Series Thread: Round 2: (2) Pittsburgh v. (1) Washington

[Dacks]

Backstrom came across the ice and tried to dodge two players that slid in front of him. so....?

Primary contact to the head. Check.
Blindside. Check.
Puck long gone. Check.

Tick's all the boxes. 5+ games.

 

[elocomotive]

The knee to the head didn't look intentional. Plus it looks like it was maybe the side of his leg that caught Letang.

Honestly, if you saw it from the other angle, Backstrom's knee hit his shoulder, and then Letang goes and grabs his head.

Again living up to his last name.

 

[Dacks]

Honestly, if you saw it from the other angle, Backstrom's knee hit his shoulder, and then Letang goes and grabs his head.

Again living up to his last name.

On second viewing, you may be correct.


Twitter kind of ruins our ability to debate plays we can no longer review...

 

[elocomotive]

Primary contact to the head. Check.
Blindside. Check.
Puck long gone. Check.

Tick's all the boxes. 5+ games.

Nope, watch the other angle. They just showed it on NBC. Didn't hit his head, he just grabbed his, because that's what guys like him do.

 

[Dacks]

Final thought before signing off:

Pens 0/11 on the powerplay, Caps 1/10. Did not expect that. Caps have looked way more dangerous though, Pens powerplay has just looked dysfunctional.

Have a nice night!

 

[Gooch1034]

Honestly, if you saw it from the other angle, Backstrom's knee hit his shoulder, and then Letang goes and grabs his head.

Again living up to his last name.

Yeah his knee hit his shoulder but his leg did hit Letangs head. Not that it is a penalty but that's likely why Letang grabbed his head.

 

[scoutyjones2]

Letang gets at least one game off...Crosby has taken the series off, the big POS

 

[scoutyjones2]

I love it...first time the Crapitals have lost back to back games in regulation all freaking year!

Suck it!!!

 

[ritari330]

Backstrom came across the ice and tried to dodge two players that slid in front of him. so....?

That angle is the angle that favors what the Pens fans see from that. Every other angle shows its clear Backstrom is avoiding both playings sliding in front of him.

 

[obxyankeefan]

That angle is the angle that favors what the Pens fans see from that. Every other angle shows its clear Backstrom is avoiding both playings sliding in front of him.

The angle I saw looked like Backstrom put his ass on LaTang's Face and told him to kiss it. I got a feeling that the NHL rules committee is not going to be happy about this and probably gives Backstrom 5 games.

 

[ritari330]

I love it...first time the Crapitals have lost back to back games in regulation all freaking year!

Suck it!!!

Not true. Lost game 4 and 5 to the Philly. Also, Crapitals? Really? Sounds almost as original as the Toronto Maple Laughs.

 

[Gooch1034]

Jesus H Christ are you guys angry! I think a few may be taking things a little too seriously?

 

[Maverick426h]

I love it...first time the Crapitals have lost back to back games in regulation all freaking year!

Suck it!!!

Actually, that's incorrect. The Flyers accomplished this in round one. I see now that someone else already corrected you...lol

A lot of cheap shots going on in this series right now. I'm wondering why Backstrom had to go through Letang and knee him from behind in the shoulder/head when there was plenty of ice elsewhere.

I think if Letang misses more than one game for his hit, it could change the entire outlook of the series.

 

[Dacks]

So, is this series living up to the hype so far? Three one-goal games, including an OT, back and forth action, momentum swings, a dirty play in every game....

I think 1 game for Letang almost looks guaranteed now. (Of course with this league you never know.) He's not getting three because the league will view it as a tier below Orpik. He won't get off scot-free because of the stink Trotz made after Orpik's suspension, and the the optics. That leaves 1 or 2 games, which = 1 because MJ came back to play.

Pens will have to play a lot better to win without Letang though. Maybe their powerplay finally clicks and they steal one? I could see it with J. Shultz playing. And I can't understand why they can't set up Malkin from the right side like the Caps set up OV from the left. Sure, he won't score as often, but his one timer is still pretty deadly, it's got to be better than what we're currently doing.

 

[Dacks]

The regardless of injury part is the key. You can't be reactive (to an injury) if you want to get rid of those hits.

It's fine to take injury into account - the problem is their accounting is backwards. It should be extra games for a reckless act that causes injury, not fewer (or no games) if the guy is fine. I know people don't like the idea of taking injury into account, but that's a reality in the legal system, too. You punch a guy at a bar, it's assault. You punch them, knock them out, and they hit their head on the bar and die, you can get charged with manslaughter.

Set a minimum based on some clear criteria (targeting head, player in dangerous position, timing, etc...) and allow up to double based on the result.

 

[scoutyjones2]

Not true. Lost game 4 and 5 to the Philly. Also, Crapitals? Really? Sounds almost as original as the Toronto Maple Laughs.

That's what I get for believing the Pens radio announcers

 

[Puck082]

If Letang gets two game (which I absolutely think he should) this series could easily shift. Outside of the cheapies each team is getting on one another, this has been a blast to watch as an outsider.

Also, the Backstrom 'knee' was accidental in my opinion. I've watched him over the years and he really doesn't have a dirty side to him.

 

[Darkstone42]

Here I am, reporting the obvious.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Here I am, reporting the obvious.

I'm not quite sure honestly how the NHL can say this is for interference and not for a head shot?

I realize that was the call on the ice, but I think that was the ref's way of getting out of giving a major and game to Letang for the hit.

The league should really call it for what it is.

 

[pixburgher66]

Only reason I question Backstrom is because he had tons of ice to use instead of leaping over a guy, which with skates on gives me the heebie jeebies. But, even still nothing to come of that. Probably a "whoops, did I do that?" situation.