Bill Hicks
LGK Agitator
We all know Lizotte oozes character...and Gabe oozes douche.
He'd fit right in on the Oil.
He'd fit right in on the Oil.
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Gabe Vilardi and Blaze Lizotte
- Thread starter MaxwellSmart
- Start date
Bill Hicks
LGK Agitator
Bill Hicks
LGK Agitator
Plus, he might be salty going bald at 24.
STONE
My goal is to stop yours
Clean as clean can be. Maybe Gabe should have more situational awareness, just sayin'. Lizotte does that play every single game, he's friggin' 5'9"! i think that awesome weather in Winnipeg is getting to him...
Pevsfreedom
somehow in south carolina
lmao
well played beedee
Well played
Earl
Super Star
I have to be honest I'm more on Villardi's side as to me(I play hockey at a very low level)it almost looks like a slew foot action but with the stick as the stick hits him low and the follow through has the same effect of a slew foot and then he kind of topples over him. I don't think Lizotte meant to do it but he did it and it was a reckless play although not necessarily dirty. I had a very similar play happen to me that blew my ACL out so I understand his bitterness on the play as he came real close to that happening.
Pevsfreedom
somehow in south carolina
I can understand that point of view. I also wonder on the opposite end though a player like Vilardi who is injured every season.. is it bad luck? Positioning? Training? The check looks a bit clunky/awkward but I wouldn't call it dirty.
Helvetica
Top Forward
there is absolutely no slewfoot whatsoever. Blake initiates a little contact from behind, and im not sure if vilardi is bracing for that, but Vilardi simply starts to fall back as Lizotte checks him from the side/front. There is absolutely no contact with the feet/legs during any of it, and Vilardi falls awkwardly with his knee tucked in. Blake is obviously not expecting vilardi to just fall over, and he falls on top.
Go back and rewatch the vid. There is not even a hint of a slew foot. This is an unfortunate result from a nothing play.
Go back and rewatch the vid. There is not even a hint of a slew foot. This is an unfortunate result from a nothing play.
symbology
TEAM LGK
Watching it again, at worst, it looks like it was just a trip. I do not think it was reckless. Not any more reckless than 100 other plays that happen every game. Lizotte checks Vilardi on the front of the legs trying to get to VIlardi's stick with his stick. As that happens Vilardi turns to the right and tries to move up the boards. As Lizotte was checking him and Vilardi was spinning right, looks like Lizotte's stick hits the boards and gets stuck between the boards and Vilardi. Lizotte was trying to spin right to get infront of Vilardi and had momentum. However, Lizotte was held up due to his stick getting bound between the boards and Vilardi's legs. Stuff like this happens every other shift. It just generally does not play out like this. The only thing Lizotte could have done differently was let go of his stick. He did not have a lot of time to think about that though, did he?
It is hockey, it is a very physical contact sport. I used to play as well, was a defensemen. Sticks get jammed along the boards all the freaking time. In this instance the perfect storm took out Vilardi. Unfortunate that it happened.
Earl
Super Star
Like I said I honestly don't believe he saw Villardi and said to himself "take him out" but I just don't like the pushing of the stick to the lower leg as that's what caused the awkward fall. I'm a Kings fan and I have to admit Lizotte at times does have that pinball effect of just going into the corner with abandon and at times being reckless. Yes Villardi won't every win a personality award but I totally understand his bitterness given what happened.
Earl
Super Star
Unfortunately Villardi reminds me of the guy who got me into watching hockey Ranger defenseman and 1 season on the Kings Barry Beck who was a physical specimen but from juniors to his last season in LA was never really fully healthy. Some guys are just snakebit and Villardi who is a big boy just seems to be that.
Earl
Super Star
I didn't say there was a slew foot(I said the stick on the back of his legs created a slew foot type reaction) but to me and I've watched the clip 10 or so times it seems to me the stick even if it was slight contact pushes the leg out from under him and creates the awkward fall that is similar to when a guy gets slew footed. I've never been known for my wording! I just don't believe Villardi as big as he is falls down that easily without some kind of assistance from Lizotte's stick and for the record I don't t think he's a dirty player but there is no way a guy 6'4 and 230 falls on his own that way.
