Thanks Brent, for the link and the blog idea. The Bruins have scored 30 goals in the last 5 games and also still playing the kind of tough hockey with 4 lines that won them the Cup last year.
But let's talk about Milan Lucic's hit on Sabre goalie Ryan Miller last night.
Lucic could've been gentler but that was a dead heat race to the puck. By the time he realized (5 feet away?) that Miller was going to beat him to the puck and he's at full speed, how much time does he have to miss Miller? Lucic gets a charging call because he didn't try harder to miss Miller? Fair enough, if that's what the call is for. If the call is for hitting him, then I disagree because it was unavoidable. It's not even charging by definition but I don't think the Bruins mind. I know you all think I'm biased but what would be the basis for a suspension?
No one comes out of the crease more than Tim Thomas and no Bruin fan should have a problem if he gets run into. Other teams know that if they do run into Thomas, they're gonna get their asses kicked though. Obviously nobody worries about that with the Sabres. That intimidated them right out of what was a close game at the time. Do it again, Milan!
7 comments:
Miller was fair game in this situation. I hold Lucic blameless. That's hockey.
Goon hockey plain and simple. Lucic knows that hitting the goalie is illegal. Hell, he said it in the postgame interviews. Let's look at what the NHL rulebook says:
"61.2 Penalty - In all cases in which an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, whether or not the goalkeeper is inside or outside the goal crease, and whether or not a goal is scored, the attacking player will receive a penalty (minor or major, as the Referee deems appropriate)."
Lucic decided that he was going to run over the goalie even though he knew he couldn't get to the puck before Miller. Another cheap shot from the Bruins who are starting to epitomize that way of playing hockey.
Hell, just listening to the commentators, they want goon hockey. The Bruins like to play the physical style, but they are starting to remind me of the Flyers in the 70's, who were cheap and rowdy each and every game.
The problem with that rule, Brent, is the two terms "intentional and deliberate," which means that they go out of their way to hit the goalie, which is not the case here. It was a judgment call by the ref that he COULD HAVE avoided contact, which I completely disagree with. Players have CONTACT with goalies in every game without penalties being called because that rule is talking about hitting the goalie when you have a choice. Look at the film again and you'll see Lucic has his head down for probably half the time he's trying to get to the puck. Look at that clip and actually tell me how much time elapsed between when Lucic decided he was beaten to the puck (A, something you don't know and, B, as a hard nosed player, not til the very end) but I contend it's less than a second.
Did he give Miller a little extra or not take anything off? Absolutely.
Yes, the Bruins play a physical style and they know it gives them an edge, which is very much a part of the game and I'm not being two-faced because what's good for Miller is good for Thomas. The difference again is that teams know the Bruins will make you pay for doing such a thing and Thomas will scrum right along with them.
The announcers are irrelevant.
What I see is Lucic not striding to get the puck at the end, but gliding to give a shot to a goalie. No attempt to play or even worry about the puck. That is where is think the Shanaban will come into effect. I give him 3 games with the 61.2 Penalty and the attempt to injure coming from the league.
We can go on about this all day, I guess. When he realizes he's going to lose the race, he pulls up. It's fair to say he could've tried harder to avoid Miller. In the immortal words of Dale Earnhardt, "I was just trying to rattle his cage; I wasn't trying to wreck him." Point being, he wasn't trying to hurt Miller. Given that Miller somehow has a concussion from this, even though he continued to pay, there's no doubt Lucic will now get a suspension. He should've been called for roughing because he did rough Miller up a little but that's it. The charging call is BS. He doesn't leave his feet nor take 3 strides, unless you want to say that Lucic's intent from the very beginning was to run into the goalie. No way. And Miller has to share some blame here. What the hell is he doing way out there? He's not a hockey player; he's a goalie. I understand wanting to protect goalies and that's something I agree with but this particular incident isn't one of them. Part of the issue too is that it's Lucic, a hard-nosed player who fights and has a bit of a rep, which has nothing to do with whether that incident was an intent to injure. But I've said my piece and I've got nothing more to say. He'll get a suspension and hopefully doesn't change his style of play
If I'm on the ice and you "bump" into my goalie like that - one of us is going to the hospital. Love the Bruins and love physical hockey but that was a cheap and stupid move by Lucic. If he hit Tom Brady like that, he'd probably get a million dollar fine...
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