Haula Levels Lehtonen

[hf101]

Erik Haula seemed to have gotten tripped but yet he didn't let up on the scoring attempt as he barreled into Lehtonen in a head on head collision.  Haula received a 5min major and a game misconduct.  Is that enough or should Haula also receive a game misconduct.?

 

[xganarchy]

Wow that was brutal. Especially how Lehtonen's head hit the crossbar after his helmet came off. I missed this game, did he return?

[hf101]

Wow that was brutal. Especially how Lehtonen's head hit the crossbar after his helmet came off. I missed this game, did he return?

 

No.  Thomas finished and won the game for Dallas with some quality saves as Dallas was behind a goal prior to Lehtonen's injury.

[flyercanuck]

Erik Haula seemed to have gotten tripped but yet he didn't let up on the scoring attempt as he barreled into Lehtonen in a head on head collision.  Haula received a 5min major and a game misconduct.  Is that enough or should Haula also receive a game misconduct.?

 

 

 

 I'd be OK with a one game suspension for that...just to send out a message. Running a goalie is one thing...that's crazy.

[yave1964]

Wow Lehtonen got drilled. Tim Thomas may have been the under the radar pickup for the season.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

I watched the Min-Dal game and while I will side with the Wild on just about anything vs another team, even I have to say that Haula COULD have possibly made some attempt at trying to avoid contact with the goalie (however slim that was), and honestly, he didn't appear all too interested in doing so.

 

Dirty play? Hard to tell on that as according to media, Haula isn't that type of player AND he did appear to lose his balance a bit.

But still, one would have thought that even given losing an edge or balance that you would have seen some attempt at Haula trying to twist his body somewhat away from the goalie.

That was not the case.

Looked to me like he saw contact was inevitable and decided, "oh well, I guess I am going through the goalie and the entire backstop" and just left it at that.

NOT the best decision he could have made.

 

I was pretty sure as that play happened that Haula would be receiving a call from The Shana-Ban on that incident.

I thought the penalties assessed in the game were about right...the five minute major for 'charging' for sure..the misconduct?

Well, that assumes the refs thought Haula was being malicious during the play...which no one really knows but Haula  himself.

But again, to all watching, he really did make it look like he made NO effort to at least try to avoid a direct (and head to head!) hit with the goaltender the way he did.

 

Wouldn't surprise me if Haula got a game or three suspension.

 

And for future reference, if the guy really didn't mean to do that, then he needs to put a better effort in at least trying to avoid it.

At least that way, if the end result is the same, ppl can look at the replay and go, "Hey, he tried to avoid the goaltender...it was just unfortunate what happened."

 

I am not going to fault Haula for going to the net hard...but what happened after that, I can't help but think he could have had at least a bit of control over.

 

The game itself? Yea, the 5 minute major was a momentum breaker for Minnesota and the Wild nearly killed it completely off (Dallas scored with 26 seconds left in the major), but even at that point, the game was tied 3-3.

 

The real killer was the stupid giveaway at the offensive blue line by Keith 'Veteran Knucklehead' Ballard.

That allowed the Stars to run up the ice and ultimately put themselves up 4-3 late in the game.

 

Tim Thomas was good, though I wouldn't call him spectacular in his relief appearance but IMO it was more Minnesota giving away the game late rather than Thomas winning it for Dallas.

 

House of horrors in Dallas for the Wild indeed.

With yesterday's loss, the Wild are now 1-19 in the last 20 games there........SMH...

[jammer2]

    It was kind of a bang bang play, but at the last moment, it seems as if he could have twisted or contorted his body enough to avoid direct head contact on Lehtonen, or at least lessen the blow a bit, he didn't seem to interested in that. He was driving the net hard, which is what you want from a young player, he's just gotta show a bit more control at the end of the process. I'd be ok with one game here.

[Polaris922]

I get that his leg was hooked and his skate was stuck behind the Dallas defenseman's... but nothing meant he had to lean forward and go in head first.  He couldn've dropped to the ice and hit low.  I guess it happens fast and contact was inevitable, just thought he could've done more to protect Lehtonen.  Man the way his head hit the crossbar...  ouch...