Dee Karl: History Repeats Itself: Isles Blow 3-0 Lead What has happened?

clean hit. Ballard turned. What the (frank) is he expecting.

Clean, but unfortunate, hit.

Wonder if the Wild noticed how, when Brodziak told Martin it was time to fight because of the hit; Martin obliged... the complete opposite of the way Wild players are, like Scandella after the hit he got fined for a week and a half ago running the entire night and refusing to go.

Clean, but unfortunate, hit.

Wonder if the Wild noticed how, when Brodziak told Martin it was time to fight because of the hit; Martin obliged... the complete opposite of the way Wild players are, like Scandella after the hit he got fined for a week and a half ago running the entire night and refusing to go.
- Antilles

Ballard went after injuring Perry...

Clean, but unfortunate, hit.

Wonder if the Wild noticed how, when Brodziak told Martin it was time to fight because of the hit; Martin obliged... the complete opposite of the way Wild players are, like Scandella after the hit he got fined for a week and a half ago running the entire night and refusing to go.
- Antilles

Scandella had two suspendable offenses during the game. World class POS. Elbowed nelson in the head and slashed tavares like he was chopping wood. Either way crap performance by the islanders.

Scandella had two suspendable offenses during the game. World class POS. Elbowed nelson in the head and slashed tavares like he was chopping wood. Either way crap performance by the islanders.
- Cptmjl

Honestly I thought the elbow was more to the chest and the slash was vicious and suspendable but I don't blame him for being pissed that JT got away with 3 or 4 really good wacks himself that led to the turnover, refs looked awful overall but what else is new

Honestly I thought the elbow was more to the chest and the slash was vicious and suspendable but I don't blame him for being pissed that JT got away with 3 or 4 really good wacks himself that led to the turnover, refs looked awful overall but what else is new
- HankdaTank

Honestly those slashes that happened before happen eveey game the slash that he did take players out. Not the best analogy.

Honestly those slashes that happened before happen eveey game the slash that he did take players out. Not the best analogy.
- Cptmjl

JT should have been called and that slash doesn't happen, they were a bit on the excessive side

JT should have been called and that slash doesn't happen, they were a bit on the excessive side
- HankdaTank

K

DVR'd this game. Sounds like a must-watch.

DVR'd this game. Sounds like a must-watch.
- 87_71_11_29

You should definitely take time out of your life to watch it.

DVR'd this game. Sounds like a must-watch.
- 87_71_11_29

Definite must watch

Once Minnesota realized not just Johnson could not manage the crease but the Isles defense was depleted, just a matter of time scoring by playing the down-low game. Not surprised how well vets Parise, Suter and Koivu stepped up and last two goals by Vanek and Nino were classic crease crashers.

Hit was clean, all on Ballard there.

Funny how about a month ago Rangers were down 2 skaters after Kreider and Moore got tossed for hurting two Wild players but they were the ones who got the "impetus" and came back from a larger deficit.

Hit was clean, all on Ballard there.

Funny how about a month ago Rangers were down 2 skaters after Kreider and Moore got tossed for hurting two Wild players but they were the ones who got the "impetus" and came back from a larger deficit.
- mrn22

Only thing I can say about the hit is this: Martin went at him full speed and left his skates to hit him. The puck was long gone, so the hit was unnecessary. I think Ballard turning might have saved him. Being as close to the bench as he was, had he absorbed the hit from the front, it might have been the back of his neck/head hitting the edge of the boards instead of the front, in which case he could have come out of it a lot worse. He probably should have gotten a charging penalty, and Scandella should have gotten an intent to chop off a leg penalty as well.

Only thing I can say about the hit is this: Martin went at him full speed and left his skates to hit him. The puck was long gone, so the hit was unnecessary. I think Ballard turning might have saved him. Being as close to the bench as he was had he absorbed the hit from the front, it might have been the back of his neck/head hitting the edge of the boards instead of the front, in which case he could have come out of it a lot worse. The penalty probably should have been charging if anything.
- mnhockeyguy

He absolutely did not leave his feet. His foot comes off the ice after contact which is a world away from leaving your feet and then making contact. The puck was not "long gone" as you say. Martin was finishing his check, as he always does. This happens 50 times a game in any game, unfortunately Ballard was injured on this one. That's part of hockey. He also did not come in at "full speed". He glided in for a good 10 feet with no strides before making contact. There was no charging.

