Head was not targeted and Haula barely got touched. This isn't soccer, should have been a 2 minute elbow for EJ and a 2 minute embellishment for Haula.
- Yeah Boyes

When you come in with your elbow up towards the head that's targeting the head. It doesn't matter if you don't hit him flush, he tried to hit him in the face with the elbow. 2 games because of the lack of injury. If it had connected fully, 5 games.

When you come in with your elbow up towards the head that's targeting the head. It doesn't matter if you don't hit him flush, he tried to hit him in the face with the elbow. 2 games because of the lack of injury. If it had connected fully, 5 games.
- Isles_since_6

Agreed

EJ targeted the head, but ended up just clipping him with his glove because Haula avoided the bulk of contact.
The intent seems clear to me, luckily the result was minimal damage.

Haula did sell it a bit, as well. I would have no problem with both guys getting a call from the league. They both engaged in the type of behavior that gives the NHL a bad name.

Very lucky Haula was not injured. Johnson skated across the rink then left his feet on the hit. It was reckless and stupid. His response and Roy response are very telling. I think because of the climate emoitionally and the politics involved in this series MNWild players were all playing with their heads on a swivel given the Barrie/Cooke incident last year and then the comments made by Roy.

This was not a nothing deal. It was not a dive by Haula come on he probably sharted a bit there.
- Tony Dean

You're a turd. As biased of a writer as I have seen.

Agreed

EJ targeted the head, but ended up just clipping him with his glove because Haula avoided the bulk of contact.
The intent seems clear to me, luckily the result was minimal damage.

Haula did sell it a bit, as well. I would have no problem with both guys getting a call from the league. They both engaged in the type of behavior that gives the NHL a bad name.
- Vanoxy

I would agree he spent a fair bit of time rolling on the ice, but yeah, the intent seemed pretty clear and I don't think you get away with it just because you didn't connect fully with the elbow to the face.

You're a turd. As biased of a writer as I have seen.
- AvsFanYeaa

Thats not nice.

Since when has the NHL called a penalty on intent? I'm not saying they shouldn't but in this case the embellishment got the call imho, not the intent.
- stljam

That's what all the new targeting the head safety issues are about. I don't care if you want to believe Haula "sold it" or not.

Whether he was just grazed or actually may have taken a direct shot from the forearm of Johnson, the fact of the matter is... it's irrefutable that Johnson left his feet leading with his elbow/forearm targeting the head/upper body of Haula.

The rest is really inconsequential. Had Haula been injured, Johnson would no doubt be facing a multiple game suspension but he wasn't, and I for one I'm satisfied with the on-ice punishment.

You're a turd. As biased of a writer as I have seen.
- AvsFanYeaa

You need to relax buddy. You want to disagree fine, but show a little respect or stay the hell out.

All I know is one team is 2 and 0 and the other is the only team in the NHL still looking for it's first goal of the season. If Haula wins the academy award for his performance in hockey, I think Johnson should also be given an imaginary award for biggest cry baby, shoot that could go to the whole team lead by Coach Patrick Passive-Aggressive Comments Roy. Haula didn't eject Johnson, the refs did, and very quickly I might add. Has anyone for the Avs ever taken the high road? If I had a nickel for every time someone in Colorado mentioned Matt Cooke I'd be insanely wealthy. #getoverit Johnson pretty clearly was out for Haula, Haula said he saw it coming and luckily was able to deflect most of it, I'm guessing it smarted enough to elicit the reaction we all saw. Again, another cheap shot that Patrick Roy told us to expect that just wasn't executed well by his team, and doesn't that sum up the Avs in general for these 2 games? Lots of potential, poorly executed. I know I know but they were division champs last year! And at least they've won a Stanley cup! We get it, the Avs were good at various times in their history, but that was then and this is now. I wish the Avs the best, all except Landeskag, there is no excuse for that #disgrace.

You need to relax buddy. You want to disagree fine, but show a little respect or stay the hell out.
- MnGump

So he's not a turd, he's just biased.

So he's not a turd, he's just biased.
- Avs-Ice

Fair enough. Seeing this isn't even Tony's blog!

You need to relax buddy. You want to disagree fine, but show a little respect or stay the hell out.
- MnGump

He's not getting suspended for any other games, and the Avs had no hope in that one so seems like whatever the ref called had zero input on the season as a whole.

