.

[Wings_Dynasty]

No jumping. No charging. North-South movement. Guy had his head down and when you put your head down it becomes shoulder height to someone else.

Clean on all counts.

Edited by Wings_Dynasty, 07 March 2012 - 02:23 AM.

[SiLkK19]

Made this for fun. Too soon?

 Handsintheairkronwalled.jpg   412.45K   251 downloads

I LOL'd. Hard!

[Jocke]

No jumping. No charging. North-South movement. Guy had his head down and when you put your head down it becomes shoulder height to someone else.

Clean on all counts.

This. I don't see how Kronwall could avoid hitting the head first. The guy is basically leading with it.

Edited by Jocke, 07 March 2012 - 03:47 AM.

[Dominator2005]

Beauty!!!!

If he gets suspended for this hit - then NHL will need to change the name in National Figure Skating League and name Katarina Witt instead of Gary.

I'm going to start watching CURLING way more contact allowed than in NHL...