Got Hitting?

[DarkStar50 679]

For those of you looking for hitting in the "New NHL", watch the hitting highlights from last night's Flames/Sharks game. This was a close game with lots of hitting at each end of the ice. These two teams can and did play a very physical game. The hitting is out there. Its just that you don't know which teams are goiing to ramp it up and when. It happened in San Jose last night. A very good game.

[dietzie27 0]

ive seen alot more games without hitting than ive seen with hitting. i dont think hitting 1 in every 3 games is good enough. people need to step up and start throwing the body.

[Fonya 0]

You have to compromise. You cant have lots of hitting without open hockey and you cant have open hockey with obstruction and hitting.

[DarkStar50 679]

Here is what any smart coach will tell you: Risk vs Reward. By taking the body and taking the man out of the play, is the hitter creating an advantage or disadvantage for his team? We all love the BIG HIT. But when you line the guy up, hit or miss and its a 2 on 1 the other way = GOAL!, then the reward was not worth the risk. Everyone complains that Euros don't hit and they are taught that style from mite on up. Here is the fact about that myth because I have asked NHL Finns: Euros are taught that by taking the man and body out of the play, they are taking THEMSELVES out of the play. Rather than create odd-man turnovers, the game is played with position and gap management player-to-player. We all know the North American style is bury the body into the player and we love the BIG HIT. It is just a philosophy of the game that has to be revealed to see what is happening. Also, with the new rules and such, players are definitely measuring their ability to deliver the big hit and not get caught in that turnover/transition/goal which will earn them major time on the pine.

The hitting is there. You just can't see every check finished on TV games. The Flames/Sharks TV production showed some huge hits through the first 2 periods last night. Then as I closely watched the third period, the hitting was still there. Hey, Brian Marchment tried to lay out some Shark and Mush took the worst of the hit! He was sucking wind big time after receiving the hit he tried to generate.

Remember: Risk vs Reward.

[Chadd 916]

Here is what any smart coach will tell you: Risk vs Reward. By taking the body and taking the man out of the play, is the hitter creating an advantage or disadvantage for his team? We all love the BIG HIT. But when you line the guy up, hit or miss and its a 2 on 1 the other way = GOAL!, then the reward was not worth the risk. Everyone complains that Euros don't hit and they are taught that style from mite on up. Here is the fact about that myth because I have asked NHL Finns: Euros are taught that by taking the man and body out of the play, they are taking THEMSELVES out of the play. Rather than create odd-man turnovers, the game is played with position and gap management player-to-player. We all know the North American style is bury the body into the player and we love the BIG HIT. It is just a philosophy of the game that has to be revealed to see what is happening. Also, with the new rules and such, players are definitely measuring their ability to deliver the big hit and not get caught in that turnover/transition/goal which will earn them major time on the pine.

The hitting is there. You just can't see every check finished on TV games. The Flames/Sharks TV production showed some huge hits through the first 2 periods last night. Then as I closely watched the third period, the hitting was still there. Hey, Brian Marchment tried to lay out some Shark and Mush took the worst of the hit! He was sucking wind big time after receiving the hit he tried to generate.

Remember: Risk vs Reward.

Marleau drilled Marchment and his head hit the boards on the way down. It was a very physical game, but it wasn't as entertaining as a lot of the other games for me.

ive seen alot more games without hitting than ive seen with hitting. i dont think hitting 1 in every 3 games is good enough. people need to step up and start throwing the body.

You might as well subtract any Pens game from that total, they don't have many guys who ever want to hit someone.

[Jason Harris 31]

Unfortunately it was the second game of the season, but when the Bruins played at Buffalo, I couldn't remember a recent, regular season game with that much hitting. It was obvious that there were microphones in the glass, because the sound was amplified, but it was amazing how much hitting was happening. The rest of the B's games haven't been as intense.

I love checking hockey, because I grew up in a time when the Bruins were known for it: Bobby Orr and the Big, Bad Bruins. But I think part of the problem, regardless of the New NHL, is the season is just too darn long and hitting takes so much out of a player. There's no doubt that playoff hockey is the best sport, period, but I've come to believe that players are saving their bodies until March onward.

[DarkStar50 679]

Unfortunately it was the second game of the season, but when the Bruins played at Buffalo, I couldn't remember a recent, regular season game with that much hitting. It was obvious that there were microphones in the glass, because the sound was amplified, but it was amazing how much hitting was happening. The rest of the B's games haven't been as intense.

I love checking hockey, because I grew up in a time when the Bruins were known for it: Bobby Orr and the Big, Bad Bruins. But I think part of the problem, regardless of the New NHL, is the season is just too darn long and hitting takes so much out of a player. There's no doubt that playoff hockey is the best sport, period, but I've come to believe that players are saving their bodies until March onward.

The smart players are definitely saving their bodies for the end of the season. The knuckleheads on the edge have to push the limits now.