Four Games for Scheifele

[Reg or Rog?]

That means if the series goes to Game Six, Scheifele will be eligible to play.

That makes Game Six must-watch TV.

 

[NobleSavage]

Somewhere, Ryan Reaves is laughing.

 

[Helvetica]

sort of torn on this one. Definite charge. But as far as the hit goes, it looked pretty clean. Hard. But clean. If he'd been there literally a half second sooner and stopped the goal we'd probably be talking about what a great play it was.

 

[Reg or Rog?]

sort of torn on this one. Definite charge. But as far as the hit goes, it looked pretty clean. Hard. But clean. If he'd been there literally a half second sooner and stopped the goal we'd probably be talking about what a great play it was.

I hate to disagree, and I love physical play, but this was unnecessary. It probably looked worse than it was, but it looked pretty freakin' bad.

What would we be saying if Evans was in a coma? Or worse?

Sorry, but four games is justified. Scheifele had other options. Evans head hit the ice like a football spiked by Rob Gronkowski*

*FYI, Gronkowski is the NFL equivalent of the NHL's Dave Semenko (think Stegosaurus, who's brain was only 0.004% of its total body weight, the smallest brain-to-body ratio of any living creature, not unlike Ryan Reaves).

 

[Dr. Tran]

I thought it was a cheap shot too. There wasn't any purpose to the hit other than causing injury. He deserved that suspension.

 

[santiclaws]

sort of torn on this one. Definite charge. But as far as the hit goes, it looked pretty clean. Hard. But clean. If he'd been there literally a half second sooner and stopped the goal we'd probably be talking about what a great play it was.

Sorry, you're 100% wrong. When he started skating at the other end he intended to stop the goal, but he knew it was too late by the time he hit him. The intent was to blow up the guy, not stop the goal. The much more effective play to stop the goal there would have been a poke check, because his stick would get there much sooner. DOPS even mentioned in the video the fact that he took his hand off his stick to lay the hit. The puck was in the back of the net by the time contact was made. He didn't have time to completely avoid the hit, but he certainly had time to pull up and soften the hit. It was intentional, dirty and he intended to hurt the guy, not stop a goal. Not a hockey play at all.

The DOPS video explaining it is pretty good for once, and you can see that he is taking his hand off the stick to lay the hit when the puck is already in. The hit was punishment for the goal.

https://www.nhl.com/video/scheifele-suspended-four-games/t-277440360/c-8516240

 

[What party?]

Somewhere, Ryan Reaves is laughing while eye-gouging.

ftfy

 

[LAKingSteve]

Sorry, you're 100% wrong. When he started skating at the other end he intended to stop the goal, but he knew it was too late by the time he hit him. The intent was to blow up the guy, not stop the goal. The much more effective play to stop the goal there would have been a poke check, because his stick would get there much sooner. DOPS even mentioned in the video the fact that he took his hand off his stick to lay the hit. The puck was in the back of the net by the time contact was made. He didn't have time to completely avoid the hit, but he certainly had time to pull up and soften the hit. It was intentional, dirty and he intended to hurt the guy, not stop a goal. Not a hockey play at all.

The DOPS video explaining it is pretty good for once, and you can see that he is taking his hand off the stick to lay the hit when the puck is already in. The hit was punishment for the goal.

https://www.nhl.com/video/scheifele-suspended-four-games/t-277440360/c-8516240

Yeah, I've seen a lot of people defending the hit. He completely blew the guy up and appeared to leave his feet. People were saying that he was coasting so if so, why not stop our ease up on the hit? Very much seemed to come out of frustration for the goal.

 

[jt]

I hate to disagree, and I love physical play, but this was unnecessary. It probably looked worse than it was, but it looked pretty freakin' bad.

What would we be saying if Evans was in a coma? Or worse?

That can be said about dozens of hits a night. The actual or hypothetical result isn't the issue, the play is the issue.

Unnecessary hits are still legal in the NHL. Unnecessary hits happen ALL THE TIME. And it's still legal to hit to hurt. There are specific things you can't do like intentionally hit knee-to-knee or make the head the principle point of contact (but it can still be a point of contact). But this isn't the IIHF where you can get a match penalty for hitting too hard (see: Phaneuf, Dion circa 2005 WJC). In the NHL players are still allowed to hit hard and hit with the intention of hurting the other player. It's within the rules.

