this reminds me of this huge hit on Lovejoy during the playoffs a couple years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBBoB1GXGQU

He left his feet more in this video than last night. Last night he left feet after contact it appears. Still one of the greatest hits ive ever seen. my boy downie! miss him on the Bolts

Downie plays ON THE EDGE and KARMA is a B I T C H on her CYCLE.

First rule I ever learned in hockey; keep your head up.

These kind of hits are why I love the game. Reasons why people love football too. Getting sick of this "somebody got hurt!" crap with hockey. Illegal, fine, the suspensions should be tripled when someone is taken out long term with an illegal hit (knee on knees, fly by elbows, etc.) body checks? that's the game. This god damn league is sounding like a 45 year old proud christian mother who doesn't want anything bad to happen to her schnookums.

Umm leaving your feet much? Amazing Patrick was having a hissy fit the other night and has absolutely no problem with that hit. Need to get these players out of the league.

Umm leaving your feet much? Amazing Patrick was having a hissy fit the other night and has absolutely no problem with that hit. Need to get these players out of the league.
- Babalu88

Again, he was on his skates when contact was made.

It's people like Ek (in this case) who vilify a guy for what is a clean check, that's making the NHL into what is going to be the equivalent of flag football. Was the Nashville player in a vulnerable position, yes, but that doesn't mean you can't hit him.

Is Downie a bit of a d!ck sometimes, sure, but he drove thru the check, just like Suban and Kronwall do with their checks, where his skates leave the ice AFTER the hit.

I'm getting so sick of defending the NHL from the all the bleeding heart writers, whom 99% make me sick with their views, and then you have bloggers like EK adding fuel to the fire. Sickening!!!

I believe that players being hit are reckless more than the actual checker in most instances. The players turn their bodies or lower there heads to take one for the team to draw a penalty.

The game can not be about penalties it should be about play. Officiating is now bigger than the game itself. That's wrong.
- stevecarpetman

I agree, the one i see most is players turning their backs right before they get hit. Hitting from behind or boarding calls result, especially when the player throws themselves in the boards like they were shot.

It's people like Ek (in this case) who vilify a guy for what is a clean check, that's making the NHL into what is going to be the equivalent of flag football. Was the Nashville player in a vulnerable position, yes, but that doesn't mean you can't hit him.

Is Downie a bit of a d!ck sometimes, sure, but he drove thru the check, just like Suban and Kronwall do with their checks, where his skates leave the ice AFTER the hit.

I'm getting so sick of defending the NHL from the all the bleeding heart writers, whom 99% make me sick with their views, and then you have bloggers like EK adding fuel to the fire. Sickening!!!
- LeftCoaster

thank you, couldn't agree more.

I was also relieved to see the votes have "legal check" in the lead.

If it was Matt Cooke who did this exact type of hit I wonder what the reactions would be?

I agree, the one i see most is players turning their backs right before they get hit. Hitting from behind or boarding calls result, especially when the player throws themselves in the boards like they were shot.
- ky678468

This.

It's getting ridiculous, it will never happen, but refs should start backing off on these calls. It's pretty clear when a player is intending to throw a check, if the defender turns his back? He should get hurt, just like a guy who turns his back to block a shot. Shots coming, don't be an idiot.

Clean hit. It was a hard hit, but it was a clean hit.

If it was Matt Cooke who did this exact type of hit I wonder what the reactions would be?
- acdc1206

Stuff like this.

Wow Cooke is a piece of poop, I didn't bother looking at the video, but he should get a suspension!
- hockeybuzz user

While Cooke is a dirty player, that was a clean hit he didn't leave his feet, the penalty was enough no fine or suspension here
- hockeybuzz user

Crosby is a wussy and the Penguins suck!
- FlyersBro 420Blazin!

That's a fine, what a dirty hit, he clearly left his feet!
- hockeybuzz user

Again, he was on his skates when contact was made.


- Avs-Ice

First of all if you look closely only one skate is close to being on the ice it's just hard to see with the ice being sprayed. Second of all these players don't belong in the league no matter if this hit was clean or not because I watched him in Junior and the NHL not many players have thrown the amount of cheap shots he does. Karma. I will never forget his hit on McAmmond.

