OT: Wings down 2nd D-Man for Game 7

Submitted by DFW_Michigan_Man on

The hits (pardon the pun) just keep on coming, 1st Kronwall is suspended for what I consider a borderline hit (deserved a fine, but not a suspension based on the precedent set in these playoffs) and now Marek Zidlicky is out for Game 7 with a concussion. 

 

Hopefully the young kids can step up in their absence as they did against Anaheim a couple of years ago.  Looks like Kindl and Marchenko will be in.

DCGrad

April 29th, 2015 at 1:52 PM ^

pairing is destined for failure. Although Smith has definitely played better this season than last, he is prone to give aways (and playing the puck from the bench).

DavidP814

April 29th, 2015 at 1:58 PM ^

I would love to see the young kids step up.  I'm going to the game tonight wearing my #19 jersey.  I don't want to come into the office tomorrow listening to everyone gloating about a Lightning win.

Perkis-Size Me

April 29th, 2015 at 1:59 PM ^

Mrazek will need to play another lights out game, as he hasn't been seeming to get much help around him on a consistent basis.

Either way, I think tonight will be a very close game.




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flashOverride

April 29th, 2015 at 2:05 PM ^

With this D corps, I unfortunately almost feel like it doesn't even matter who's playing. Mrazek, establishing a forecheck/some offensive zone time and scoring chances and, ahem, capitalizing on power plays will be the determinants of the outcome of tonight's game.

Meson

April 29th, 2015 at 2:15 PM ^

I think they've got just as good of a chance of winning with Kindl and Marchenko. Kronwall and Zidlicky are easily our slowest two defensemen, so I don't think the loss is as big as it seems, because we'll be moving to some more mobile defensemen.

Last time (or the time before) when Kindl was brought back into the lineup, he scored two goals. I'm hoping for (but not expecting) a similar offensive jolt tonight.

bronxblue

April 29th, 2015 at 2:32 PM ^

If there was a ever a game when a Wings goalie should stand on his head, it's going to be tonight.  I doubt it'll happen, but that's about the only way the Wings pull off the upset.

Blue In NC

April 29th, 2015 at 3:51 PM ^

That's just unbelievable.  Even before game 6, I thought the Wings were getting the short end of the officiating stick.  Now you add a suspension to the #1 D-man in a game 7, it's just unbelievable.

Then you add in that Buff was not suspended for that post-goal assault on Perry (and yes, I hate Perry), and the whole Subban play and this is just outrageous.  I wish Babcock would have just taken the fine and completely gone off on the officiating.

 

SF Wolverine

April 29th, 2015 at 2:38 PM ^

in my view.  He's made some ghastly plays in this series; at least one ended up in the back of the net, but he has provided Tampa with some highlight-reel miscues.  No real loss there with Marchanko.

Hockey Gods should dole out some cheater's justice to the Lightning by giving one or more of the backup D-men a big goal tonight.

 

LGRW!

bluecanuck

April 29th, 2015 at 3:05 PM ^

Wings fans are a funny bunch.

The Kronwall hit deserved a punishment as it was charging, he forearm-shivered the poor guy to the head, and left his feet. The only possible argument for no suspension is that the NHL has generally looked at injuries and Kucherov didn't seem to be injured (or Brady Hoke is running the concussion protocol for the Lightning) but that's a weak argument to me.




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Meson

April 29th, 2015 at 3:13 PM ^

Garrison goes headhunting on Abdelkader. Palat gives a forearm shiver that's easily more to Glendening's head than Kronwall's hit was. Zidlicky gets a concussion from a hit by Morrow.

The argument is that if these guys don't deserve it, Kronwall doesn't either. If he deserves it, they (at least one of them) do too. It's fairly simple.

Blue In NC

April 29th, 2015 at 3:54 PM ^

Well he didn't leave the ice until at impact.  There definitely was impact to the head but it was from the front side with the skater having his head down.  That typically has not been a suspendable offense (the big no-no have been the blind-side targeting of the head).

