clean or dirty?

[pwrfwd26 0]

i'm a sharks fan and thought it was cheap, dirty and part of the turning point of the season. just my 2 cents.

[DavisP 0]

I think it was a dirty hit. Once Michalek came back after that he didn't play nearly as good.

[Nick411 0]

Kids good example fo keeping your head up at all times, and don't whatch your plays you never know who's coming

if he would have got him on the shoulder would have been clean all the way, little too much after the head for me, no respect, but guy should have had his head up

[gtoddh 0]

Glad I play in a non-checking league. Of course it'll take me over 10yrs to make 1 yrs worth of NHL league minimum salary.

Yeah that hit probably wasn't safe, but it happens all the time. Pro hockey is a dangerous sport, and most don't make it too many years, but the financial payoff if you get there is ample compensation, IMO.

[hockechamp14 0]

The puck was gone less than a second before. That wasn't the dirty part, you can't really tell what Torres hits him with though.

[Forsberg for life 0]

I think it was a clean hit, he shoud've had his head up. tough luck

[LoXish 0]

Clean hit. The puck was barely gone, Torres was already on path to intercept him and he lets the puck go.. less than a second gone and torres hits him with his shoulder, granted it's a little high, but the play was clean.

[Patrick67 1]

I feel it was an elbow...

[Gongshow11 1]

same hit as stevens on kariya

[Project824 0]

By definition, the hit was legal, it looked to be all shoulder and Michalek's head was in a horrible position as he admired his pass. By hockey's ever fading "honor code", however, that hit was one that should have been pulled up on. I understand finishing hits hard, but it used to be you wouldn't absolutely destroy a guy who was vulnerable - chances are you'd either end up having to drop the gloves or you'd get payback tenfold. These days, there's so many guys looking to keep a spot and gain an edge, and with the league hoping to make fighting disappear, it seems that these hits are more and more "acceptable". Don't get me wrong, for every hit like this, there's dozens of times guys still pull up on a vulnerable opponent, but it just seems like the league has made ramifications way too costly to take exception to a shot like this.

A few years back, a hit like this would have likely started a line brawl, or in juniors, possibly cleared the benches. It would have made our game a circus, and an overall ugly event, but at the end of the night, the game had been played for the players, and your teammates all respected you.

[badsk8ter 0]

Rafi Torres and his "style" of play is one of the reasons I can't stand Edmonton. This was a dirty play and I don't think it was a clean hit at all. The puck was off Michalek's stick in plenty of time for Rafi to peel off and cut into the defensive zone. Following through on a check is one thing, hitting a defenseless person who is no longer involved in a play is completely different. Personally, I think the hit was a stride or two, too late, which is why I feel it was a dirty hit (I've looked at the replay repeatedly and there's no doubt it was a late hit). Tough to compare this to football but if a defender hit a QB like this, he's flagged and fined by the league as a late hit.

[BK 0]

Edited.. nevermind.

Its really not a black vs white thing. Theres too much grey area to choose one.

[chippa13 1844]

Rafi Torres and his "style" of play is one of the reasons I can't stand Edmonton.  This was a dirty play and I don't think it was a clean hit at all.  The puck was off Michalek's stick in plenty of time for Rafi to peel off and cut into the defensive zone.  Following through on a check is one thing, hitting a defenseless person who is no longer involved in a play is completely different.  Personally, I think the hit was a stride or two, too late, which is why I feel it was a dirty hit (I've looked at the replay repeatedly and there's no doubt it was a late hit).  Tough to compare this to football but if a defender hit a QB like this, he's flagged and fined by the league as a late hit.

The hit was clean and legal. The puck had just left Michalek's stick and Torres was finishing his check. Moral of the story: don't admire your passes.

This hit isn't all that different from the hit on the Redskins QB in week 1. No penalty, no fine so apparently your analogy doesn't fly.

[shnuggs 0]

This hit isn't all that different from the hit on the Redskins QB in week 1.

You mean the Chiefs?

[tbintexas 0]

Rafi Torres and his "style" of play is one of the reasons I can't stand Edmonton. This was a dirty play and I don't think it was a clean hit at all.

