Phaneuf on Okposo

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

Check the Flames vs Isles highlights on TSN. There's really no need for these type of hits during the preseason. Whats he thinking? The hit was clean sure, but the season hasn't even started.. come on.

[AnthonyJTa 0]

I felt the hit was completely unnecessary. Okposo had 2 guys on him, and Phaneuf comes across the ice to nail him. Yes, Okposo had his head down, sure it's a big no-no... But it's not like Phaneuf is fighting for a roster spot in the preseason. And his cowering down after the hit reflects his poor decision. I personally do something I feel is justified, I'll fight. From the angle in the TSN highlights, I really didn't care for the high follow up with the arms...

Again though, that's my .02

[JGraz15 53]

I don't know if NHL'ers can 'turn it off' so easily...it was still a highly competitive game. Was it vicious, yes. Was it legal, yes. Hockey is a tough sport, I don't see a problem with the hit.

This goes back to the whole legal head shot question.

[chippa13 1844]

This thread could use a better title. I was slightly afraid of opening it and finding out Phaneuf wasn't quite the tough guy he plays on tv.

[KennyWu 24]

Some people argue he shouldn't have gone all out but he's a player and has to do all that. It looked like he left his feet a bit but if there was no retaliation after the initial scrum, like someone fighting him, what's that mean?

[cdoug55 0]

unnecessary hit given the fact that its preseason. Okposo was put in a bad position by having someone already on him. Phaneuf doesnt like hurting people...well what the hell do u think is going to happen if you make that hit?? Still think he left his feet.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Not to start another what's legal and what isn't fight...but looked an awful lot like every hit Scott Stevens ever threw.

Too much for the preseason...maybe? But...that is the game Dion plays. They are playing for a new coach this year too...and he's coming off a bit of a downer...I say "Head up kid!"

[chippa13 1844]

I wonder if the league needs to look at a rule concerning burying guys who are already engaged, something similar to the NFL where you can't take the head off a guy who is wrapped up.

[Law Goalie 147]

Part of what's missing here is that early in the first period, one of the Islanders' young guys (Haley) took a run at Olli Jokinen and was aiming hands-to-head. Jokinen did fight him immediately, but that set the tone and opened the door for Phaneuf to say, "OK, if we're going to throw hits like that, just watch me."

The other issue is that Okposo not only had his head down, he was crouched really low, leaning forward and *leading* with his head - reminiscent of the Weight-on-Sutter hit last season. He puts himself in a stupidly dangerous position.

I wonder if the league needs to look at a rule concerning burying guys who are already engaged, something similar to the NFL where you can't take the head off a guy who is wrapped up.

Now that's an extremely interesting idea. It's a clear concept, and well within the ability of a ref to make a judgment call.

[tro 4]

Clean hit or not? Debatable, but if you throw at hit like that and a guy from the other team challenges you to a fight, drop your f*cking mitts. Phaneuf is such a pussy. He looks for guys in the most vulnerable position, but shys away from real battles

[chippa13 1844]

That is a problem with the league as a whole. Guys no longer feel obligated to answer for huge hits so they run around without any fear of taking a few shots to the chin. I'm not talking about answering for a run of the mill good hit but when you explode a vulnerable guy into next week you shouldn't be able to run and hide.

[camhockey16 5]

i think he may have been trying to get his team a powerplay on top of having a free shot at injuring someone with their head down. i agree he should fight his own battles - but i think he was attempting to get a powerplay out of the whole situation.

[Fletch 219]

I think the hit was payback for Jokinen getting run earlier in the game.

[Law Goalie 147]

^^Absolutely.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

The point of the preseason is a tune up and to let the young kids try to make an impression. Unfortunately, some try too hard and end up throwing illegal checks. The hit on Jokinen was ambitious at best. If Phaneuf wanted to do something about that, he could have fought the kid. There's no need to destroy someone else like that. Theres no need for an all-star defense men to be throwing hits like that.