People can argue all day long about whether the hit should be legal but DOPS got this one wrong and it's even more laughable to give Scheifele 4 games (as a 1st time offender), implying that his hit was far more than half as bad as Kadri's hit (as a re-re-repeat offender)...and that Wilson got nothing...and Reaves got 2 games for something that belongs in the WWF and isn't anything close to a hockey play. This hit was a play that started as exactly the kind of hockey play any fan should want: a player backchecking like crazy to prevent a game clinching EN goal. It turned into a charge because he HAD to skate so hard so fast to try to prevent the EN goal. WTF do people want Scheifele to have done? NOT skate as hard and fast as he possibly can? NOT keep playing until the very last second to prevent the EN goal? Just give up on trying to win the game because he shouldn't hit hard?

And any Kings fan needs to reconcile this hit with Brown's hit on Sedin. Talk about an "unnecessary" hit...

Sorry, you're 100% wrong. When he started skating at the other end he intended to stop the goal, but he knew it was too late by the time he hit him.

Oh please. He had what, .01 of a second between the puck going in the net and his hit on Evans. What if Evans fumbled the puck? If Scheifele pulled up and Evans regained the puck and scored, Scheifele would be massacred for not checking Evans.

The intent was to blow up the guy, not stop the goal.

Hardly. Scheifele HAD to skate like crazy just to try to get there. If Evans mishandles the puck at all, Scheifele's hard work in getting there prevents the EN goal and gives the Jets a chance to win the game. The confluence of everything is what made this look way worse than it was when broken down.

The much more effective play to stop the goal there would have been a poke check, because his stick would get there much sooner. DOPS even mentioned in the video the fact that he took his hand off his stick to lay the hit.

...which is legal under the rulebook. Unless you can find a place in the rulebook that says it's illegal to take your hand off your stick to lay a hit.

The puck was in the back of the net by the time contact was made.

Open the stopwatch on your phone and time how long it was between the puck crossing the goal line and Scheifele's hit. I bet you can't even stop the timer fast enough to get a reading.

He didn't have time to completely avoid the hit, but he certainly had time to pull up and soften the hit.

Bull****. He had not time at all. At least not if he was planning on trying to prevent Evans from scoring (if he fumbled the puck). Please seem to want Scheifele to predict the future and that he should have know Evans was going to score. He didn't know...nobody knew. Scheifele needed to keep playing just as hard as he did until there was no chance Evans could score. And even then, Scheifele didn't have time to pull up. Try doing a screen grab of the exact moment you think Scheifele should have pulled up.

The main reason Evans got hurt was he played stupid. Every child playing hockey is taught not to play with your head down. Evans is an idiot and he's lucky he's not paralyzed. Players shouldn't get a free pass on getting hit just because they play like idiots with their heads down.

Anyone who's interested in a better explanation than I can give should listen to Jeff Marek and Justin Bourne talk about it on yesterday's Hockey Central podcast off their Toronto radio show. Players shouldn't put themselves at risk in the way Evans did.

 

[jt]

Yeah, I've seen a lot of people defending the hit. He completely blew the guy up and appeared to leave his feet. People were saying that he was coasting so if so, why not stop our ease up on the hit? Very much seemed to come out of frustration for the goal.

He didn't leave his feet. Holy cow, are people just making things up to make an argument? And he WAS coasting. He wasn't taking more strides to build up more speed and momentum. He wasn't slowing down, but that IS coasting.

 

[jom]

Anyone who's interested in a better explanation than I can give should listen to Jeff Marek and Justin Bourne talk about it on yesterday's Hockey Central podcast off their Toronto radio show. Players shouldn't put themselves at risk in the way Evans did.

I heard that and agreed but just because Evans put himself at "risk" doesn't mean the hit was justified. Evans was possibly thinking (as stated by Marek) he sacrifice himself to get the goal...it was an important play that would help secure a playoff win after all.

That all said I think 4 games was a bit much for a first-timer. Reeves is indeed laughing at this....

jom

 

[Helvetica]

Yeah, i think my only comments on this back and forth would be for Kings fans to maybe take a hard look at the Brown hit on Sedin (mentioned) and the Richards hit on Burrows. This is playoff hockey and hard hits like this happen all the time. Scheifele definitely looked like he had the option to put stick on puck, but he also was there about 0.1 secs late to deliver the hit. In slow motion, yeah, we can scrutinize, but the hit itself was clean. Coasted into it. Shoulder into chest. Didn't leave his feet (the impact carried him off the ground a bit but that's not the same thing as leaving your feet).

