Thursday's news: Anaheim's Wisniewski delivers latest scary head shot
Dangerous head shots have been the big story in the NHL for the last several weeks, and that continues today, unfortunately. Last night James Wisniewski of the Anaheim Ducks threw a nasty elbow to the head of Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook, and tonight's schedule features a rematch between Boston and Pittsburgh, the first since Matt Cooke knocked Marc Savard out for the season.
After the jump, we've got video of the hit last night, and word from a Boston columnist who thinks the Bruins need to exact a pound of flesh in revenge - but not from Matt Cooke...
Predators News
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Buddy's morning recap includes word that he might have landed an upcoming interview with Brett Wilson, the Canadian entrepreneur who is often touted as a future member of the Preds ownership group.
Preview: Wild at Predators (3/18) | Section 303
Ok, Ok, there's a game preview, but check out the Legwand-O-Meter!
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Cory celebrates the rise of Patric Hornqvist with the Preds from last-overall draft pick to a guy with a chance for 30 goals this season.
Predators' balanced offense bares its fangs - The Tennessean
When it comes to offensive contributors, Nashville boasts quantity over quality. To me, the scoring depth on this team could prove to be a big advantage in the playoffs.
Around the NHL
Make the Penguins pay the right way - BostonHerald.com
Ron Borges takes the low road, saying the Boston Bruins need to go after Sidney Crosby however they can tonight to take revenge for Matt Cooke's hit on Marc Savard. "Bounce a puck off his nose if you can. If you get a blind side shot at him, put your body through his chest." If a blogger wrote this stuff, you can bet the newspaper guys would stand up and condemn the unprofessional rabble, right? (hat tip to Kukla's Korner)
Coming Down the Pipe!: OHL Playoff Preview
Guy Flaming previews the junior hockey playoffs. In particular, keep an eye on how Ryan Ellis for Windsor, and teammates Taylor Beck and Michael Latta in Guelph.
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Rangers-Islanders in 3D - NYTimes.com
OK, this is weird. Hockey in 3D?
Luongo And Vigneault Not Quite Seeing Eye To Eye On Canucks' Style Of Play - Nucks Misconduct
A little discord up in B.C., perhaps between the star goalie and his coach?
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Final days of Marty Turco's tenure with Stars are a test of goaltender's career-long class, patience - Dallas Morning News
It's sad seeing a cranky old man threatened with eviction; hopefully Marty Turco blows up a bunch of balloons and tries to carry off American Airlines Arena to search for Paradise Falls.
Lastly, again courtesy of Kukla's Korner, check out the video of Anaheim defenseman James Wisniewski taking a vicious headshot to former teammate Brent Seabrook of Chicago. Seabrook left the game and did not return:
Can you believe he only received two minutes for charging? And yes, that's the Anaheim announcer wondering out loud if Seabrook was faking an injury. Pathetic.
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Comments
Sad
Wisniewski almost kills Seabrook and the announcer sounds like he’s trying to justify the hit. At some point you have to forget which team you like and worry about the guy who was just knocked unconscious.
Atrocious
The commentary on this excerpt is completely irresponsible in view of the severity of Wisniewski’s hit and Seabrook’s immediate reaction. It’s inconceivable Pete and Crispy would indulge in this kind of ridiculous and disheartening chatter. We should all appreciate that.
by Hockey Hillbilly on Mar 18, 2010 11:23 AM EDT reply actions
Pathetic....
send him home for the rest of the year. It was so blatant. The hit Seabrook put on Perry was just a regular hockey play (note,Perry had the puck), there was nothing dirty about it. The “retaliation” was just stupid…all arms and elbows to the head. Wisniewski makes a B-line from from his defensive position at the blue line down below the goal line to deliver this nasty hit on Seabrook (note, he didn’t have the puck). In other words he came way out of position to make that dirty hit. Blatant.
by hockeydekefreak on Mar 18, 2010 12:32 PM EDT reply actions
Do we know if this 3-D game is going to be on Center Ice?
…and where do I get the glasses!? Are they the old school blue and red kind, or those new ones? Can’t imagine what it will look like.
by hockeydekefreak on Mar 18, 2010 1:33 PM EDT reply actions
Gutless...
Perry was playing the puck and Seabrook threw his shoulder into him, Seabrook was already throwing the shoulder when Perry leaned into it unintentionally. It was a clean play. For Wisniewski to make a B line directly for Seabrook from center ice and leave his feet to launch himself into Seabrook’s head with elbows is outright vicious. After the game, Wisniewski was saying he did nothing wrong, which is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. The head shots are beginning to be a problem in the league. As a Blackhawks fan, I wasn’t upset with Ovechkin for hurting Campbell because it wasn’t that dirty, it was just careless. This Wisniewski hit is as bad as there ever has been solely for the fact he made a direct run on a guy from center ice and threw himself at him when he wasn’t even playing the puck. The league needs to stand up and make a statement and this is the best chance they will get because this hit is not clean hockey at all. Wisniewski should sit for at the very least 5 games, if not the full season. There is absolutely no justification for this hit whatsoever, no matter what Wisniewski, Duck Broadcasters, or Duck Bloggers are saying.
