OTish - Trouba with Some Monster Hits Last Night
I don't watch much non-Red Wings hockey these days, but I came across these Trouba highlights from the Rangers' game against the Flames last night. Lays out Dube on a nice, clean hit and then follows it up with a fight against Tanev who took exception.
If you thought he was done, he absolutely destroyed noted pest Kadri with a clean shoulder to chest hit that sent Kadri launching and his helmet. Kadri was following the puck and not paying attention. Dube then challenges Trouba to a fight and gets dispensed with quickly.
Trouba has always been one of my favorite Michigan hockey players and its been nice seeing him do well in the NHL.
February 7th, 2023 at 2:43 PM ^
I hate when a player has to fight after they drop a clean, monster hit. Keep your friggin head up, and you won't get laid the F out. The guy coming in to fight, and only that guy, should go to the box. And I'm a guybwho thinks fighting has a place in the game.
February 7th, 2023 at 2:46 PM ^
Agreed on all counts. I get wanting to drop the gloves if the guy getting hit is your "untouchable star" (unless they did something dirty in the first place), but guys are too quick to run and just drop the gloves any time someone has a big hit.
February 7th, 2023 at 3:16 PM ^
Looking at the box score, I’m glad to see the refs called it right on both… seeing the clean hit and giving the Calgary player the extra 2 mins in both instances.
Tanev, I kind of understand. He’s trailing Dube from the back right and with the hit coming from Dube’s left may have thought Trouba clipped Duba’s head/chin. But the hit on Kadri was blantly clean from all angles… glad to see Dube get ragdolled for coming in to fight.
How embarrassing for Dube, you get laid out with your head down in the first, then thrown around like you’re on a carnival ride in the 2nd. The end result being you put your team short handed in a tie game (which the rangers scored on the PP) plus get an additional 10 minute misconduct. Lol.
February 7th, 2023 at 7:41 PM ^
Dang. I decided to make the very same comment and came across yours first. Exactly, play well, take your lumps, fight rarely but fight well.
February 7th, 2023 at 4:35 PM ^
Although it’s pretty cool to lay the hit, win the fight, and gain a power play.
Trouba is bad ass.
February 7th, 2023 at 2:50 PM ^
I hated it when Kadri, a known head-hunter, played well and won Lord Stanley's last season. Nice to see him get a bit of his own there. Notice how he had nothing to say as he got up and let Dube do his battle for him. Honestly though, it's pathetic the way anyone who throws a clean, hard check these days has to then be ready for fisticuffs from an overreacting teammate of the one smashed.
February 7th, 2023 at 6:45 PM ^
Kadri is a stud and has cleaned up his game a lot the last couple of years. He used to play on the edge and got an undeserved bad rap. The hit Trouba put on him was clean and he was slightly rattled when it happened. But Kadri can take care of himself and does t need help. Honestly I don’t think Trouba would want to go with him as it might not end up well for Trouba
February 7th, 2023 at 2:53 PM ^
That second hit was beautifully executed. Makes me yearn for 90s hockey so it was nice to see.
February 7th, 2023 at 2:59 PM ^
Still my favorite hit of all time, I think.
February 7th, 2023 at 3:27 PM ^
I wonder how many Cups the Wings would have won if Vlady never gets hurt.
Such a tragedy, the designated driver under the influence, smh...
February 7th, 2023 at 3:31 PM ^
I liked the Vladdy hit in the '97 finals against the Flyers even more
February 7th, 2023 at 4:37 PM ^
February 7th, 2023 at 3:45 PM ^
Vladdy was the best
February 7th, 2023 at 2:54 PM ^
After Trouba trucked Kadri, I reminded my 15 year old (travel+HS hockey player) that *THIS* is why you keep your head up on the ice
February 7th, 2023 at 3:05 PM ^
Love that second hit as a former defenseman. I honestly don't follow the NHL much anymore. Are we now fighting with shields on?
February 7th, 2023 at 3:31 PM ^
Everyone has to wear a shield now.
There may be a guy or two still grandfathered in, but shields are mandatory for new players.
February 7th, 2023 at 5:29 PM ^
Became mandatory for new players starting in 2013. Still a few that do not, like Milan Lucic, Ryan Reaves, and Jamie Benn.
February 7th, 2023 at 3:07 PM ^
The game had changed SOOOOO much from the 80s and 90s....
I told my boys, if there were enforcers in the league today.... guys like Brad Marchand wouldn't last two seasons... The shit he's gotten away with for years, would have come to an abrupt halt after the first time.
February 7th, 2023 at 3:23 PM ^
He’s was on a tear last night. Two beautifully executed, heavy and brutal this. To his credit, Darryl Sutter, coach of the Flames, commented in his post game presser that these two and another laid out by Sammy Blais were “all good, clean hits."
Trouba had a tough start to his Captaincy. Rangers didn’t look good, he was playing injured but he was doing everything he could in late November and very early December to spark this team. Since he got into a fight and threw his helmet in the direction of the Rangers bench in a bad loss to Chicago, the Rangers have gotten 36 of a possible 46 points.
He’s gotten a ton of shit because of his offensive totals with the cap hit he carries but he’s been a damn fine Captain.
February 7th, 2023 at 4:37 PM ^
That's cuz Darryl is an old school coach and former player... That's how the game was played when he and Spuddy were still lacin' up the skates.
February 7th, 2023 at 3:31 PM ^
GREAT hit on Kadri!
THAT is how defense is played.
February 7th, 2023 at 3:32 PM ^
Trouba's a baaaad motha-shutyomouff
February 7th, 2023 at 6:38 PM ^
I'm just talkin' 'bout Trouba
February 7th, 2023 at 3:32 PM ^
Yeah, neither of those hits looked egregious. I guess you could argue a bit more about the second and launch angles and what have you (the helmet coming off also made it look worse than it was) but those sure looked like solid hits. And the first one was mostly the Calgary guy just not paying attention with the puck on his stick and getting sideways.
I do get that the league (like the NFL) wants to cut down on potentially catastrophic injuries to guys so I do get attempts to curtail some of the more dangerous hits. But the refs didn't seem particularly phased by those hits and fact the Calgary guys immediately dropped gloves felt like an overreaction; those weren't hits by a guy trying to hurt anyone.
February 7th, 2023 at 4:27 PM ^
You dont often see somebody wear the C do stuff like that.
February 7th, 2023 at 6:36 PM ^
Good clean hits
Fighting with a shield on makes no sense.
February 7th, 2023 at 7:03 PM ^
I took some monster hits many a night at UM too