It won't be a fine or a suspension, nor was it an elbow.
- PLindbergh31

it's the epitome of the type of hit they're trying to get rid of. it caused a concussion. what more does he have to do to get suspended?

It won't be a fine or a suspension, nor was it an elbow.
- PLindbergh31

I will put a Jihad on him

Clean hit, Voracek was too busy admiring how pretty the puck looked on his stick. It was his own fault.
- yave1964

Yep, headshots are clean. Thats totally fair game. POS

the real dirty part of the hit by kronwall was that he bated voracek into thinking he was backing off, when jake took the cue he put his elbow into jake's face. to me that makes the hit an absolute cheap shot. and a head shot, gotta be a suspension.
- flyerscup2011

agreed ... but it won't be a suspension. Flyers will need to find their justice with a couple of big hits in the 3rd. Along with 2 points.

As if i didn't love him enough already...


As far as the hit, keep your head up kid...


With that said i hope a Flyers destroys a Wing in the last period, where's shelley when you need him?
- Yosimar89

i would be after blood

the more i look at it the worse it looks to me. that was just dirty

That Voracek had his head down and it was a clean hit.
- MBFlyerfan

Silly homersexual

It won't be a fine or a suspension, nor was it an elbow.
- PLindbergh31

It should absolutely be a suspendable hit. It was a predatory hit that targeted the head. It's exactly the kind of hit the NHL is trying to do away with.

agreed ... but it won't be a suspension. Flyers will need to find their justice with a couple of big hits in the 3rd. Along with 2 points.
- FlyerGuy

think knocking Zetterberg the (frank) out evens the score

it's the epitome of the type of hit they're trying to get rid of. it caused a concussion. what more does he have to do to get suspended?
- flyerscup2011

Maybe I will be wrong. I don't know, to me it wasn't dirty. What Vlasic did to Briere was much more worthy of a suspension than this.

didnt even go for the puck. kronwall is a wussy mother(frank)er
- flyfan1212

This. He targeted Jake before he even touched the puck and that piece of poop Kronwall never made an attempt on the puck. He went right for the head.

Somebody needs to take him out.

i just hope zetterberg is concussed tonight

the only thing about that is Kronwall was almost stationary when Voracek looked up and saw him ... and then once Voracek looked back down at the puck Kronwall saw his opportunity for a big hit, and took off right at Voracek looking to lay the shoulder on him.

Not necessarily an illegal hit ... but a clear intent to injure. Pretty dirty, imo.
- FlyerGuy

Any hit where the principal point of contact is the head, is now deemed an illegal hit.

the real dirty part of the hit by kronwall was that he bated voracek into thinking he was backing off, when jake took the cue he put his elbow into jake's face. to me that makes the hit an absolute cheap shot. and a head shot, gotta be a suspension.
- flyerscup2011

It likely won't be a suspension. Rule 48 is clear that shots that the primary point of contact are not allowed. However, when a player puts himself in a vulnerable position, like Voracek did, Rule 48 is flexible.

Toc you lost a little of my respect there.

Lavy needs to pull a Saints here and put 3 grand out for every 5 grams of Red Wing Blood on the ice.

5 grand for every gram of Kronwall blood.

Sick em, boys

Maybe I will be wrong. I don't know, to me it wasn't dirty. What Vlasic did to Briere was much more worthy of a suspension than this.
- PLindbergh31

Define "dirty".

Kronwall had Jake in his sights before Jake even touched the puck, but Kronwall never made a play on the puck...he went for the man and TARGETED the head.

To me, that's the essence of dirty.

the real dirty part of the hit by kronwall was that he bated voracek into thinking he was backing off, when jake took the cue he put his elbow into jake's face. to me that makes the hit an absolute cheap shot. and a head shot, gotta be a suspension.
- flyerscup2011

Kromwell is one of the dirtiest players in the league with that exact play. He tried it a couple of times earlier in the game and missed. Head contact aside, it's actually technically a 'clean' hit. The thing that makes it dirty though is every defenseman that plays hockey at an organized level can execute this hit regularly but they don't. The only skill involved in a hit like that is like you mentioned - bating the winger on the breakout into thinking he's backing up and then zooming in to connect just as the player gets the puck and has barely had a chance to turn forward. He does this hit time and time again. Ask yourself why is it that Kromwell is the only defenseman consistently making this play? Is he just that above and beyond skill level to be able to execute it? League needs to get rid of the instigator rule. Also on Rinaldo trying to talk smack with him and initiate with him - go back to the Volchenkov/Briere stuff. Volchenkov is another one of those dirty 'clean' hitting defenseman. They'll never fight back or shove or push back. You're gunna get a penalty called on you anyway might as well just tackled them down and get some shots in.

i just hope zetterberg is concussed tonight
- flyerscup2011

I don't like the hit on Voracek. But in my opinion it's flat out just as wrong to wish a concussion on any player.

