Kronwall demolishes Coyle, Was it a head shot?

[hf101]

Kronwall was given a double-minor for high-sticking 30 seconds into the second period of the Wings - Wild game but it appears to be another blown call by the officials as the hit appeared to be an uncalled shoulder hit to Coyle's head. Although Coyle was skating with his head down Kronwall still launched himself. Did his feet leave the ice?

Note that the Wild scored on the double minor and probably wouldn't have had as much pp time if the call was made for an illegal check to the head as it appeared Coyle was not injured.

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

Great quote from EDI-Flyer in the shout box..."The problem is where his shoulder comes into contact with the head, whilst it is legal you gotta know that you have the potential to cause serious damage to someone elses brain..." And that's the part that I don't like. Kronwall injures more players with this exact hit than anyone else uses the hit. It is a physical game...I get that. And I want to keep that. But I can't help but think that this hit is a deliberate attempt to injure.

Not saying it hasn't happened before, but Coyle is the first guy I can remember getting up off the ice without a concussion after this hit.

[xganarchy]

If he was a flyer he'd have been suspended 5 times by now.

[Polaris922]

He targets the head... it's illegal. He should get a suspension but he gets away with this **** week in week out. Kronwall is one of the dirtiest skaters in the league right now, with no regard for the safety of other players.

Just looked into it... the league felt there was no body contact with his head. What a load of mularkey. Kronwall needs to be addressed.

Edited March 21, 2013 by Polaris922

[yave1964]

My wife says that I have such a man crush on Kronner that if they had a perfume named Kronwall that I would have ten kids so objectivity is obviously out of the window...That said, Coyle like everyone else should know by now should know that if you skate up ice with your chin on your chest admiring the pretty puck on your stick against the Wings you are going to be pulverized. It is clean and legal but ruthless. Sorry, even if it was reversed, if Suter or Weber or whoever did the exact same hit against Pavel I would still feel the same way. I love the hitting and am tired of people trying to turn the game into curling. Hockey is a contact sport and I hope it always will be.

[Polaris922]

My wife says that I have such a man crush on Kronner that if they had a perfume named Kronwall that I would have ten kids so objectivity is obviously out of the window...That said, Coyle like everyone else should know by now should know that if you skate up ice with your chin on your chest admiring the pretty puck on your stick against the Wings you are going to be pulverized. It is clean and legal but ruthless. Sorry, even if it was reversed, if Suter or Weber or whoever did the exact same hit against Pavel I would still feel the same way. I love the hitting and am tired of people trying to turn the game into curling. Hockey is a contact sport and I hope it always will be.

Hits to the head are not legal. He elevats into the hit and makes primary contact with the side of Coyle's head. Illegal hit. Shanahan's buddy organization.

[yave1964]

Hits to the head are not legal. He elevats into the hit and makes primary contact with the side of Coyle's head. Illegal hit. Shanahan's buddy organization.

I am not saying blame the victim but my God, if you skate with your chin on your chest you are setting yourself up as a target. Kronwall is by far, nobody even close the best open ice hitter in the game today. If he was on your team you would love him and I would likely hate him myself. But his hits are clean but brutal. The problem is not Kronwall, it is not enough people are hitting anymore.

[ruxpin]

I have NO problem with this hit. In fact, I think it's a terrific hit. He did not get him with the stick (which admittedly came up higher than it should have), so I don't even like the high stick call.

Most of the force of the impact wasn't even from Kronwall. It was from the kid barreling full-speed up ice watching himself fondling the puck.

It wasn't a blind-side hit. He didn't leave his feet. He didn't come charging from half the ice away. He changed directions and glided a few feet and basically let the kid run into him. I like it.

WATCH WHERE THE HELL YOU'RE GOING if you don't want to get clocked. At this level, you SHOULD be able to stick handle without looking down. I swear to God I think I'm starting to watch the Ice Capades.

[Polaris922]

Shoulder hits head. Primary impact point is targeted head. THAT is what makes the hit illegal. 50% of Kronwall's hits are charges or head hits because he elevates his body. THAT is the problem with the hit. How can you guys say it's legal when he elevates his shoulder into the kid's head?

I love hitting in the game too. But of the LEGAL variety. This wasn't a shoulder to the chest. I've frame by framed it and it's clearly shoulder to the head. What are you guys watching?

