Abdelkader suspended 2 games for hit on Lydman

[joesuffP 1,746]

DMac's fired up:

@D_Mac25: What a f'ing joke - Abby gets 2 games for playing hockey how I grew up playing it. The way it should be (cont) http://t.co/lb1gd0ynkQ

Wow wish he was still playing here. Not a single player on this roster who gets angry and plays with a chip on their shoulder besides Datsyuk

[puckloo39 5,686]

DMac's fired up:

@D_Mac25: What a f'ing joke - Abby gets 2 games for playing hockey how I grew up playing it. The way it should be (cont) http://t.co/lb1gd0ynkQ

Read the whole tweet. I'd give anything to have a player like Mac again, who makes the other teams look over their shoulders and worry... even a little... about taking liberties with our guys. Miss you, Mac.

[wingsfan4795 552]

Weber's attack on Z wasn't a hit. Pronger and Neederweiner assaulting Homer wasn't a hit, either, but at least it was noted by the league as unacceptable.

Essentially, Abby never intended to target Lydman's head... the hit went wrong, Abby's a dork, and he got punished for it. I think some people are angry because our players seem to get attacked in very dangerous fashions (i.e., Perry kicking Jimmy Howard in the head with a razor sharp skate -- Marlachuk, anyone??) and NOTHING happens. Ho hum....

Some hits are bad, suspendable, deplorable. Attacks which could injure or kill one of our players? OK!

I think most decisions on suspensions are subjective and open to (endless) argument... however, I do have trouble understanding the Weber assault on Z, aside from the fact that the NHL wanted an expansion team to move on, not the Wings.

I'm not trying to say the weber hit was ok, all I'm saying is they are completely different and can't really be compared. If anything, we need to compare it to the gryba hit, or find another charge to compare it to

[Echolalia 2,961]

They got the call right. I don't think it was a malicious hit, but it was careless, and the league is really trying to remove contact to the head from the game. They let this one slide and that message goes out the window.

[ami 273]

I have a question. If this was for example, Perry who hit Datsyuk like that, would the folk here at LGW still cry no suspension, that it was a clean hockey hit?

Just curious.

There would be no questions if these guys were consistent.

And if there were some explanation why it certain cases didn't deserve suspension. For example, Weber vs. Zeta incident last year.

These guys, Shanny included, are consistently inconsistent, which rightfully brings a ******* lot of questions...

[Ally 448]

They got the call right. I don't think it was a malicious hit, but it was careless, and the league is really trying to remove contact to the head from the game. They let this one slide and that message goes out the window.

That message went out the window with the unpunished Weber headslam.

[wingsfan4795 552]

That message went out the window with the unpunished Weber headslam.

That wasn't a head hit. What don't you people understand about that? It was a terrible missed call, but how can you compare it to this hit?

[Ally 448]

That wasn't a head hit. What don't you people understand about that? It was a terrible missed call, but how can you compare it to this hit?

The problem is that every hit needs to be looked at separately. I'm not comparing Abby's hit to any other hit. He got suspended and while I didn't think it was dirty, it's completely reasonable for the league to make the call that it was.

I mention the Weber hit because it is a perfect example of why people get upset about suspensions. The league cannot say that they are worried about head injuries or that they are going to suspend hits where the head was targeted if they are going to blatantly ignore cases like that one.

[Number19 159]

DMac's fired up:

@D_Mac25: What a f'ing joke - Abby gets 2 games for playing hockey how I grew up playing it. The way it should be (cont) http://t.co/lb1gd0ynkQ

Miss this guy.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

Was there even a call initially made on the ice? If not, now we're just gonna go back and start giving penalties?

Also, it is becoming painfully clear that if guys stay down on the ice after being hit, the penalties and/or suspensions are more hefty. Anyone else out there view this as seriously problematic? What the hell is going on? The suspension videos released by the league even state that they take into account whether the player was supposedly injured or not.

Pathetic.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

God I wish we had a guy like Mac again, I d take him over that former Blues idiot anytime!

Hope McKee is ready in two years

Sent from my BlackBerry

[Wing Across The Pond 196]

From someone who played rugby all through high school, that is a common misconception. Why do you think we dont wear any pads?

The only legal hit involves wrapping a guy up to take him to the ground. Even a shoulder to shoulder hit is not legal.

Not quite true. Tackles can be made anywhere from the neck down as long as the arms are wrapped around. You can hit shoulder to shoulder as long as you wrap the guy up like you said. The choke tackle is huge in the game today, really effective, high body tackle. Good to see you played a great sport though I want it to get bigger in the US.