As for Ballard turning away from the hit, it absolutely and unequivocally made his situation exponentially worse. His head/neck area only hit the edge of the Islanders bench because in the act of turning/shying away from the hit he also ducks. Had he stood up and absorbed Martin's hit as he should have his mid-to-lower back would have hit the boards, if not the glass between the benches. I feel for the guy but this play was not even close to a penalty, nor is it fine-worthy or suspension-worthy. In a league where the utmost importance has been placed on head trauma and often referees tend to err on the side of caution, the fact that there was no call is heavy proof that the main cause of the injury was Ballard turning away from the check rather than absorbing it. When the league announces (or doesn't) that there will be no subsequent fine or suspension for Martin that will only serve as further proof that he is, and should be, absolved of any and all wrong-doing regarding the incident.

edit:

NHL Player Safety @NHLPlayerSafety
Minnesota defenseman Marco Scandella will have a hearing this evening for an illegal check to the head of NY Islanders forward Brock Nelson.

Arthur Staple @StapeNewsday
Given the Player Safety announcements this AM, seems that Matt Martin won't have a hearing for check that injured Keith Ballard. #isles

He absolutely did not leave his feet. His foot comes off the ice after contact which is a world away from leaving your feet and then making contact. The puck was not "long gone" as you say. Martin was finishing his check, as he always does. This happens 50 times a game in any game, unfortunately Ballard was injured on this one. That's part of hockey. He also did not come in at "full speed". He glided in for a good 10 feet with no strides before making contact. There was no charging.

As for Ballard turning away from the hit, it absolutely and unequivocally made his situation exponentially worse. His head/neck area only hit the edge of the Islanders bench because in the act of turning/shying away from the hit he also ducks. Had he stood up and absorbed Martin's hit as he should have his mid-to-lower back would have hit the boards, if not the glass between the benches. I feel for the guy but this play was not even close to a penalty, nor is it fine-worthy or suspension-worthy. In a league where the utmost importance has been placed on head trauma and often referees tend to err on the side of caution, the fact that there was no call is heavy proof that the main cause of the injury was Ballard turning away from the check rather than absorbing it. When the league announces (or doesn't) that there will be no subsequent fine or suspension for Martin that will only serve as further proof that he is, and should be, absolved of any and all wrong-doing regarding the incident.

edit:

NHL Player Safety @NHLPlayerSafety
Minnesota defenseman Marco Scandella will have a hearing this evening for an illegal check to the head of NY Islanders forward Brock Nelson.

Arthur Staple @StapeNewsday
Given the Player Safety announcements this AM, seems that Matt Martin won't have a hearing for check that injured Keith Ballard. #isles
- eichiefs9

Well said!

I respect Brodziak for standing up for his teammate and dropping them with Matty, But what ever happened to the Penalty for a guy fighting while wearing a visor?

XxNYIxX

I respect Brodziak for standing up for his teammate and dropping them with Matty, But what ever happened to the Penalty for a guy fighting while wearing a visor?

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

That rule is no-more. Its now a penalty to remove your helmet for a fight even if you're wearing a visor.

That rule is no-more. Its now a penalty to remove your helmet for a fight even if you're wearing a visor.
- mrn22

Pretty soon they wont have to take fighting out of the game, just make everyone wear a full cage


XxNYIxX

He absolutely did not leave his feet. His foot comes off the ice after contact which is a world away from leaving your feet and then making contact. The puck was not "long gone" as you say. Martin was finishing his check, as he always does. This happens 50 times a game in any game, unfortunately Ballard was injured on this one. That's part of hockey. He also did not come in at "full speed". He glided in for a good 10 feet with no strides before making contact. There was no charging.