Edited March 21, 2013 by Polaris922

[jammer2]

@Polaris922 That's how I see it also. The shoulder CLEARLY hits his head, that is the primary impact point. Thus, an illegal hit to the head. While I agree with rux wholeheartedly in regards to players taking accountability ie not looking down. They are responible for their own well being on the ice, nobody else is gonna watch your back.....or head in this case. Bottom line, when Kronwall is on the ice, you owe it to yourself and loved ones to HAVE YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL. This does not change the fact that the hit is illegal though. This is exactly the kind of hit the NHL is targeting.....direct hits to the head. I'd be shocked if he was not held accountable for this hit....I say a 2-4 games would be a nice deterrant.

[yave1964]

Elevate? Polaris, I love your posts, but cmon, did he stand on his tippy toes? He didn't leave his feet, Coyle is 6.2 Kronner is 5.11, if Coyle was not skating with chin on chest admiring the puck it would have been shoulder to chest, the hit looked worse than it was because Coyle was skating like he was the only one on the ice.

[ruxpin]

Completely agree, @yave1964

I get that the primary point of contact is the head. I actually don't care. It's not Kronwall's fault that the head of a guy that is 5'11" is only 5' off the ice because the guy wants to play paddycake with the puck. It's a small rink and guys are big. You cannot skate as if you're out for a stroll by yourself on the local pond. Maybe with today's "put your tutu on and whistle Disney tunes" rules it's illegal because he hit his head. I say those rules suck.

[jammer2]

Completely agree, @yave1964

I get that the primary point of contact is the head. I actually don't care. It's not Kronwall's fault that the head of a guy that is 5'11" is only 5' off the ice because the guy wants to play paddycake with the puck. It's a small rink and guys are big. You cannot skate as if you're out for a stroll by yourself on the local pond. Maybe with today's "put your tutu on and whistle Disney tunes" rules it's illegal because he hit his head. I say those rules suck.

It may suck, but these guys have families, a career to watch out for. The NHL and the NHLPA should be eliminating head shots. I'm about as hard core old school as you can get, but this is not a question of being a pu**y etc....this is a life or death, drooling or non drooling scenario. These guys deserve to live a life that is healthy with a clear head.....not dizzy and not being able to function properly, with headaches so bad they can't get out of bed...if these rules prevent that type of thing happening to one single player, it's worth it.

[Polaris922]

@yave1964

@ruxpin

Kronwall could have easily bent at the knees and stayed lower, driving his shoulder into the chest and exploding out from there, making it a brutal check that would have sent Coyle off his skates and down to the ice, WITHOUT hitting the head. I've done it, and I've had it done to me. The lower the center of gravity the more brutal the body check. BODY check. Not HEAD check. It's about the center of gravity in a hit like that and if you guys ave played you know that. I don't give a damn if Coyle is skating with his helmet over his eyes... Kronwall has an obligation, both by rule and by what is decent in respecting other players, to lay the hit into Coyle's torso.. not his head. And he DOES leave one skate... hopping sort of to elevate his shoulders. It's what he does... but usually with both skates leaving the ice.

Red Wing or no... the man tries to hurt people.

@jammer2

There are a lot of reports saying there will be no review. I dunno how accurate they are. Nothing out of the NHL on it.

Edited March 21, 2013 by Polaris922

[ruxpin]

this is a life or death, drooling or non drooling scenario

Then SKATE WITH YOUR DAMN HEAD UP! Seriously, in this particular case he was skating like he was the only one in the building. If it's life and death, take some damn responsibility. If I walk out between two parked cars while fumbling in my pocket (not just because I like that sort of thing but because I'm going for my cell phone or something) and someone hits me, I'm not going to petition to have people stop driving cars. I have to take responsibility and be aware of my surroundings. Now, compound this analogy with the fact that I'm supposed to be paid to be a professional walker and be able to walk without looking at my feet and am wearing a headset and shouldn't have to be fumbling for my cell phone and you have what Coyle did.

Yes, Kronwall has a reputation. So this compounds the insanity of Coyle skating as if he's walking up the aisle for communion.

@Polaris922 There's no review because there's nothing to see here. He got penalized for his stick coming up. End of story.