Must admit I only saw the hit on the suspension video and had to agree with everything said by Shanny. It did look like it warranted a ban.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

That wasn't a head hit. What don't you people understand about that? It was a terrible missed call, but how can you compare it to this hit?

It's not comparable. Again, the hit wasn't intentionally targeting the head. Weber's slamming Z's head was. And, the fact that Weber was not punished for it pisses people off more.

Isn't he very good friends with Shanahan?

What does that have to do with anything?

[toby91_ca 620]

I have to be honest, I don't understand the argument here. Abby's hit was pretty clearly bad, the only argument should be on how many games. I thought it was worse than the hit on Eller, different result though. You could argue whether the head was the principle point of contact, but it was blind side and he launched himself way in the air + had head contact. I didn't see Shanny's video, but pretty clear suspension to me.

[WINGS TILL DEATH 9]

Agreed. I don't like these exploding upwards hits but don't want to get into a frame by frame breakdown.

I'm guessing 2 games? He go a 5 minute major in the game and an ejection. It seems like that factors into suspensions. He also has no suspension history and they typically weigh missing playoff games more.

I miss the old days when these hits were common. This is the Eurofication of the league. Their goals is to make it more like soccer. I'm on the verge of dropping the NHL.

Edited May 6, 2013 by WINGS TILL DEATH

[Carman 387]

I have to be honest, I don't understand the argument here. Abby's hit was pretty clearly bad, the only argument should be on how many games. I thought it was worse than the hit on Eller, different result though. You could argue whether the head was the principle point of contact, but it was blind side and he launched himself way in the air + had head contact. I didn't see Shanny's video, but pretty clear suspension to me.

I'm kinda with you here. I hate that it's a penalty in today's game, but they have been handing out suspensions for these type hits for a while now. It's not like this suspension came out of nowhere, it was a borderline hit at the very least, if you are going to hit a defenseless player you better be 100% sure you hit him clean, if there is any question about charging, jumping, elbowing, head contact etc. you are screwed.

Honestly I think these rulings are going to discourage open ice hits, and take personal accountability off puck carriers and make even more vulnerable situations. It's just so difficult to even make body contact on the open ice in the NHL, I can just imagine how hard it is to make sure you never get a piece of the head, eventually it just won't be worth the risk to make that kind of check, and that's disappointing to me.

[Guest ToMaToToWnWinGsFaN_24]

boudreau said that if lydman can't play tonight then sheldon soouurayy will be in the lineup.

[VM1138 1,921]

Wow wish he was still playing here. Not a single player on this roster who gets angry and plays with a chip on their shoulder besides Datsyuk

Quincey was pissed in the post game interview and said that's why he doesn't hit. He called out the league for making guys second guess their hits. Even said if you hit a guy its almost always a penalty nowadays.

A better way to go about handling suspensions is NOT to consider the aftermath. Punish the act, not the effect. That will stop the melodramatics, keep the games flowing, and stop the gamesmanship. Doesn't make much sense to punish the effect anyway.

[WINGS TILL DEATH 9]

I have to be honest, I don't understand the argument here. Abby's hit was pretty clearly bad, the only argument should be on how many games. I thought it was worse than the hit on Eller, different result though. You could argue whether the head was the principle point of contact, but it was blind side and he launched himself way in the air + had head contact. I didn't see Shanny's video, but pretty clear suspension to me.

Where are you people gettting this launching himself BS? At the point of impact Ab's skates are on the ice! You're completely allowed to bend and explode on hits. It's having your skates off the ice before impact that is illegal. Unless they changed the rules and I didn't know about it.

I was ALWAYS taught to get low and explode upward. Low center of gravity wins.

About the head contact. It clear in the frame by frame that Ab's shoulder is in contact with the clavicle of Lydman. The head was the second part of his body hit. Therefore hit was shoulder to inside shoulder at impact.

It's a clean hit in the sport I loved watching and started playing. This league I hardly want to watch. If it wasn't for the Wings I wouldn't watch the NHL.

Edited May 6, 2013 by WINGS TILL DEATH

[WINGS TILL DEATH 9]

I'm kinda with you here. I hate that it's a penalty in today's game, but they have been handing out suspensions for these type hits for a while now. It's not like this suspension came out of nowhere, it was a borderline hit at the very least, if you are going to hit a defenseless player you better be 100% sure you hit him clean, if there is any question about charging, jumping, elbowing, head contact etc. you are screwed.