To me this was a dirty play in that way that guys do every single game when they opt to deliver a huge hit rather than maybe go stick on puck, and if he'd been there a split second sooner i still think we're talking about this being a good hit.

I see everyone's points. Some i think are flat out wrong. Others i think are more a matter of perspective/opinion and i happen to disagree. But whatever, he got his 4 games. No skin off my back.

 

[STONE]

Yeah, i think my only comments on this back and forth would be for Kings fans to maybe take a hard look at the Brown hit on Sedin (mentioned) and the Richards hit on Burrows. This is playoff hockey and hard hits like this happen all the time. Scheifele definitely looked like he had the option to put stick on puck, but he also was there about 0.1 secs late to deliver the hit. In slow motion, yeah, we can scrutinize, but the hit itself was clean. Coasted into it. Shoulder into chest. Didn't leave his feet (the impact carried him off the ground a bit but that's not the same thing as leaving your feet).

To me this was a dirty play in that way that guys do every single game when they opt to deliver a huge hit rather than maybe go stick on puck, and if he'd been there a split second sooner i still think we're talking about this being a good hit.

I see everyone's points. Some i think are flat out wrong. Others i think are more a matter of perspective/opinion and i happen to disagree. But whatever, he got his 4 games. No skin off my back.

Yup, it immediately made think of the Sedin hit and the Burrows hit. I feel 4 was a bit much considering How MS typically plays + Playoffs. It was a charge, 2 games would hurt enough. MS is a super clean player, NOTHING like a Reaves or a Kadri, this **** happens in the playoffs...par for the course. Here's to speedy Evans recovery. I still hope the Jets win.

 

[Moog]

4 games is good. Glad the league stepped up on this. Garbage hit...unnecessary.

 

[LAKingSteve]

He didn't leave his feet. Holy cow, are people just making things up to make an argument? And he WAS coasting. He wasn't taking more strides to build up more speed and momentum. He wasn't slowing down, but that IS coasting.

There was literally a picture on Twitter today with both feet off the ground.

go to 6:53 of this video...he's clearly got both feet in the air. He starts low and elevate and his elbow/upper arm makes contact with the head. It's like you're watching a different video than anyone else.

 

[rozzy]

There was literally a picture on Twitter today with both feet off the ground.

go to 6:53 of this video...he's clearly got both feet in the air. He starts low and elevate and his elbow/upper arm makes contact with the head. It's like you're watching a different video than anyone else.

I don't see him leaving his feet for the hit. Yes his feet come up after the collision

 

[LAKingSteve]

I don't see him leaving his feet for the hit. Yes his feet come up after the collision

My point is that the force of the hit, him going down and up through the player caused him to leave his feet. He probably would have done less damage had he just jumped in the air and hit him.

 

[jt]

I heard that and agreed but just because Evans put himself at "risk" doesn't mean the hit was justified. Evans was possibly thinking (as stated by Marek) he sacrifice himself to get the goal...it was an important play that would help secure a playoff win after all.

That all said I think 4 games was a bit much for a first-timer. Reeves is indeed laughing at this....

jom

Did you listen to today's podcast? Bourne explained it great. You just don't know what Evans is going to do until he does it. Scheifele needs to keep playing until play stops. If he had pulled up and Evans muffed it, he would be scewered. Both Marek and Borne think 4 games is ridiculous.

 

[jt]

to me this was a dirty play in that way that guys do every single game when they opt to deliver a huge hit rather than maybe go stick on puck, and if he'd been there a split second sooner i still think we're talking about this being a good hit and a great play to prevent a game clinching en goal.

ftfy

 

[jt]

There was literally a picture on Twitter today with both feet off the ground.

go to 6:53 of this video...he's clearly got both feet in the air. He starts low and elevate and his elbow/upper arm makes contact with the head. It's like you're watching a different video than anyone else.

As Helvetica said, there's a difference between being off your feet and leaving your feet to make a hit. His feet came off the ice BECAUSE of the hit, not to MAKE the hit.

I guess I am watching a different video...one that isn't altered by CGI. It's beyond question that when he first impacts Evans his left skate is still on the ice. Anyone who sees his left skate off the ice is delusional.