I love big hits. but kronwall is a head hunter.

Rule 48 - Illegal Check to the Head

48.1 Illegal Check to the Head – A hit resulting in contact with an opponent's head where the head is targeted and the principal point of contact is not permitted. However, in determining whether such a hit should have been permitted, the circumstances of the hit, including whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit or the head contact on an otherwise legal body check was avoidable, can be considered.

48.2 Minor Penalty - For violation of this rule, a minor penalty shall be assessed.

48.3 Major Penalty - There is no provision for a major penalty for this rule.

48.4 Game Misconduct Penalty – There is no provision for a major penalty for this rule.

48.5 Match Penalty - The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a match penalty if, in his judgment, the player attempted to or deliberately injured his opponent with an illegal check to the head.
If deemed appropriate, supplementary discipline can be applied by the Commissioner at his discretion.

48.6 Fines and Suspensions – Any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconducts under this rule, in either regular League or playoff games, shall be suspended automatically for the next game his team plays. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.

If deemed appropriate, supplementary discipline can be applied by the Commissioner at his discretion (refer to Rule 28).

There's the language that will be referred to when Shanahan declines to suspend Kronwall

i just hope zetterberg is concussed tonight
- flyerscup2011

I'd prefer someone takes out Kronwall.

He's a Scott Stevens-type player in that he looks for players who he can hurt. And he targets the head.

At the very least someone needs to pound his face, and if he doesn't drop the gloves, that's fine...make him swallow blood regardless.

I don't like the hit on Voracek. But in my opinion it's flat out just as wrong to wish a concussion on any player.
- MJL

Cosign.

It likely won't be a suspension. Rule 48 is clear that shots that the primary point of contact are not allowed. However, when a player puts himself in a vulnerable position, like Voracek did, Rule 48 is flexible.
- Jsaquella

what's worse rinaldo's hit on kronwall or kronwall's hit on voracek? to me it's a no brainer the hit by kronwall.

also, voracek didn't suddenly change his head level, kronwall knew where he was going to hit him. vulnerable position or not, you can't put and elbow or shoulder into someone's head intentionally.

Kromwell is one of the dirtiest players in the league with that exact play. He tried it a couple of times earlier in the game and missed. Head contact aside, it's actually technically a 'clean' hit. The thing that makes it dirty though is every defenseman that plays hockey at an organized level can execute this hit regularly but they don't. The only skill involved in a hit like that is like you mentioned - bating the winger on the breakout into thinking he's backing up and then zooming in to connect just as the player gets the puck and has barely had a chance to turn forward. He does this hit time and time again. Ask yourself why is it that Kromwell is the only defenseman consistently making this play? Is he just that above and beyond skill level to be able to execute it? League needs to get rid of the instigator rule. Also on Rinaldo trying to talk smack with him and initiate with him - go back to the Volchenkov/Briere stuff. Volchenkov is another one of those dirty 'clean' hitting defenseman. They'll never fight back or shove or push back. You're gunna get a penalty called on you anyway might as well just tackled them down and get some shots in.
- Pixote Andolini

this

It should absolutely be a suspendable hit. It was a predatory hit that targeted the head. It's exactly the kind of hit the NHL is trying to do away with.
- MJL

I agree. I said in a earlier post that it wasn't a penalty in terms of being an elbow or a charge or anything like that. But it was a clear hit to the head that Kronwall had time to avoid.

Sometimes, hits to the head happen because one or both players is moving so fast, or in an unanticipated manner, that the hit can't be avoided. I don't think this was such a case. Kronwall has all day to line him up, and could still have made a very effective play, and a crushing hit with out hitting Voracek in the head. He chose not to do so. It's that conscious decision to hit Voracek in the head that makes it a reviewable/suspendable hit in my opinion.

That said, I still want to see a Flyer rip Zetterberg's head off with a similar hit. That's the only way to stop a guy like Kronwall, is to start making his teammates pay for his decisions.