Ataboy Duncan Keith

[ruxpin]

Good for Duncan Keith. No worries about instigator. The opponent tries to injure your player, you go git'em.

Okay, so Desjardins is a lot bigger and Keith didn't do any damage for his trouble, but at least the effort was there.

http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/115664

[Polaris922]

Good for Duncan Keith. No worries about instigator. The opponent tries to injure your player, you go git'em.

Okay, so Desjardins is a lot bigger and Keith didn't do any damage for his trouble, but at least the effort was there.

http://www.hockeyfig...m/fights/115664

At first I posted that I'm not sure a clean hit deserves that kind of response. That hit was super clean. What's the beef? That Mayers' head was down? He hit squarely on the shoulder. No attempt to injure or anything.

Looking at it in slow motion it appears Desjardins hits Mayers in the head with his shoulder. I wouldn't say that was the intended target as it appears Mayers dips a little to look back for the puck and Desjardins cleans him out from there, but the contact with the head is there...

Edited February 6, 2013 by Polaris922

[fishbulb]

Not sure how I feel about the obligatory fight after a hit... but if Mayers was Couts or Roo... I'd be proud of Grossman I guess if the teams were switched.

The other thing I notice is that the game was tied... after Keith stands up for Mayers?.... Chi scores the next 2 goals for the win. Maybe coincidence, maybe not. Maybe Desjardins pulled a carcillo :-)

[ruxpin]

@Polaris922: I haven't seen "super slow mo," only the replays on the actual game. It's possible the right foot was still on the ice and only came up after contact, but it appeared to me that he launched himself. It seemed to me to be a less effective version of the Richards (Mike) hit on Booth a couple of years ago (less effective because Booth didn't get up afterward). On slow motion, it's hard to say. But I think Keith may have been pretty positive (right or wrong) that Desjardins launched and it was dirty. I kind of like the "shoot first ask questions later" mentality (not in all situations!).

@fishbulb I don't know if it's "obligatory." In this case, it felt pretty spontaneous. It wasn't the obligatory just grabbing the opponent and pushing a little bit while yelling something like "what are you doing?" and that's the end of it, with maybe 2 minutes each. I like your Coots/Grossman analogy. That's kind of the way I see it. And most often you get the bear hug/pushing/yelling thing because everyone is so stinking afraid of the instigator. I think probably Keith--a top pair dman--shouldn't be the one to ignore the instigator in a tie game like that. But as you point out, it worked. Could have been a Carcillo moment. Who knows?

I just like that he went right after him. I'd like to see more of that. I realize that on many levels it sounds ridiculous to argue that more fighting--where people punch each other in the head--could reduce hits to the head like that. But I think it might just be the case where they need to return, on a certain level, to players policing themselves

[yave1964]

IMO Desjardins used a good clean hockey hit, Mayers was out of position and unprepared but that is his fault.

I know it was not actually third man in, but Keith WAY overreacted.aand had no business jumping in like that. Keith is one of my favorites, but frankly he deserves a fine or something for jumping in. The hit was clean but brutal, and is part of the game.

[mojo1917]

At first I posted that I'm not sure a clean hit deserves that kind of response. That hit was super clean. What's the beef?

yep fighting after a clean hit is pure BS, take the guys number and get him clean on your next shift.

[jammer2]

@mojo1917 I'm not saying this particular hit was clean or dirty, didn't even look to be honest...just cruising through threads....but I HATE how hockey has become so unmanly. Fights after clean hits DISGUST me!! I've said it many times, the pussificaiton of our sport is at hand.....and the players are mostly responible. MAN UP FOR GOD SAKE...it's a contact sport..if you can't take a clean hit.....go play water polo or something.

[Vanflyer]

I just like that he went right after him. I'd like to see more of that. I realize that on many levels it sounds ridiculous to argue that more fighting--where people punch each other in the head--could reduce hits to the head like that. But I think it might just be the case where they need to return, on a certain level, to players policing themselves

To me, that is what fighting in the league was supposed to be all about. Emotion of a hockey play. Not the BS that Rinaldo did off the draw the other night. That said, I did like what NYR did last year where off the draw, three fights erupted. Planned, sure. But it was tactical as emotions were running high. Fighting for the sake of fighting is BS. Fighting because of emotions / hockey plays is something different. I support the latter.

[jammer2]

@Vanflyer Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I long for the days when I guy took a solid hit, got his number and hit him back hard later...this dropping the gloves every time a teammate gets touched is making hockey look like a sissy sport.

[Vanflyer]

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I long for the days when I guy took a solid hit, got his number and hit him back hard later...this dropping the gloves every time a teammate gets touched is making hockey look like a sissy sport.

I totally agree. The worst part of it is the fights off the face-off. Sometimes (rarely), it is called for. The instigator rule is the most absurd rule created. The ruined honesty in the game. The whole purpose of fighting was policing the BS that happens sometimes. Also, I agree with taking the guys number. Even if the pay back does not happen within the game where the offense happened, take the number and get him back when it is appropriate- and do it in an honest fashion (not bertuzzie or Mcsorely style).

[yave1964]

I understand taking a stand for a teamate if a goon for the other guys goes after one of your skill players but Desjardins is six foot 190, and in over 100 nhl games has eighty penalty minutes. Mayers is six foot one, 214 pounds and in 900 games has 1200 penalty minutes. Mayers is the Hawks tough guy, he was defended by a skill player for a clean hit.

Keith is one of my favorites for his skill set but wow what a moron. Mayers would have taken care of it himself later if he felt it warranted it.

[ruxpin]

@Vanflyer Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I long for the days when I guy took a solid hit, got his number and hit him back hard later...this dropping the gloves every time a teammate gets touched is making hockey look like a sissy sport.

I don't think it's old-fashioned. Only because I remember the good old days when Schultz would take your head off for sneezing too close to Clarke. Immediately. The next period. The next game. And at your cousin's wedding reception. I'm not quite sure I remember the "good old days" you're talking about.

Not you Jammer, but I think some others are mistaking watching a reply 50 times and deciding whether a play was clean vs. dirty for being ON the ice, in the moment, and watching your teamate get drilled in the head and fall to the ice in a lump.

Real time, I bet it looked to Keith like Desjardins launched. You have to slow it down and sit in the comfort of the chair at your computer desk to realize the right skate MIGHT have still been on the ice when he hit him. Real time? I bet my cat that Keith thought "head, launch, KILL." And I respect that he didn't just skate over and play paddy cake with a face wash or wait until some face off and say "hey, want to pretend we're pissed off?"

On the otherhand, with the stupid instigator rule, it probably wasn't the brightest thing to get himself (top pair Dman) thrown out of the game at that juncture. But, eh, I'll take it.