He's not getting suspended for any other games, and the Avs had no hope in that one so seems like whatever the ref called had zero input on the season as a whole.
- Spikiekj

Losing your number 1 dman will have an impact on the game, yes the Wild were the dominate team that game early and often, however he was ejected early on, and EJ has the ability to change games with his shut down ability and the marginal offensive ability he has, so it is very premature to say that whatever the ref called has zero input.

It shouldn't have been a game, double minor at the most bc of how bad it looked, and I don't think Haula is a saint on this one either. They both played it terribly, EJ should have lined up for a hit better and if he thought Haula had the jump on him or he should have stop engaging the hip check which turned into a correcting himself and exposing his elbow instead.

Haula should have either used his speed to power through the hit or look at dumping the puck in. Any dman is trained to force the guy with speed to the outside and is expected to be hit, stopping short is never a smart play to avoid contact.

Granted its easy to look at the game tape and break it down on how each player should have engaged in the play after the fact, but like I have said before, its never black and white in these situations. Emotions and adrenaline of the play get the best of players and before you know it, stuff like this happens. On either end of the spectrum.

So after all that, to me its a nothing play, EJ screwed up his lines for a hit check and had his elbow out bc he was trying to force a hip check that wasn't there and Haula didn't power through the hit or dump the puck in, stopping short and perhaps selling the play more than it actually was bc he was stunned from the break down of the play. It wasn't dirty, no ones hurt, its just a bad break down of one isolated innocent, nothing more

So the warning issued in between periods and the hit itself had nothing to do with it? The penalty was called immediately...the ref didn't wait to see Haulas performance afterward
- SotaPopinski

The hit didn't warrant a 5 and a game imho. The angles that I saw looked like Haula barely got touched in the chin if at all. On the Colorado goal angle you can even see Haula's jersey move up his left shoulder where Johnson's arm either rubbed against it or grabbed it. Also look at the angle at 1:11 of this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvdGiKHr8z0

There was no wait, he flops his head back right away - see 1:12 of that video. 1:17 also shows Johnson's arm coming across the top of his chest, not hitting him in the head. Dumb play by Johnson and but it wasn't a major imho.

Haula sold it.

Agreed

EJ targeted the head, but ended up just clipping him with his glove because Haula avoided the bulk of contact.
The intent seems clear to me, luckily the result was minimal damage.

Haula did sell it a bit, as well. I would have no problem with both guys getting a call from the league. They both engaged in the type of behavior that gives the NHL a bad name.
- Vanoxy

Couldn't agree more.

That's what all the new targeting the head safety issues are about. I don't care if you want to believe Haula "sold it" or not.

Whether he was just grazed or actually may have taken a direct shot from the forearm of Johnson, the fact of the matter is... it's irrefutable that Johnson left his feet leading with his elbow/forearm targeting the head/upper body of Haula.

The rest is really inconsequential. Had Haula been injured, Johnson would no doubt be facing a multiple game suspension but he wasn't, and I for one I'm satisfied with the on-ice punishment.
- MnGump

My original comment was that the NHL hasn't ever been a league to call penalties based on intent. Maybe that will change but my guess is that it changed this one time and the next time it will go back to the old way (if that is even what happened here). There is no consistency in the dang league when it comes to this kind of stuff and it is a bit maddening.

Also, to clarify, I expected he would have gotten 2 for the hit, just think the 5 was because of the sell. Everything has traditionally been based on results (injury, blood, etc. and not just the discipline but also the refs).

Launching himself at Haula like a spider monkey on crack, elbow first aimed at Haula's head is a poor excuse for a hip check. I don't think it was executed as planned which is why Johnson is out for his own academy award "cheap shot? Well I never! That is absurd!" Combined with Patrick Roy's threat of "well of a Minnesota player gets hurt all is fair in love and hockey, we will gladly remind them of Matt Cooke," I do not have much sympathy for Johnson, regardless of how unhurt Haula is(and thank God he's not). Yes, yes, Patrick Roy, you have been reminding us, every chance you get since April, my God. If the Avs ever get revenge will someone please promise that Colorado will never mention the name Matt Cooke again? Is it really better to spend months obsessing over how bad he is and then go out with intention to do the exact same? No that is much worse. In the end, what the ref witnessed was enough to immediately eject Johnson from the game, I saw him get escorted straight off the ice. They didn't even question it. Haula got hit, obviously, in the face, and fell and cupped his face- sure it stung. Haula got up and Johnson was already ejected....refs usually don't go back on their calls, to the ref it was clear he meant harm, not Erik Haula's fault he wasn't more injured nor was it his fault that Johnson was blantently obvious in his attack/Avs have a loose lipped coach. If you think the refs made a bad call well you know they also made a bad call when Hejda pushed Nino onto Varlamov which resulted in Coyle's goal being discounted, but hey we aren't complaining... We only needed 1 goal per game to win, and we obviously far exceeded that.