As for Ballard turning away from the hit, it absolutely and unequivocally made his situation exponentially worse. His head/neck area only hit the edge of the Islanders bench because in the act of turning/shying away from the hit he also ducks. Had he stood up and absorbed Martin's hit as he should have his mid-to-lower back would have hit the boards, if not the glass between the benches. I feel for the guy but this play was not even close to a penalty, nor is it fine-worthy or suspension-worthy. In a league where the utmost importance has been placed on head trauma and often referees tend to err on the side of caution, the fact that there was no call is heavy proof that the main cause of the injury was Ballard turning away from the check rather than absorbing it. When the league announces (or doesn't) that there will be no subsequent fine or suspension for Martin that will only serve as further proof that he is, and should be, absolved of any and all wrong-doing regarding the incident.

Look again the puck was gone well before he made contact, and no his back would not just slid into the boards as you put. Either way the hit was knocking him over, and its probably better in this instance that he turned away. You see in the replay that Martin had to turn to his left to make his hit after Ballard peeled away. If he would have hit him straight on, no way Ballard stays on his feet. He would have gone head first/neck first backwards into the edge of the bench. Im not saying it was overly dirty, just that it was unnecessary as the puck was gone and Ballard didnt see him until the last second which caused the very natural reaction of trying to avoid an incoming hit.

edit:

NHL Player Safety @NHLPlayerSafety
Minnesota defenseman Marco Scandella will have a hearing this evening for an illegal check to the head of NY Islanders forward Brock Nelson.

Arthur Staple @StapeNewsday
Given the Player Safety announcements this AM, seems that Matt Martin won't have a hearing for check that injured Keith Ballard. #isles
- eichiefs9

Look again the puck was gone well before he made contact, and no his back would not just slid into the boards as you put. Either way the hit was knocking him over, and its probably better in this instance that he turned away. You see in the replay that Martin had to turn to his left to make his hit after Ballard peeled away. If he would have hit him straight on, no way Ballard stays on his feet. He would have gone head first/neck first backwards into the edge of the bench. Im not saying it was overly dirty, just that it was unnecessary as the puck was gone and Ballard didnt see him until the last second which caused the very natural reaction of trying to avoid an incoming hit.
- mnhockeyguy

Martin was maybe 3 or 4 feet from him when he dumped the puck in deep and had already begun initiating the hit. That constitutes finishing your check. I'm not saying he would have stayed on his feet had he stayed upright and absorbed the hit, but in the act of turning to avoid it he shrinks himself and puts his head/neck area level with the edge of the bench-boards. That's what partially, the other part being his head hitting the ice, caused the severity of the injury. The main reason his head/neck hit the ledge of the bench-boards was because he turned and put his head in line with it. Had he stood up I truly believe he may have gone flying backwards, but hit the glass. Even if he didn't, I can't picture him tilting backwards far enough to get his head or neck down to the level of the edge of the bench-boards to cause a similar injury.

I understand turning to avoid a hit is a natural reaction but it is still making Ballard primarily responsible for the injury. The hit did come after he had dumped the puck but it was not so egregiously late that Martin should not have made contact. He was already in close proximity when the puck left Ballard's stick and starting to initiate contact. It's nearly impossible to pull up at that point to avoid contact and it's even more impossible to anticipate that Ballard would put his body in the position that he did.

I hope Ballard is OK and escapes without any serious and/or lingering injury. It was an unfortunate situation that I wish never happened. That's the kind of stuff you never want to see any under circumstances. But I do think that the referees and the league have made the right call.

Only thing I can say about the hit is this: Martin went at him full speed and left his skates to hit him. The puck was long gone, so the hit was unnecessary. I think Ballard turning might have saved him. Being as close to the bench as he was, had he absorbed the hit from the front, it might have been the back of his neck/head hitting the edge of the boards instead of the front, in which case he could have come out of it a lot worse. He probably should have gotten a charging penalty, and Scandella should have gotten an intent to chop off a leg penalty as well.
- mnhockeyguy

The islanders players were taking plenty of liberties in finishing checks well behind the play of the puck last night. A lot of late hits were happening and were never addressed by the on-ice officials.

Sure you can call Martins hit "legal", but as you alluded to it was completely unnecessary and going on well after Ballard was out of the play.