If you freeze it(this is the kind of time I have) at 32 seconds you'll see Lizotte's stick on the back of his left calf area and possibly a little higher on the right upper calf area and it seems a slight push unintentional or not causes the legs to crumble.
One last thing before I'm off to tell dick jokes at The Comedy Store is say Lizotte is on the Jets and does that same hit to say Kopitar do you still feel the way you do about it? Die hard Kings fan here and I'll assume you are as well, I just think we just see the play differently.
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Earl
Super Star
100% and I don't think he did it on purpose at all but I also think here is a reason he is involved in a lot of after whistle scrums and it's not just for playing hard. Villardi unfortunately is "brittle" but on this particular play I think Lizotte didn't have full control of his stick and Villardi might not have been 100% prepared for the action given he's so much bigger than Lizotte.
symbology
TEAM LGK
Not that simple. Lizotte goes in and first makes, or tries to make contact with the stick in FRONT of Vilardi's body. How is that reckless? Vilardi then tries to spin up the boards and Lizottes moves right trying to cut him off. At this point Lizotte's stick gets wedged between Vilardi and the boards. Lizotte gets position and checks Vilardi from the side. Yes, Lizottes stick was at this point in time to the rear of Vilardi, it was stuck there. Lizotte tries to get it free while checking Vilardi. At this point it looks like Lizotte's right leg is what prevents Vilardi's right leg from extending forward, or is pushing it back.. This is why there was an injury to Vilardi's knee. He was not able to straighten his leg. Had nothing to do with the stick being there, other than that was helping VIlardi fall backwards. The stick of Lizotte was not holding, or forcing Vilardi's leg in a vulnerable position. It was Lizottes right leg. Again a perfect storm.
If Vilardi does not spin to the right this does not happen. If Lizotte does not do X, or Y, this does not happen. It is hockey shtick happens.
Look at the below shot, where is Lizotte's stick? At the back of Vilardi's leg? No, Lizotte is going in for a stick lift / stick check. Happens all the freaking time. Vilardi spun to his right causing the stick to then be at the back of his legs, at the same time Lizotte continued to the right to try to get ahead of Vilardi and check him. Unfortunately his stick got stuck / wedge along the boards. Again, this also happens all the time. Players go down along the boards from plays like this all the time. Again, perfect storm and Vilardi was injured.
symbology
TEAM LGK
Here is a shot of Lizotte trying to get in front of Vilardi, you can see the stick stuck behind Vilardi and Lizotte's leg hitting the front of Vilardi's leg folding it, and/or keeping it from being able to extend. Gabe then falls on it and that is that.
The curve in the boards and the angle of Lizotte's stick blade forced the stick to climb up the boards to the right , when Lizotte's stick made contact with the boards. That is what initially caused Vilardi to lose balance. You can see in the video that Lizotte's stick kind of takes off towards the right. Stuff like that happens.
The curve in the boards and the angle of Lizotte's stick blade forced the stick to climb up the boards to the right , when Lizotte's stick made contact with the boards. That is what initially caused Vilardi to lose balance. You can see in the video that Lizotte's stick kind of takes off towards the right. Stuff like that happens.
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symbology
TEAM LGK
How much time lapsed between my first screen shot above and the second. It was a split second. Gabe started out facing the goal line in the first shot and then the blue line in the second.
I mean it sucks that it happened. Could Lizotte have done something different? Sure. It was a good stretch to make the stick on stick contact and he did kind of lose control of himself there. Things like that happen all the time. Effort like that is what makes Lizotte a great 4th line center. Could Vilardi have not spun to try to avoid the check. Sure.
I mean it sucks that it happened. Could Lizotte have done something different? Sure. It was a good stretch to make the stick on stick contact and he did kind of lose control of himself there. Things like that happen all the time. Effort like that is what makes Lizotte a great 4th line center. Could Vilardi have not spun to try to avoid the check. Sure.
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