The Avs should have spent the 3 months learning how to score goals instead of how to be cheap shot artists. MN Wild's plan is to get better and beat the Blackhawks, who took us out of playoffs, not to injure them. Then again, Patrick Wifebeater Roy and Landeskag the Caveman are terrible role models... How a captain thinks it's good leadership to constantly make hits after the whistle blows is beyond me, he makes Johnson look like a saint! Quite the villainous duo commanding this sinking ship!

Losing your number 1 dman will have an impact on the game, yes the Wild were the dominate team that game early and often, however he was ejected early on, and EJ has the ability to change games with his shut down ability and the marginal offensive ability he has, so it is very premature to say that whatever the ref called has zero input.

It shouldn't have been a game, double minor at the most bc of how bad it looked, and I don't think Haula is a saint on this one either. They both played it terribly, EJ should have lined up for a hit better and if he thought Haula had the jump on him or he should have stop engaging the hip check which turned into a correcting himself and exposing his elbow instead.

Haula should have either used his speed to power through the hit or look at dumping the puck in. Any dman is trained to force the guy with speed to the outside and is expected to be hit, stopping short is never a smart play to avoid contact.

Granted its easy to look at the game tape and break it down on how each player should have engaged in the play after the fact, but like I have said before, its never black and white in these situations. Emotions and adrenaline of the play get the best of players and before you know it, stuff like this happens. On either end of the spectrum.

So after all that, to me its a nothing play, EJ screwed up his lines for a hit check and had his elbow out bc he was trying to force a hip check that wasn't there and Haula didn't power through the hit or dump the puck in, stopping short and perhaps selling the play more than it actually was bc he was stunned from the break down of the play. It wasn't dirty, no ones hurt, its just a bad break down of one isolated innocent, nothing more
- DDM-Coga

I normally agree with most of your comments but this one in particular is ridiculous. Haula would of got absolutely destroyed by a dirty hit if he just tried to "power" through it. The hit would of been dirty because Johnson left his feet not an elbow to the head. As someone who grew up playing defense I know that when someone's jumping around you the first instinct is too stick out whatever limb available to get a piece of them but I thought EJ actually did a good job of keeping his elbow tucked in.

Also think it might have been a bit of a sell job by Haula. It's impossible to tell how much contact was made but when your in enough pain to be down like that you don't just get up and be perfectly fine 2 seconds after the call was made.

Guessing if Haula was injured or if he "sold" it and guessing Johnson's intent are pretty irrelevant/circumstantial- if you stick to the facts and don't try to overanalyze it clearly the issue was Johnson's leaping off the ice at Haula, this isn't figure skating, skates can't leave the ice no no no- immediately that's what my friend and I said while watching the game- that was dirty, feet gotta stay on the ice. All the speculation of who was thinking what is really only that -speculation. And unless someone in colorado has a hot tub time machine that someone can get into and go back to Saturday night and keep his feet on the ice there is no real reason to argue it.

I can't believe everyone is still talking about this. The time spent arguing over this worthless play is absurd and is a little depressing considering how terrible of a hockey play it was all around. Bad check/embarrassing attempt to injure, some embellishment, a paltry comment by another player. I know not much has happened to argue about in the first week, but can we just all get over this one?

I'm thankful that we don't play the Wild until February and I'm hoping that once the Wild play another game the fans will stay away a little. I know to Wild fans that the Wild are on a straight trajectory to the top with a team full of honorable players and wonderful human beings. And that the Avs are going the opposite direction due to their inhumane, despicable players.

I know to Wild fans that the Wild are on a straight trajectory to the top with a team full of honorable players and wonderful human beings.
- manchester33

Not quite. We have Cooke. We'd need Gandhi on the team to tip the scales back to even.

Not quite. We have Cooke. We'd need Gandhi on the team to tip the scales back to even.
- Chinaski

God it must really suck to be a Wild fan. Like, this has been the most interesting 5 days of their lives in the last 15 years.

We need to focus on Hockey. Good traffic on Avs blog...