Chippa brings up a really interesting point. If Okposo was simply gaining the zone with no one around him and his head down, alright it was a good hit. But if you watch the video, Hes trying to put distance between him and the backchecker, gain the zone, and confront the Dman in front of him. Hes clearly in no position to (keep his head up) so don't give me that crap. There are certain situations in which its impossible to do so, and Phaneuf took advantage. Someone has said his head was low and he was crouched over. Well yea, because the backchecker pushed him. Not only was he already moving, he was pushed into an almost stumbling position and then run over with a Mac truck. and this is just preseason. Sorry, but that doesn't belong here.

[psh 25]

I wonder if the league needs to look at a rule concerning burying guys who are already engaged, something similar to the NFL where you can't take the head off a guy who is wrapped up.

I feel more and more strongly about this concept every year. It seems with each passing year, more and more of these massive hits are on guys who are already engaged with another player. In many of those cases, you can't simply say the puck carrier has to keep his head up--he may well have an obstructed view or be keyed in on the player currently marking him or even struggling to keep his feet under him. In other words, the puck carrier is totally vulnerable. So, I'd be absolutely supportive of a rule change like this. Furthermore, as someone else said, you have a fairly objective standard for the refs to employ.

Now, setting aside the conversation about rules, I'm also curious about coaching and strategy. Whenever I see an opponent engaged by one of my team mates, the last thing I'm thining is about obliterating the puck carrier. Rather, I see a guy who can be easily stripped of the puck. As often as not, you can go for the puck in that situation and spring yourself into an odd man rush, or at least advance the puck into the offensive zone with some unchecked momentum.

-psh

[yrhmblnr8r 69]

I just watched the highlight. Did Morency leave the bench?

It looks like a couple of guys were headed off at the end of a shift, but once the business started they didn't leave the ice.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

It looked to me that there was about to be a change and the refs blew the play dead. Did he leave before or after the whistle? No idea. But he's suspended until a hearing. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=291583

[RadioGaGa 162]

I just watched the highlight. Did Morency leave the bench?

It looks like a couple of guys were headed off at the end of a shift, but once the business started they didn't leave the ice.

Yes...I'm pretty sure he did.

[lee92 2]

I have no qualms with Phaneuf's hit. Legal to me. A lot of people are saying it's unnecessary, but isn't the point of pre-season to allow one to find their game and get back into the swing of things? People are out there trying to find their hands, get into shooting grooves, make adept passes, fight, etc. Part of Phaneuf's game is to steam roll players in open ice, which is what he did. He's trying to find aspects of his game so much as anyone else out there. Some are saying he should answer the bell, and drop the mitts, but it was a clean, legal hit. He did tussle with one guy immediately after the scrum. What else is he to do, fight every member of the other team on every shift? A bit outlandish if you ask me. To call his hit pointless would be to call every open ice hit pointless, which would then turn pre-season games into scrimmages, and if you're just going to scrimmage, whats the whole point of the pre-season games to begin with?

[mrusse01 0]

The point of the preseason is a tune up and to let the young kids try to make an impression. Unfortunately, some try too hard and end up throwing illegal checks. The hit on Jokinen was ambitious at best. If Phaneuf wanted to do something about that, he could have fought the kid. There's no need to destroy someone else like that. Theres no need for an all-star defense men to be throwing hits like that.

Chippa brings up a really interesting point. If Okposo was simply gaining the zone with no one around him and his head down, alright it was a good hit. But if you watch the video, Hes trying to put distance between him and the backchecker, gain the zone, and confront the Dman in front of him. Hes clearly in no position to (keep his head up) so don't give me that crap. There are certain situations in which its impossible to do so, and Phaneuf took advantage. Someone has said his head was low and he was crouched over. Well yea, because the backchecker pushed him. Not only was he already moving, he was pushed into an almost stumbling position and then run over with a Mac truck. and this is just preseason. Sorry, but that doesn't belong here.