Hits along the bench area are the most dangerous, a lot of injuries stem from those ones. I think Ballard realized where he was and was trying to get low on the half wall to better absorb the hit and most likely so he didn't get piled into the bench area.

Either way these incidents are most often just bad timing, wrong place wrong time. I don't think Martin should be disciplined, but he does play a dangerous game with his style of hitting and finishing checks no matter how late or where a player is on the ice. He will end up hurting someone again in the future, of that I have no doubt. Playing that ambiguous style of hurt 'em hockey is really all players like Martin are good for. He plays not surprisingly similar to the former Islander Trevor Gillies.

As far as Scandella is concerned, he needs to start watching his P's and Q's or he'll find himself a marked man. That's his second questionable high hit in the last 2 games as far as the one to Nelson last night and to Oshie the previous game. And as far as his slash goes, yes it was bush league, but one could also argue Tavares 3 or 4 whacks were also slightly out of the realm of fair play and could have been called and werent'. That certainly doesn't excuse Scandella by any means, but what's good for the goose as they say.

The islanders players were taking plenty of liberties in finishing checks well behind the play of the puck last night. A lot of late hits were happening and were never addressed by the on-ice officials.

Sure you can call Martins hit "legal", but as you alluded to it was completely unnecessary and going on well after Ballard was out of the play.

Hits along the bench area are the most dangerous, a lot of injuries stem from those ones. I think Ballard realized where he was and was trying to get low on the half wall to better absorb the hit and most likely so he didn't get piled into the bench area.

Either way these incidents are most often just bad timing, wrong place wrong time. I don't think Martin should be disciplined, but he does play a dangerous game with his style of hitting and finishing checks no matter how late or where a player is on the ice. He will end up hurting someone again in the future, of that I have no doubt. Playing that ambiguous style of hurt 'em hockey is really all players like Martin are good for. He plays not surprisingly similar to the former Islander Trevor Gillies.

As far as Scandella is concerned, he needs to start watching his P's and Q's or he'll find himself a marked man. That's his second questionable high hit in the last 2 games as far as the one to Nelson last night and to Oshie the previous game. And as far as his slash goes, yes it was a bush league play, but one could also argue Tavares 3 or 4 whacks were also slightly out of the realm of fair play and could have been called and werent'. That certainly doesn't excuse Scandella by any means, but what's good for the goose as they say.
- MnGump

When did you see this and how did you see it behind the play?

The islanders players were taking plenty of liberties in finishing checks well behind the play of the puck last night. A lot of late hits were happening and were never addressed by the on-ice officials.

Sure you can call Martins hit "legal", but as you alluded to it was completely unnecessary and going on well after Ballard was out of the play.

Hits along the bench area are the most dangerous, a lot of injuries stem from those ones. I think Ballard realized where he was and was trying to get low on the half wall to better absorb the hit and most likely so he didn't get piled into the bench area.

Either way these incidents are most often just bad timing, wrong place wrong time. I don't think Martin should be disciplined, but he does play a dangerous game with his style of hitting and finishing checks no matter how late or where a player is on the ice. He will end up hurting someone again in the future, of that I have no doubt. Playing that ambiguous style of hurt 'em hockey is really all players like Martin are good for. He plays not surprisingly similar to the former Islander Trevor Gillies.

As far as Scandella is concerned, he needs to start watching his P's and Q's or he'll find himself a marked man. That's his second questionable high hit in the last 2 games as far as the one to Nelson last night and to Oshie the previous game. And as far as his slash goes, yes it was a bush league play, but one could also argue Tavares 3 or 4 whacks were also slightly out of the realm of fair play and could have been called and werent'. That certainly doesn't excuse Scandella by any means, but what's good for the goose as they say.
- MnGump

Normally you and i get along but come on dude, give it a rest.



https://twitter.com/JBuon...42522114147123200/photo/1

Absolute blatant unequivocal intent to injure a player. Haven't seen anything like that since McSorely. Scandella is an absolute POS. Tavares should go on IR just so he gets suspended bcs this league is half assed.