Hayward saying that Seabrook was selling the hit may have been the most ignorant thing I’ve ever heard. He waited until they played the replay to make that comment when he was clearly watching Seabrook go down to the ground and looking like he was out cold. Being a Hawks fan here in Nashville, I have to watch most of my Blackhawks games on Center Ice so I hear alot of broadcasters from teams and yesterday nights display of announcing was horrible. I sure am glad to have Crispy and Pete here in Nashville because they are a class act and certainly wouldn’t try to justify a hit like that.
Kevin
No argument here... well said.
More fun than a stick to the face!
On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators.
Yeah, I find it hilarious what the Duck bloggers and posters are saying. There was another blatant cross-checking against the Blackhawks yesterday that led directly to Anaheim’s game winner, and all the people are talking about on the blogs is how it’s about time Anaheim caught a break with the officials. I find this laughable living here in Nashville where we have seen the Preds get some horribly officiated games of late. It’s become so bad that I’m wondering if the NHL is trying to ensure the Preds miss the playoffs because in favor of the Red Wings and Flames. The two reviews from Toronto and the missed calls against the Flyers were about the worst missed calls that could be made. I’m really glad to be here in Nashville with the classy fans who won’t make excuses and try to justify hits that are obviously malicious because Pred fans have more of an argument than Anaheim fans when it comes to officiating.
Kevin
just went over to the ducks blog
they seem so much more upset about the hit on perry, which i think perry made worse by himself by turning and ducking. and they seem to be trying to change what actually happened. they are trying to argue that Wiz targeted the chest and didn’t leave his feet. but mostly they are trying to call a suspension on seabrook for his hit on perry. they are some definite homers of the worst kind.
oh and if seabrook is trying to sell the penalty then he took some coaching from don king on how to dive.
This is the second broadcast team...
…that really irks me. After watching a game on ‘Gamecenter’ with the Florida announcers, I pay much more attention to the way each broadcast team makes calls and commentary. Unprofessional in my opinion.
8 games!!!
Wisniewski gets an 8 game suspension. and the ducks blog still lives in imaginationland where he never did anything wrong.
Don't get me wrong, I am in no way defending Wisniewski.
Was is a dirty hit by Wiz? Yes
Did it deserve an 8 game suspension? No
The suspension just goes to further prove the inconsistencies and double standards that exist in the NHL when it comes to punishment. Two of the most recent equally controversial hits were Ovechkin’s hit on Campbell and Cooke’s hit on Savard. Ovechkin got a 2 game suspension for his hit, Cooke got no suspension at all and Wiz got an 8 game suspension. Say what? Looking at the video evidence, I see no reason why Wiz deserved 8-6 more games on his suspension than the other two. I could see a five game suspension, but an 8 game one seems a bit of overkill. So, unless the NHL is changing 2-3 game suspension standard into 8, I see no reason why Wiz deserved 8.
Just to clarify, I’m in no way defending Wisniewski . I am merely expressing my dislike of the NHL blatant lack of consistency. Also, this complaint has nothing to due with the fact that he is a Duck player. If any one else would have gotten an 8 game suspension for such a hit, I would be equally perplexed. In fact the suspension actually helps the Ducks, as Wis is by far the Ducks’ worst player, now that we have gotten rid of Whitney.
The Wisniewski hit definitely deserves 8 games and is nothing like the Ovechkin or Cook hit. Ovechkin was careless and late on his hit but was at least trying to play a man with the puck. Cooke’s hit should have been a suspension I agree but it was nowhere near the head-hunting of Wisniewski who had absolutely no intention of playing the man on the puck. He skated from center ice, left his feet and propelled himself into a player who wasn’t even playing the puck. This hit is nowhere near the same league as any hit we’ve seen this year. I can’t even comprehend how some people are saying he did nothing wrong and doesn’t deserve a suspension. The league could have used this hit as an example for everyone else and made him sit the rest of the year seeing as how this was 100% malicious with intent to injure.
Kevin
by Hawkfan08 on Mar 19, 2010 12:05 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
As wreck less as Wiz’s hit was I’m not sure I would call it head hunting. It was more of an upper body hit than a hit to the head. There was no more head contact in Wiz’s hit than in Seabrook’s. Both Perry and Seabrook got the equal amount of elbow or arm to the face. The major difference was the blantant bruutality of Wiz. Regardless the NHL has proven that 2 game suspension don’t get the message across (ex: Ovechkin). I’d personally like to see all head shots get moved up to 8 games or so.

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