Kronwall out for game seven
Detroit's Niklas Kronwall has been suspended one game for charging Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov. Video: http://t.co/0wf2UzzXc1
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) April 28, 2015
Monday night in Detroit, Red Wing's defenseman Niklas Kronwall launched into a hit against Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov that resulted in significant head contact.As the video shows, Kucherov is playing the puck along the right boards as Kronwall pinches down from his point position. After taking a couple of quick strides to intercept Kucherov's pass, Kronwall launches up and into a hit, driving his left forearm into Kucherov's face just after Kucherov releases the pass. This is charging.
Many charging penalties are adequately punished by a minor or major penalty. What causes this infraction to rise to the level of supplemental discipline is the force with which the hit was delivered and the significant head contact that resulted from Kronwall launching into it. Kucherov is eligible to be hit on this play. Being bent over in a standard puck carrying position does not make him exempt from taking a legal hit which might include some unavoidable head contact. However, rather than staying low and delivering a full body check through Kucherov's core, Kronwall elevates unacceptably, with his skates off the ice prior to contact.
It is important to note that this hit differs from the countless other hits delivered by Kronwall at this same location on the ice and under similar circumstances. First, rather than his skates leaving the ice after impact and as a result of the collision, Kronwall launches into this hit and is airborne at impact. Rather than hitting with his body or back, squarely at his opponents core, Kronwall makes contact with his forearm and elbow with much of the force being absorbed by Kucherov's face. The combination of both of these two factors are what differentiates this hit from similar previous examples.
Yep, I agree 100%. But the Palat hit on Glendening (more of a headshot) is is just as bad and there's nothing. And Garrison's hit in the previous game, which would have been a concussion for sure if Stamkos hadn't hooked Glendening out of the way. And a few years ago when Weber pounded Z's head into the glass.
I wouldn't complain at all if they had some measure of consistency.
April 29th, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^
I completely agree with that. There needs to be more consistency with all of these calls, it's just a shame they decided to do this now instead of being consistent throughout the series.
Or Shea Webber driving Z by the back of his head into the glass. Only $2K fine in that one.
I've been pretty critical of the Wings D all season long but didn't see anything suspension worthy in that. Kronwall has been known to launch himself when he was younger. He got more air time after the hit than before.
This is worse than Malkin getting an instigator in game 6 but not having to serve the 1 game suspension that accompanies it if called late in the game.
Fuck Bettman.
Id have agreed with a 2 minute penalty call in game for the hit. Suspending him for this is absolutely atrocious. Id have been upset if this were the regular season. Taking him out of a playoff game 7 just makes me shake my head. It really seems the NHL just isn't a fan of the Red Wings sometimes.
April 28th, 2015 at 10:30 PM ^
Detroit hockey fans get punished for their loyalty again. They know we'll come back no matter what. NHL wants the cash of bandwagon-jumpers in places with palm trees, where hockey is a "neat" novelty when the local team is doing well. "I can't name one player in the league and will need icing explained to me six times but 'we' have been winning lately so let's go to a game!"
And of course the Wings themselves get punished for not having any players who could be in boy bands. Marketability. It's all about the Benjamins, baby!
April 28th, 2015 at 11:09 PM ^
As a person who doesn't like the Wings, this suspension is not the right call. No, I don;t like seeing my team's star player getting Kronwall'd but it is part of Hockey. The worst that should have happened was a double-minor penalty, resulting in a 4 minute PP for Tampa Bay. I've seen dirtier hits that are suspension worthy, but most are never suspened. NHL is becoming the NFL.
April 28th, 2015 at 11:22 PM ^
What fucking bullshit! Are they going to give Garrison a belated suspension for game 7, too? And the guy who elbowed Glendening in the head?
April 29th, 2015 at 12:03 AM ^
April 29th, 2015 at 12:16 AM ^
NHL officiating and supplemental discipline is a complete joke. Cheap shots happen throughout games and no one notices. Constant checks in the back near the boards go uncalled unless someone loses their balance and does a header, and even then it is sometimes ignored. Hockey is the only sport where acting like a d-bag is justified.