Did you see the Palat hit on Glendening?  If so watch that and tell me who deserves to be suspended?

flashOverride

April 29th, 2015 at 3:32 PM ^

Yeah, that'll be it. Wings fans. Most other fanbases launch social media campaigns crying out for suspensions when their own players are the perps of borderline incidents. "Justice trumps team allegiance!", they all say. But those funny bunch Wings fans, they actually have the nerve to disagree!

It isn't the hit and suspension themselves, it's the other comparable bullshit that's gone on in this series and others which apparently doesn't even warrant review. 

Puget Sound Blue

April 29th, 2015 at 3:42 PM ^

But worse, even. I'd say that Palat's hit on Glendening was worse than Kronwall's hit. Then you've got Zidlicky out with a concussion and no one seems to be bothering to look at Morrow's high hit (with an elbow) on him that wasn't even done to defend the play.

Then there's Subban's two-hander. No suspension. Byfuglien's utter cheap shot on Corey Perry. No suspension.

I'm not defending Kronwall's hit. At the time, I thought it was clean, but when I took a few more looks at it, I can see why he got suspended. Strangely, though, if Kronwall had done what the league says is a legal hit, the outcome might actually have been worse. And Kronwall's making a defensive play and not intending to injure. Again, not saying he's innocent here, but there's a consistency problem with supplementary discipline.

DFW_Michigan_Man

April 29th, 2015 at 4:53 PM ^

and by borderline, I mean it was right on the edge.  The game is played at high speeds, and I tend to think that if the referee officiating the game didnt call a penalty, it hardly warrants a suspension by the league office.  Call me a homer if you like, but I am old school!  The reason we see more and more hits of this nature, is Bettman has tried to take fighting out of the NHL.  In these instances, it serves a place as the players of past generations always policed themselves.  There just isnt a fear of repercussion or retaliation.

Now, as someone who plays and coaches hockey, Kucherov committed the cardinal sin of skating with his head down coming out of his own zone.  This is something I empasize to the Mites I coach, keep your head up!!!!(USA Hockey doesnt allow hitting util Bantam these days, so a lot of kids develop the habit of looking at the puck, which is a very hard habit to break once you advance in age and compeition level).  There is as much onus on the puck carrier to protect themselves, as there is on the person delivering the hit.

At the end of the day, I am okay with the suspension, I just have an issue with the league office along with the officials being so damn'd inconsistent in issuing punishments and calling pentalies.  In these playoffs alone there have been worse hits where no penalty or punishment was handed down, and that is infuriating as a fan, player and coach!

bluecanuck

April 30th, 2015 at 3:59 PM ^

The implication that because he was skating with his head down, he therefore deserves to have it removed is pretty ridiculous and is indicative of the mindset that has led to such a concussion problem and subsequent crackdown in hockey.  That's dangerous thinking.

Also, I don't know how one could possibly thing this is borderline.

Here's the moment of impact.  Please note: skates not on ice, elbow squarely on jaw, primary contact point is the head.

Uper73

April 29th, 2015 at 5:00 PM ^

Well, it is a blow being down two. For the most part he plays well, but he has turned the puck over a lot.



This game is about us generating offense and preventing TB from making us play between the face off dots and boards.



Got to have traffic in the slot.



The best defense for to dight is a good offense, time for Zetterburg and Datsyuk to step up. Tatar could be the key guy.

Puget Sound Blue

April 29th, 2015 at 5:09 PM ^

He's been quieter than I would like. I don't think he's been playing to his strengths this series. That might be a testament to how TB has defended him, but I wonder if he's been trying to do too much.

DFW_Michigan_Man

April 29th, 2015 at 5:11 PM ^

I have seen him far too often in these playoffs pass up a scoring opportunity to pass the puck.  As they say, you can't score if you don't shoot the puck!  I expect the Captain to play his best game, but for the most part he just hasnt had the time and space.

MGOTIPSYYPSI

April 29th, 2015 at 6:28 PM ^

has not done much but losing Kronner really fucking bites and his suspension is such bull shit. Tampon Bay's owner being a whiney little bitch in this series all series. Penalties have been against us the whole time almost so I don't know what this guy is bitching about? Wings need to get off to a quick start and strike gold early in this game. Get up 1-0 in the 1st and carry the momentum the rest of the way. I'm really hoping for a performance like we saw in game 5 and a Bishop meltdown again.