Honestly I think these rulings are going to discourage open ice hits, and take personal accountability off puck carriers and make even more vulnerable situations. It's just so difficult to even make body contact on the open ice in the NHL, I can just imagine how hard it is to make sure you never get a piece of the head, eventually it just won't be worth the risk to make that kind of check, and that's disappointing to me.

That's been the leagues plan for awhile and it's finally gotten to the point where it's clearly noticeable. Anyone remember Stevens Hit on Kariya? I loved that kind of hockey. In today's league Kayria would have never comeback to score that slapper and Stevens wouldn't have been on the ice to see it.

Gone is the NHL I loved.

[Echolalia 2,961]

That message went out the window with the unpunished Weber headslam.

I agree. Weber should have been removed from that series for at least two games, perhaps more. But we aren't discussing Weber's actions from last year, we are discussing Abby's hit from last game, and that one they got right.

The Wings aren't given a free pass because the league fell on its face with the decision to not suspend Weber last year. Everyone on the ice still needs to be accountable of how they play.

[WINGS TILL DEATH 9]

I agree. Weber should have been removed from that series for at least two games, perhaps more. But we aren't discussing Weber's actions from last year, we are discussing Abby's hit from last game, and that one they got right.

The Wings aren't given a free pass because the league fell on its face with the decision to not suspend Weber last year. Everyone on the ice still needs to be accountable of how they play.

He was accountable. He was accontable for a solid legal hit. If this was '97 that would have been a momentum shifter for the Wings.

Instead we live in pansy land.

Edited May 6, 2013 by WINGS TILL DEATH

[toby91_ca 620]

Where are you people gettting this launching himself BS? At the point of impact Ab's skates are on the ice! You're completely allowed to bend and explode on hits. It's having your skates off the ice before impact that is illegal. Unless they changed the rules and I didn't know about it.

Maybe you need to familarize yourself with the rules. Leaving your feet before contact is always a penalty, but just because your feet are on the ice at the point of contact, it doesn't mean it is legal. The rule mentions "jumping into a hit" or something like that. It doesn't reference when the skates leave the ice. The general rule would be that if your skates are on the ice at the point of contact, they would allow for some momentum that brings your skates in the air, but not significant. Abby's feet ended up pretty high in the air.

They also got him for charging because of the distance travelled to make the hit (signficant).

As a fan, I love those types of hits and don't like that they may be going away, but I also have no problem with it and understand it. It's easy for a fan to call it "pussification" when you don't have to step on the ice to take that type of hit. The league felt something had to be done about head injuries in the game and the players agreed.

You can also use the NFL as an example, they have more strict rules about hitting defenseless players. With education comes change....to some extent, the change can remove some of the entertainment factor.

[Guest ToMaToToWnWinGsFaN_24]

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=60&id=245671&navid=nhl:topheads

video of the ruling by shanahan.

interesting. lol

Edited May 6, 2013 by ToMaToToWnWinGsFaN_24

[StormJH1 231]

I have to be honest, I don't understand the argument here. Abby's hit was pretty clearly bad, the only argument should be on how many games. I thought it was worse than the hit on Eller, different result though. You could argue whether the head was the principle point of contact, but it was blind side and he launched himself way in the air + had head contact. I didn't see Shanny's video, but pretty clear suspension to me.

I really have no problem with this suspension, in fact, I'm actually grateful it wasn't 3 games. Anyone who follows the league as a whole, watches the suspension videos, and knows the rules should not be surprised by this in the least. This isn't the 70's anymore, and it isn't even the mid-90's. The league wants this type of thing out of the game, and with the risks to players and the risk of litigation, I don't blame them.

Red Wings fans have been somewhat insulated from this because we generally don't employ the type of player that gets close to "the line" frequently on this issue. The closest we have is someone like Kronwall, but the illegality of his hits generally pertains to unnecessary roughness and leaving his feet, not headshots specifically. If you want to draw up a blueprint for a multi-game suspension in today's game, do the following:

• Line up a player from far away and take several strides into him for a gratuitous hit
• Line up a player who isn't even facing you when you move towards him, even if he rotates late and is partially facing you during the hit
• Leap into the check so that you're in the air during or immediately after the check
• Make the head the PPOC (Principal Point of Contact)
• Follow through with a fist, forearm or elbow, instead simple body-to-body contact

Abby isn't a "dirty" player, but he did ALL of those things on that one hit. I knew it was a mult-game suspension the moment I saw it. Let's just deal and move on.