Detroit Wins Game 1; Late Hit On Hudler Deserves Suspension
Jiri Hudler is helped off the ice by team therapist Piet Van Zant after Mike Brown's late hit during Detroit's 3-2 win at Joe Louis Arena on Friday. (ANDRE J. JACKSON/DFP)
If the Anaheim Ducks thought they were going to come into Detroit and steamroll their way to a game 1 win on Friday night they were sadly mistaken and sorely disappointed. Sorry guys, but you’re not in San Jose any more.
It took the Wings a while to work their rusty joints loose after not playing for more than a week, but they ultimately showed Anaheim what the rest of the series will be like for them. Detroit isn’t going to give Anaheim an inch. Detroit isn’t going to back down from fights. Detroit isn’t afraid of playing a rough game, and when Anaheim tries to send a message with a cheap, blindside hit Detroit will do them one better: They’ll plow through Anaheim’s goalie while putting the puck in the back of the net.
The Ducks don’t know it yet, but losing game 1 with 49 seconds left in the third period is just the beginning.
Click here for game highlights.
But Anaheim sure did give it the old college try, and as was expected from the Ducks coming into this series they tried by using questionable tactics. Case in point:
Now I’m sure there are folks out there who think this was a clean hit — “Hudler was caught admiring his pass,” “he had his head down,” etc. — but the fact of the matter is the puck was nowhere near Hudler when Brown blindsided him, in effect turning those arguments into so much horse pies.
The hit was late, dirty, and as cheap as they come. Brown saw a chance to take adgantage of an unsuspecting Hudler and literally jumped on it, and were it not for Hudler’s visor the damage done could have been a lot worse than 10 stitches.
I’m of the opinion that if Donald Brashear received five games for his late hit on Blair Betts then Brown should be gone for the rest of the playoffs. For some reason there is a fundamental lack of respect shown in today’s game, and hits like the one shown above are just the tip of the iceberg. Said Hudler about the hit and his hopes of a suspension:
“I didn’t see him coming. It happened really quick. I didn’t have the puck for at least two seconds. It was kind of late, but there’s nothing I can do right now. Obviously, it’s a hit on the head. I don’t want to be out of line, but I hope (the League) will get a look at it and do the right thing.”
Of course the Ducks are crying foul, but none more than head coach Randy Carlyle. After the game he sat down and, with stopwatch in hand, deconstructed the play in question with Mythbusters-like aplomb.
“From the time he passed the puck until Mike Brown made contact with him there wasn’t a second that went off,” Carlyle said. “He didn’t hit him with his elbow, he hit him with his shoulder, and Hudler was admiring his pass.”
And now Detroit is admiring a 1-0 lead in the series.
Oh, and just for laughs, here’s Jonathan Ericsson handling Corey Perry.
Posted by Paul Benvin
on May 2 2009. Filed under Anaheim Ducks, Central, Detroit Red Wings, NHL News/Commentary, Pacific, Western Conference.
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I found it funny Perry thought he was going to be able to punk Ericsson. Jonathan pounded Perry and threw him around like a rag doll; totally giving Perry more than what he expected
Sorry, but put me in the camp that says no suspension necessary. For one, it wasn’t that late, it was a shoulder, much more obviously so then the Brashear hit, and he was ejected from the game, hence “serving” a suspension already. I think it may have actually have been the visor that cut Hudler. He was clearly looking behind him, “admiring his pass.” If he was facing up-ice, he would have seen the hit, and it would have just been another classic open ice, playoff hockey check. But because he wasn’t, Brown should pull up? The Brashear hit was clearly late, and the forearm elbow came up. This one, not so much. Just from this fan’s point of view.
Karl, if that hit was done against the boards it would have been a hit from behind. And yes, because Hudler had his head turned Brown should have pulled up. Is this hockey or MMA? Are we playing a game or trying to kill people?
Well sure, but it wasn’t against the boards. And I know, from back in my college playing days, that a decision to “pull up” or hit a guy who turns is a split second decision. You got a guy lined up, and as you’re skating into him, he turns his head because he didn’t see you coming? This hit was definatly border line late, and he got the game misconduct. That should be the end of it. I think if Hudler’s visor hadn’t cut him open, it wouldn’t even warrant a question of suspension, but it looked worse then it probably was.
bottom line: it’s not about how late the hit was, as carlyle tried to spin it–it was not late, it was not charging, but it was roughing, and it was high. hits to the head can and should result in suspensions, or players will just keep thuggin’ it up.
At least they gave him a match, so the minimum has been done.
No suspension.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=421189
Guess what? Because the league didn’t handle it, the Wings will, and that’s exactly why the NHL should have dealt with it. Things are going to get ugly, and it’s all in the name of ratings.
Not sure about that. The Wings don’t go that way much. They retaliate for cheap shots by scoring, and they’ll get more chances for that against the dirty birds.
It is good television if it does get ugly, but it also is why people like my dad don’t watch this sport and it remains on the fringe…
I’d find it hard to believe that the NHL didn’t hand out a suspension in the hopes that the Wings will retaliate to make for better TV… the bottom line is that it was a border line late hit that led with the shoulder but caught him high. He got the 5 and a game, that’s enough. end of it.
And I think there are a lot more people that tune in hoping to see fights then people who tune out because of them.
I’ll tell you what, being a former player myself if someone hit me like that I’d certainly be looking for a little payback. Shoulder or not, elbow or not the hit was WAY late and came from the blindside. It’s cheap no matter how you slice it. Brown was looking to do damage, and that’s the bottom line.
No suspension? Fine, but don’t piss and moan when Brown is missing a few Chiclets after catching a stick or an elbow in the mouth. And trust me, Detroit is not beyond exacting a little one-ice justice themselves. McCarty/Lemieux anyone?
Game time at 2:00.
It’s amazing to me that you two disagree with each other and I still disagree with both of you—we are the Comment Triangle!
Karl: there are a lot more sports fans who do not watch hockey than watch it. A higher number of sports fans aren’t hockey fans than aren’t fans of other sports. One of the three most common reasons someone gives for not liking hockey is the fighting. And I am not personally saying that the choice not to suspend was conscious, but it’s a mindset—die-hard fans like us DO like the kind of intensity created by bad blood.
Like I said, I am okay with no suspension so long as there was a match penalty. I would also be okay with a suspension.
Paul: you are seriously going to talk about Lemieux/McCarty? That was fifteen years ago! How many of those Wings are still on the team? Osgood? He’s not fighting. Draper? He didn’t even play in games one or two. Lidstrom? He’s a Lady Byng candidate—he’s not fighting. I’m talking about THESE Wings when I say they are not retaliators. These Wings just play, and it’s one of the reasons they are among my five favourite teams even though they are in the Sharks’ way. (Then again, does it really matter who’s in our way? We’re gonna lose anyway!)
I also don’t think you have to worry about Brown moaning about a retaliation—he’ll take his medicine. Carlyle will try to make y’all the perpetrators and his dirty birds the victims, but that’s just his wussy gamesmanship.