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Welcome fans to the National Headshot League, where the motto is the "we're the dirtiest game on ice".
I generally like to leave the commenting on the officiating until the playoffs, but after last night's game something has to be said. Last night was a joke and the NHL has to make deliberate blows to the head, like the ones we have seen the past few nights, five and a game. We have lost some of the best players in the game over the past year because of hits like this and it has to stop. In my opinion, the message needs to be stronger and the penalties stiffer.
This two to five game suspension is not getting through to the players and I really hope Shanahan steps up here and sends a strong message. I felt this incident was almost as pre-meditated as the Bertuzzi/Moore incident. While the incident wasn't a graphic or violent, Keith was looking to do one thing just like Bert was. Keith wanted to take Daniel Sedin out. The puck was ten feet in the air and Keith made no attempt to play the puck. He wasn't even looking at the puck. He is clearly focused on one thing, and that thing was hurting Daniel Sedin. Plays like this have no place in the game and what the NHL is doing to get them out isn't working.
While Daniel did hit Keith earlier in the game, that was a hockey hit. Keith had the puck and Sedin finished his check. While there was some minor contact with Keith's head (Shoulder to head), the chest was the principal point of contact. This was a text book hockey check. This check was how you are taught to do it as a kid and is how you finish a check. Sedin did not leave his feet. Sedin did not target the head. Sedin led with his shoulder and did not raise his elbow. You take that hit out of the game and you will be taking hitting out of the game (which might be for the best, given no one knows how to hit or get hit anymore). There was nothing wrong with the hit and Keith needs to be in anger management if he can't take that hit without losing his cool.
When ask after the game coach Vigneault couldn't even explain the calls. "I wanted a major and got a minor." said Vigneault. Vigneault also said, "Deliberate, principal point of contact, everything they want to take out of the game."
I agree fully with AV and hope there is a five to eight game suspension coming for Mr. Keith. I don't see this as anything close to a hockey play and a stronger message needs to be sent to player. If this continues, the playoffs will look more like a scene from Starship Troopers then the game we all know and love. The NHL needs to cleanup it's act and it starts with getting tougher on headshots.
As far as guessing how long Daniel will be out, my guess is not long. He seemed to be thinking fairly clearly on the bench, so I doubt it's a concussion, but then again, I'm a blogger, not a doctor. My guess would be broken jaw because of the impact of the blow and the way he kept playing with his jaw after. Either way, I'd keep him out for a week to be safe. Let's all hope Sedin doesn't join Crosby and Backstrom as stars who are out for extended periods of time.
I'm also left wondering if it is solely up to the NHL to do away with headshots. Where are players learning that hammering someone on the head with body armour is OK? That answer has to come for Hockey Canada. Roughly 15 years ago Hockey Canada pulled together, and re-evaluated how to develop the best hockey players. Now is the time they pulled together again to find out why of the 34 suspensions/fines this season, 28 of them have been given to Canadian players. The fact 82% of Shanahan's hearing are with Canadian players is alarming to me.
Is this an attack Canadian hockey? No, absolutely not. I believe Canadians play the game with more skill and passion then any country in the world. I love the way we play the game 99% of the time and wouldn't change much about it. What we do need to find out is why if only 50% of the league is Canadian, why 82% of the offences are being committed by that group.
Why are Canadian players more susceptible to fly off the edge and cross that line. Is it the way we are coached as kids? Is it all the years of Don Cherry saying, "You gotta break that guys arm there to stop him"? Are we just wired differently than other countries players? I'm not sure what the answer is, but I do know the question we have to ask ourselves. The question is why are Canadian hockey players so much more disrespectful towards other players?
Oh yah, there was a game last night. Canucks lost 2-1 on OT. The bright spots were
- Lu was outstanding
- And they came together as a team a look/sound like they have had it with the crap
I look forward to how this surly bunch is going to play in Dallas and winning tonight.
Prediction- 3-2 Canucks- win one for Daniel
Thanks for reading.
Enjoy your day.
Ian
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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