Are you saying you hate the Oilers because the whole team plays like that? Interesting... I think Edmonton is one of the harder working teams out there who have very few (if any) goons or headhunters on it. Torres' strength is his physicality.

In my opinion, the hit was clean - Michalek was admiring his pretty pass and should have kept his head up. There was only shoulder and no elbow involved. If it was that dirty, there would have been a suspension.

Guys, this was the PLAYOFFS where it's extremely physical and tough hockey. It's not like he pulled a Marchment and went after the guys knee. I think it's a double-standard where if this was Scott Stevens instead of Torres, people would be oohing and ahhing about Steven's 'big hit' and his 'gritty style of play'. Instead, it's Torres and people say it's dirty...

[mack 44]

I'm surprised no one assumed he was just too coked up to not hit him.

[badsk8ter 0]

I'm not saying the whole Oiler team plays like Torres. I like Smith (both of them), Matt Greene, all of the young Oiler wingers and Rolo. However, as I watched the playoffs, Torres made several plays and attempted to make several plays, that were either dirty or borderline. He reminded me of Claude Lemieux.

The Stevens hit on Kariya was not as late. That's why it was clean. This hit was at least a stride late and Michalek was completely out of the play.

Same with the hit that on Trent Green. That was a bang/bang play. If the defender is one stride later in hitting Green, that's a dirty play. My analogy holds water just fine in that regard.

[chippa13 1844]

I'm not saying the whole Oiler team plays like Torres. I like Smith (both of them), Matt Greene, all of the young Oiler wingers and Rolo. However, as I watched the playoffs, Torres made several plays and attempted to make several plays, that were either dirty or borderline. He reminded me of Claude Lemieux.

The Stevens hit on Kariya was not as late. That's why it was clean. This hit was at least a stride late and Michalek was completely out of the play.

Same with the hit that on Trent Green. That was a bang/bang play. If the defender is one stride later in hitting Green, that's a dirty play. My analogy holds water just fine in that regard.

The Stevens hit was either the same exact timing as this hit by Torres or even a smidge later.

Green had started his slide when the defender put the helmet to him.

[djinferno 2]

The Stevens on Karia hit was later then that one and everyone was like, clean hit!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYqNXH35IXY

That was within the second and for all I know the pass was so nifty that you can't tell if Torres even saw him pass it, the play was just hard finishing check, one second or less....

Now would I hit a guy like that? no not in the head! I would of hit him in the arm or something but that does not mean he would not separate a shoulder or something...

Unfortunate hit because he was looking at his pass...

If you look closely, when he gets hit, nobody even has the puck, for all I know, Torres might of tought that the guy was doing a move a la Spezza where he puts the puck somewhere and follows it, his face was on the ice before a shark player picked it up....

[badsk8ter 0]

I stand corrected (thanks djinferno). I was hoping that someone would put that highlight up. When I saw that hit live (Stevens/Kariya), during the Stanley Cup playoffs, I thought then that it was a clean hit, albeit borderline.

The Torres hit was actually not as late and you guys are correct. It was "clean".

[Chadd 916]

On the Torres hit, I say dirty. It's not because of the timing, rather because he was head-hunting. I have no respect for guys who do that and Stevens was one of the all-time best at getting away with cheap shots like that. It's called a "body" check for a reason.

[All Torhs Team 0]

same hit as stevens on kariya

Exactly what I was thinking. By rule it is clean. But by most players, you will be considered an ass.

[Smitty34 0]

That hit changed the series :( . By rule it was clean. It looked like the elbow shouldn't have been that high and that harm was intended, but again, it was considered clean.

[pantherfan 0]

On the Torres hit, I say dirty. It's not because of the timing, rather because he was head-hunting. I have no respect for guys who do that and Stevens was one of the all-time best at getting away with cheap shots like that. It's called a "body" check for a reason.

Chadd would you have called it?

[Chadd 916]

I don't do NHL games but I would have called it in any of the games I ref. USAH has a penalty for any intentional blow to the head and if it's from behind I would have to consider a match penalty. I love to watch big hits but only if they're clean.