Every Which Way but (our) East - The Rest of the First Round

Catcher Block

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Worth mentioning that the Blues' false-positive group does not include their leading scorer, David Perron, who is still on the Covid list.
 

Sandwich Pick

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Jets upset the Oilers 4-1. Already teasing my NYJ friends that this is the only way they'll see a Jets Playoff win.

Blues are not going to last long. Their strategy of choking the life out of the game will not work against Colorado.
 
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Sandwich Pick

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Kadri is very, very stupid. Pretty sure he's been suspended for that exact hit.

Major unforced error to wake that team up.
 

Sandwich Pick

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MacKinnon scores. Hoffman comes right back and makes it 4-3.

Which leads to one of my favorite awkward moments in hockey: The PA announcer has to announce the Avalanche goal like the ensuing Blues goal didn't just happen.
 

McDrew

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This is me asking an "I've never played myself" question:

What was Kadri supposed to do there instead? How could he have delivered the check differently?

Faulk had the puck and was eligible to be checked.
Faulk was in the act of shooting and that caused his body mass to shift.
Kadri does not take a stride to speed up after the pass is made to Faulk
It does not look like Kadri shifts to apply the hit to the head.
Faulk's body is such that a check to the center of his upper body will go through his head because his head is forward and down because of the shooting motion.

I'm trying to compare this to the other, more predatory hits that Kadri has made and I think because of my inexperience playing I'm not able to follow the logic.

Can someone explain like I'm 5?
 

nolasoxfan

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At 0:34 it looks like Kadri lifts his shoulder and elbow to deliver a coup de grace to Faulk’s face after the puck had already left the stick. I know we’re talking about micro seconds here, but that’s how it looks to me.

Oh, and F*** Nazem Kadri.
 

kenneycb

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Or you just don't make the hit because it's a textbook blindside hit that has a high rate of turning out poorly for the hitting player. Whether you agree or not the NHL, through suspensions, has indicated that they do not want that hit in the game.
 

LogansDad

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At 0:34 it looks like Kadri lifts his shoulder and elbow to deliver a coup de grace to Faulk’s face after the puck had already left the stick. I know we’re talking about micro seconds here, but that’s how it looks to me.

Oh, and F*** Nazem Kadri.
Yep, at full speed I wasn't sure, but the very brief slow-mo at the end confirmed for me that it was, in fact, a true Kadri (TM).

I really enjoy watching the Avs play, so having Kadri on the team dampened that a little. At least I will (hopefully) not have to worry about seeing him suit up for them for a few games.
 

Catcher Block

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Can someone explain like I'm 5?
Kadri's angle of attack (just forward of perpendicular) is going to result in a reckless, dangerous hit more often than not. It's an awful lot like a boarding call where the player can still be checked, but the majority of the responsibility lies on the player initiating the contact.

You can see in the slo-mo he lifts his right leg and twists to try and catch Faulk in the front, which just doesn't work at that angle. There are ways to deliver a clean (albeit less effective) hit there, and Kadri ignored them.
 

McDrew

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It's an awful lot like a boarding call where the player can still be checked, but the majority of the responsibility lies on the player initiating the contact.

There are ways to deliver a clean (albeit less effective) hit there, and Kadri ignored them.
I know with boarding, ways to handle the responsibility are reducing speed of the hit and "bear hugging" a player instead of checking him. Is this a case where a two-handed shove to the chest would have been the right move? Just not turning so much into the head as a contact point?

Thanks for your response, I'm really clueless on the athletics of skating at this speed.
 

cshea

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With the Toronto/Montreal series starting tonight, I feel pretty dirty but think I'm rooting for Montreal.
 

Salem's Lot

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I know with boarding, ways to handle the responsibility are reducing speed of the hit and "bear hugging" a player instead of checking him. Is this a case where a two-handed shove to the chest would have been the right move? Just not turning so much into the head as a contact point?

Thanks for your response, I'm really clueless on the athletics of skating at this speed.
The correct play there is for the back checking player to make a hockey play. Kadri should have had his stick on the ice attempting to make a play on the puck, and initiating contact to the body that would have resulted had he actually been positioning himself to play the puck. Instead, he made no attempt to play the puck and instead targeted the head. This is apparent since he had his stick up and finished high.
 

Catcher Block

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Is this a case where a two-handed shove to the chest would have been the right move? Just not turning so much into the head as a contact point?
The first point of contact should be stick-on-stick with Faulk, then Kadri can continue through and make shoulder-on-shoulder contact to disrupt the play. 99 times out of 100, making the puck your first priority will mitigate any other recklessness. Instead, Kadri had no eyes for the puck and everything about his body is generating upward momentum at the point of contact. It was never going to be anything but a bad hit.

He's within a stick of Faulk when he lets the shot go. He doesn't need to blow him up to make the best hockey play. All he needs to do is get his stick on Faulk's to prevent the high-quality chance from the slot, and he didn't even do that correctly--this could easily have been a goal anyway. Maybe he gets called for a slash, but that's the price of a defensive breakdown.
 

LogansDad

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With the Toronto/Montreal series starting tonight, I feel pretty dirty but think I'm rooting for Montreal.
Oh god. No way. The Leafs have some players that I really enjoy watching play. Marner is probably one of my top 5 favorite players in the league to watch.
 

cshea

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Oh god. No way. The Leafs have some players that I really enjoy watching play. Marner is probably one of my top 5 favorite players in the league to watch.
I know, it's weird. I still hate Montreal and won't shed a tear if/when they lose.

Toronto has moved way up the hate meter over the last 5 or so years. I don't really mind the players (though I think Matthews is a total dick) but the media and fan base are just as insufferable as Montreal. The implosion and tears that would result from another first round exit would be delicious to soak up.
 

IdiotKicker

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I've got a thing for Marner too. He's just freaking awesome. And if this keeps alive a chance for Boston to be the team that ends Toronto's season at some point, I'm on board with that too.
 

NYCSox

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I know, it's weird. I still hate Montreal and won't shed a tear if/when they lose.

Toronto has moved way up the hate meter over the last 5 or so years. I don't really mind the players (though I think Matthews is a total dick) but the media and fan base are just as insufferable as Montreal. The implosion and tears that would result from another first round exit would be delicious to soak up.
I mean it's a win-win right? Either an English media meltdown or meltdown with riots in Quebec. :)
 

MiracleOfO2704

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I should point out, since Perry was involved, that this wasn’t intentional. Chiarot just knocked down Tavares, and Perry was following the play. He jumped to get clear of Tavares and couldn’t get high enough.
 

jcaz

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Wow that’s awful. I’m now hopeful that Tavares will be well again and hockey is secondary.
 

LogansDad

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Why the fuck are we doing this? Sometimes this sport is stupid. There was no fucking reason for them go after Perry for that, as much as I hate him.
 

durandal1707

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That shot of the trainer helping Tavares up to his knees and Tavares falling back in a heap is haunting. Hope he's okay.
 

wiffleballhero

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That Tavares hit is the nastiest thing I have seen in a hockey rink in a long time. I’m going have a hard time getting that out of my head. If you have not seen it, spare yourself. It is gruesome.
 
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Salem's Lot

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That was 100% an accident. Perry is lucky his knee wasn’t planted or they both would’ve been out. No need for him to have to fight there.

Off topic but Jumbo Joe’s beard is outstanding.