If you don't want to get blown up in the pre-season you have two options; a) don't put yourself in a vulnerable position like that or B) tell your team you aren't playing.

They're all big boys in the NHL, if anybody has a problem with getting hit, pack your shit up and go home. Nobody is going to take it easy on you out there because it's a pre-season game, and I'd bet dollars to donuts almost every pro in the league feels the same way.

Now was it a legal hit? That's another argument. I'll be interested to see what the NHL does with it, as this seems to exemplify the type of hit they are trying to take out of the game.

[DarkStar50 679]

Yes, open season started early but I'm with lee and mrusse. They are big boys and it's a man's game at this level, preseason or regular season. Until the NHL adapts the OHL rule on head hits(not likely), this type of hit will occur with little to no consequence for the offending player. There are times during the game when you have to know who is on the ice. Kyle, meet Dion.

[Chadd 916]

Yes, open season started early but I'm with lee and mrusse. They are big boys and it's a man's game at this level, preseason or regular season. Until the NHL adapts the OHL rule on head hits(not likely), this type of hit will occur with little to no consequence for the offending player. There are times during the game when you have to know who is on the ice. Kyle, meet Dion.

The NHLPA (or at least former head Kelly) has stated a preference for an OHL style rule. It will be interesting to see how many career ending/threatening injuries it takes to get the rule implemented. Karma eventually caught up with Stevens, Phaneuf will eventually get his too.

[tro 4]

The Calgary Flames Sutter crew on young Brandon getting steamrolled by Weight last year

Daryll- "The game has changed a little bit," he said. "That's a legal hit. The player had his head down and he got hit. But would it have happened when we were all playing? Probably not.

"Because that player knew if he was going to do that, it was going to be a long night for him. That's the difference."

"If there's a guy who is only going to hit a guy because he's trying to hurt him or if he's going to hit his head, that's where the players should control it," Sutter said. " Because that's a lack of respect. "That's not how we used to play."

Brent- It was a hard hit, a legal hit ... but something has to be done about players being hit in the head while in a vulnerable position."

Sutter said that when he played, such a hit would lead to repercussions. "I'm not talking about suspensions or penalties, either," Brent Sutter said. "If a player got hit in the head, whether it was clean or dirty, you knew what was going to happen. It was going to be a long night for the guy who did the hitting. And the next time, it would be a long night.

"People may say I'm old-school," Brent Sutter said. "The game today is better in a lot of areas. But in some areas, it's not and it's troublesome. There is a lack of respect for opponents' players. It's the way the game is played today, and there are significant injuries. It is what it is."

Do you think they called neuf into the office and gave him the, have respect for players in a vulenarable position speech. I would quess no.

I am for big hitting, I love it, but when a guy is clearly in a vulenarble situation (1 on 3 getting shoved from behind) hold up and respect that you may hurt him, maybe even kill him if you try to pop through him. And if you don't let up and leave a player lying cold on the ice, be ready to drop the mitts, legal or not.

For the flames fans who think that is soft, head to youtube and type in Langkow, watch you reaction to a legal hit and a good legal hit from Tyler Sloan.

[FITLTID 0]

almost all of stevens hits were in the post season...big difference from a pre season. also, i hate how sutter commented about this one. almost the same thing happened to his son last year and he had very different opinions on it.

After the Phaneuf hit: "That's part of Dion's game. When he sees that open ice, Dion has to use it. It's one part of his game that makes him a unique player," said Sutter. "You never like to see anybody get hurt obviously, and it's too bad that happened, and hopefully we've been told, he's going to be okay. But Dion still can't pass up that hit".

After his son's hit: "In today's game it's considered a clean check, yet it's a check that is also a very dangerous check," Sutter said last year about the Weight hit. "When a player is vulnerable like that, you're putting yourself in a position to injure another player. I know firsthand a check like that wouldn't have happened 20 years ago because you know what the consequences would have been."