Instead of hitting people hard head on, Kronwall should just wait until after the whistle to cheap shot other players. It's a shame that the NHL has no consistency because the sport is otherwise entertaining.
April 29th, 2015 at 12:16 AM ^
NHL officiating and supplemental discipline is a complete joke. Cheap shots happen throughout games and no one notices. Constant checks in the back near the boards go uncalled unless someone loses their balance and does a header, and even then it is sometimes ignored. Hockey is the only sport where acting like a d-bag is justified.
Instead of hitting people hard head on, Kronwall should just wait until after the whistle to cheap shot other players. It's a shame that the NHL has no consistency because the sport is otherwise entertaining.
Ok so what have we learned in this years playoffs?
Its ok to take a two handed swing and break the opposing players arm . Worst you get is a penalty and game misconduct.
Make a tough hockey hit and get a game suspension.
Ok, who gets to take the swing at Tyler Johnson? I nominate Joakim Anderson.
Yes one foot was in the air before contact and the follow through thrust the rest of him up . As the rest here have said. So much worse has been let go. fined at most. But this gets a suspension?
NHL we want consistency. Its not that much to ask for .
That hit is not deserving of a suspension for Game 7 of a playoff series. Is it a penalty? Maybe-probably. But just because you (officiating crew) missed it live doesn't mean you should go back and start throwing out suspensions. Or if you were going to do that, you should have had several already this series (yes, some of them Red Wings). This decision is horseshit.
IDK what's worse: Kronwall out or Kindl cracking the lineup. SMH
April 29th, 2015 at 11:01 AM ^
He caught him high but I wonder if they wouldn't have suspended him if they had called a penalty during the game... seems like they are making up for the non-call.
IMO this open ice hit isn't nearly as violent as many of the hits that have been made on guys going into the boards (by both teams).
April 29th, 2015 at 12:08 PM ^
This series has been weird. Red Wings dominating games on the road. Tampa Bay dominating in Detroit. So now I fully expect the Red Wings, on the road minus their best defenseman, to win game 7.
April 29th, 2015 at 12:23 PM ^
Just ridiculous. Video is unclear whether his feet were on the ice when hit was made. Borderline at best. TB player is not defenseless. He just wasn't watching. NHL concedes he was OK to hit. Even if the play deserved discipline, it is not suspension-worthy. Kronwall has no prior history of discipline - no fines, no suspensions, nothing. To give a Game 7 suspension to a first-time violator on a borderline play is just wrong. Particularly when two instances, at least as bad, occurred in the same game and the TB players are not disciplined at all. And, don't get me started on the Shea Weber/Zetterberg incident that resulted in a paltry fine to Weber for what was simply assault, after the play and not a hockey play at all. The integrity and credibility of the NHL continues its descent to levels of Big Time Wrestling and it continues to provide evidence to people who insist that Gary Bettman will do whatever it takes to make sure the Wings don't win another Cup.
April 29th, 2015 at 12:23 PM ^
Just ridiculous. Video is unclear whether his feet were on the ice when hit was made. Borderline at best. TB player is not defenseless. He just wasn't watching. NHL concedes he was OK to hit. Even if the play deserved discipline, it is not suspension-worthy. Kronwall has no prior history of discipline - no fines, no suspensions, nothing. To give a Game 7 suspension to a first-time violator on a borderline play is just wrong. Particularly when two instances, at least as bad, occurred in the same game and the TB players are not disciplined at all. And, don't get me started on the Shea Weber/Zetterberg incident that resulted in a paltry fine to Weber for what was simply assault, after the play and not a hockey play at all. The integrity and credibility of the NHL continues its descent to levels of Big Time Wrestling and it continues to provide evidence to people who insist that Gary Bettman will do whatever it takes to make sure the Wings don't win another Cup.