Downie has done dirty plays before but that was not a bad hit, if you actually played hockey then you should agree

If you don't want Downie to lay you out, tell your teammates not to punch Duchene in the face.

It's people like Ek (in this case) who vilify a guy for what is a clean check, that's making the NHL into what is going to be the equivalent of flag football. Was the Nashville player in a vulnerable position, yes, but that doesn't mean you can't hit him.

Is Downie a bit of a d!ck sometimes, sure, but he drove thru the check, just like Suban and Kronwall do with their checks, where his skates leave the ice AFTER the hit.

I'm getting so sick of defending the NHL from the all the bleeding heart writers, whom 99% make me sick with their views, and then you have bloggers like EK adding fuel to the fire. Sickening!!!
- LeftCoaster

Completely agree

http://i39.tinypic.com/2nqxft4.gif link to GIF

A few things to concider:

-Downie takes 2 strides towards Josi and then coasts to hit and throws hit....OK
-Josi was vulnerable, but by no means defenseless. if you slow the3 film down enough, you can see he looks at downie a moment or so before downie crushed him....OK
-Downie is a repeat offender, so he will never get the benifit of the doubt....fair enough
-NHL shannaban has said no suspension....OK
-Downie hits the hip first, then the shouloder and it may have caught the players head, but did not target the head or wasnt principle point of contact...OK
-People in the preds thread are even saying good hit

Having said all that, Downie's hit is clean(violent, but clean) and EK likes to post things for hits even after NHL deems no suspension....CASE CLOSED

First of all if you look closely only one skate is close to being on the ice it's just hard to see with the ice being sprayed. Second of all these players don't belong in the league no matter if this hit was clean or not because I watched him in Junior and the NHL not many players have thrown the amount of cheap shots he does. Karma. I will never forget his hit on McAmmond.
- Babalu88

you realize his shoulders are even with the top of the boards right? He's a dirty player for sure, but that is a clean hit. If you lift your skate but are down low like that, I'm not sure how that could possibly constitute for a flying hit aka leaving your feet to check. He's a villain, I get it, but these hits belong in hockey and deserving to those not paying attention.

Hard clean hit. However, Downie is a complete tool and deserves all the crap he gets. His reputation for being a classless predator is well earned.

you realize his shoulders are even with the top of the boards right? He's a dirty player for sure, but that is a clean hit. If you lift your skate but are down low like that, I'm not sure how that could possibly constitute for a flying hit aka leaving your feet to check. He's a villain, I get it, but these hits belong in hockey and deserving to those not paying attention.
- Boosinicka

Yeah maybe that I look at it again I am starting to reconsider my thinking. I do think he is a major cheap shot artist however and I don't think anyone can disagree with that lol.

Surely, to God there is a masked man somewhere who can save the Preds from hockey hits

only thing you could potentially get him on would be charging and even that would be a stretch

Yeah maybe that I look at it again I am starting to reconsider my thinking. I do think he is a major cheap shot artist however and I don't think anyone can disagree with that lol.
- Babalu88

Oh no argument there my friend, he's as cheap as they come. Just happened to be the guy throwing great check, with a poopty reputation.

absolutely clean. downie cleaned up his act here in tampa and has been great in colorado. feet left after contact cuz josi went down. hes got to keep his head up this is the NHL. you are taught that in peewee. and its josi... not like he was really going to beat the avs... if hes going to injure someone he would have done it to one of their better players.
- boltsfan48

I try not to say this because it's so overused but this is a text book, "Watch hockey much?". Downie fans and Av fans want to call it clean, fine. It wasn't...but fine. We all lean to the side of our teams. However, "and it's Josi... not like he was really going to beat the Avs...". Whether he alone was going to beat the Avs isn't relevant. The fact that he's a better Dman than anyone in Colorado's system is. Know of what you speak before opening your big keyboard.

Yeah maybe that I look at it again I am starting to reconsider my thinking. I do think he is a major cheap shot artist however and I don't think anyone can disagree with that lol.
- Babalu88

He has been cleaning his game up and trying to stay on the right side of the line lately