[yave1964]

My final word on the subject... Kronwall lives on the edge. He has found a way to hit, hit hard, destroy an opposing player and keep it within the rules. He does this a couple of times a year, almost always without even drawing a penalty. Kessler, Briere, Havlat, Voracek, Hemsky, Heatley, Clowe, Selanne all prove he is an equal opportunity hitter. If you go over the middle or along his side with the puck and your head down, he is going to lay you out. Period.

His penalty, which he deserved and essentially swung the game completely to the Wild was in having his stick up. That is new and hopefully it was just shaking off the rust because it has been almost a year since he has hit someone like this. Hopefully next time he just keeps his arms down at his side as usual and drives his shoulder through whoever he lays out.

He is the spiritual heir to the Vladiator, Vladimir Konstantinov. As long as people keep coming out of their own zone with the puck and their mind elsewhere I hope he continues to lay them out. And I wish more people still played this way. He is a top scorer from the blue line and the best hitter in hockey. Viva la Kronwall!!

[jammer2]

@ruxpin Sure, I'm totally in favour of players being more accountable for their own health. Just like I think the league has a responibility to enforce the rules they have in place. The head cannot be hit/targeted, when you break this rule, you should be suspended.....end of story, for me anyways...lol.

[ruxpin]

Everybody hit! Woohoo!!!

[Polaris922]

My final word on the subject... Kronwall lives on the edge. He has found a way to hit, hit hard, destroy an opposing player and keep it within the rules. He does this a couple of times a year, almost always without even drawing a penalty. Kessler, Briere, Havlat, Voracek, Hemsky, Heatley, Clowe, Selanne all prove he is an equal opportunity hitter. If you go over the middle or along his side with the puck and your head down, he is going to lay you out. Period.

His penalty, which he deserved and essentially swung the game completely to the Wild was in having his stick up. That is new and hopefully it was just shaking off the rust because it has been almost a year since he has hit someone like this. Hopefully next time he just keeps his arms down at his side as usual and drives his shoulder through whoever he lays out.

He is the spiritual heir to the Vladiator, Vladimir Konstantinov. As long as people keep coming out of their own zone with the puck and their mind elsewhere I hope he continues to lay them out. And I wish more people still played this way. He is a top scorer from the blue line and the best hitter in hockey. Viva la Kronwall!!

All well and good... WHEN IT'S A LEGAL HIT. This wasn't.

[xganarchy]

Rux I do agree with u as far as the league taking good hits out of the game but this has nothing to do with that at this point. The hits Kronwall inflicts are always borderline but never seem to get a second look from Shanahan. Coincidence?

[Phillygrump]

Should players skate with their heads up? Yes. Does it make it legal to hit them in he head if they don't? No.

I think it is a player's responsibility to protect himself, but don't sell me a line on it when a guy like Kronwall makes a living with illegal hits and still has zero accountability for them.

That same hit is suspended all around the league. Most of Kronwall's hits are of the type that are suspended league wide but some how mysteriously this guy can't even get the $&@*ing hit reviewed? Come on. What's the debate?

[ruxpin]

Rux I do agree with u as far as the league taking good hits out of the game but this has nothing to do with that at this point. The hits Kronwall inflicts are always borderline but never seem to get a second look from Shanahan. Coincidence?

I don't know. If he's smart enough to keep his hits like this one, they don't deserve a second hit. i still insist this hit was perfectly legal.

[ruxpin]

Should players skate with their heads up? Yes. Does it make it legal to hit them in he head if they don't? No.

I think it is a player's responsibility to protect himself, but don't sell me a line on it when a guy like Kronwall makes a living with illegal hits and still has zero accountability for them.

That same hit is suspended all around the league. Most of Kronwall's hits are of the type that are suspended league wide but some how mysteriously this guy can't even get the $&@*ing hit reviewed? Come on. What's the debate?

I'm sorry. I don't see anything about that hit that is worth a 2-minute penalty let alone being suspension-worthy. I really don't. I think you guys are basing this on the name involved rather than the actual hit, because I honestly don't see a thing wrong with it.

[Polaris922]

I'm sorry. I don't see anything about that hit that is worth a 2-minute penalty let alone being suspension-worthy. I really don't. I think you guys are basing this on the name involved rather than the actual hit, because I honestly don't see a thing wrong with it.

How can you not see his shoulder impact the side of Coyle's head? Not slide up to but impact?

[ruxpin]

@Polaris922

I see it. I think it's incidental and not suspension-worthy.