Stanley Cup Finals 2019: Blues v. Bruins

[tlombard]

Looks like the combination of me returning to the same place that I watched Game 6 last week and a storm rolling through before game time was just what the Blues needed. I'll be doing a rain dance after we finish the golf tournament Saturday!

Edit to add: The group of fans at Trophy Room were even more prepared than last week. This time the guy who brought the Firestick also brought some powered speakers from home in case we needed more volume. And then I was laughing when one couple walked into the bar carrying cushions. They brought the cushions from their patio furniture at home so that people could be more comfortable watching the game on the patio since the bar doesn't have cushions out there.

[Popeye_Card]

Sundqvist suspended for game 3. Bull [expletive].

[JCShutout]

BS call (inconsistent as hell) but it is what it is.

In other, more fun news, the animal kingdom has stated their allegiance...

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Just watched the video explanation.

https://www.nhl.com/video/sundqvist-sus ... c-68343803

My take is defensemen should keep their back to the forecheckers at all times such that any check would be boarding. Of course, that’s illogical to the point of stupidity and obviously dangerous af. That wouldn’t have even been a penalty without an injury. And it wouldn’t have been an injury if he didn’t catch an edge at the last second and or take what seems to be an odd turn in the first place. Wtf.

Stupid they dole out punishment for injuries instead of dirty play.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Tin foil hat time:

There's a lot of liability (mid 7 figures I thought I heard on a podcast but can't find it now) on the vegas sports books now due to the blues going off at up to 300-1 to win the Stanley Cup. Not that they would ever try to fix a series or the NHL would allow that....

[cardsfantx]

Stupid they dole out punishment for injuries instead of dirty play.

exactly; that's basically what I was trying to say before...if Grzelcyk didn't get hurt, 0% chance sunny gets suspended. prob wouldn't have even been a hearing.

but because Grzelcyk was injured/had to go to the hospital/didn't travel with the team/missing at least game 3; you had to know a suspension would be coming.

it's not the right call, but knew it was coming.

[Popeye_Card]

Just watched the video explanation.

https://www.nhl.com/video/sundqvist-sus ... c-68343803

My take is defensemen should keep their back to the forecheckers at all times such that any check would be boarding. Of course, that’s illogical to the point of stupidity and obviously dangerous af. That wouldn’t have even been a penalty without an injury. And it wouldn’t have been an injury if he didn’t catch an edge at the last second and or take what seems to be an odd turn in the first place. Wtf.

Stupid they dole out punishment for injuries instead of dirty play.

For some reason the NHL video won't play for me, but my issue with it is that they are supposed to evaluate:

Did the checking player target the head?
* While Sundqvist ended up hitting his head, I don't believe he targeted it in any way, nor did he have time to adjust his approach to avoid contact with the head.
* The worst thing you could say here is that he was going in for a hard check when Grzelcyk's back was towards him. However normally they don't even call boarding on this unless the checked player has separation from the boards.

Did the checked player put himself in a compromised position?
* The answer here is clearly "yes". Intentional or not, Grzelcyk was clearly not in a normal position and head contact was only made because of this.

It was a bang-bang play with an unfortunate result. Did Sundqvist enter the check with the intention to make a hard hit? Absolutely. Happens dozens of times throughout any game. He didn't go in there with any extra gusto. He was penalized and that should have been the end of it.

Suspensions are meant to change behavior. There's not a behavior that really needs to be corrected here. You can't police results, you can only police intent. That's why the non-call on Krug bugs me. Not only was it textbook charging, he left his feet to complete the hit. All sorts of intent there, just no (apparent) injury. That's the sort of behavior you can police--he went blazing down the ice, on-tilt from his wrestling match with Perron, and launched himself into another player. That's a dangerous play.

But whatever. I'm over it. Maybe. I just hope Thomas can go in game 3 to make up for Sundqvist's absence.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

For some reason the NHL video won't play for me, but my issue with it is that they are supposed to evaluate:

Did the checking player target the head?
* While Sundqvist ended up hitting his head, I don't believe he targeted it in any way, nor did he have time to adjust his approach to avoid contact with the head.
* The worst thing you could say here is that he was going in for a hard check when Grzelcyk's back was towards him. However normally they don't even call boarding on this unless the checked player has separation from the boards.

They acknowledge that Grez put himself in a compromised position, but the onus is on Sundqvist to deliver a clean hit. Because Sun was looking at the numbers leading up to the hit, he did not deliver a clean hit/received a boarding call.

There was little to no mention of head hunting.

They continue that Grez adjusted and Sun had time to change direction and did not which is the reason he's being suspended. That's the part I really disagree with. Easy to say in slow motion. Grez is heading behind the net and throws the puck around the net (to the right) and cuts left away from the net putting himself in a position face to face with the board and appears to catch an edge or trip or something as he tries to cut. Sun cuts left about a split second after Grez does, prior to Grez stumbling, when Sun is at/past the redline and finishes the hit. All happens within a split second.

At that point, Sundqvist is either going to check him or not and there's no time to pull off which is why, as you note, this hit happens all the time.

Stupid bull [expletive], imo. But, I'm biased obviously. Though, there are certainly people smarter than me that agree the hit was maybe boarding and not worthy of a suspension. I posted those two videos earlier.

God damnit.

Haven't heard any updates on Thomas but that kind of makes me think he's out for game 3. Have heard that Dunn is likely back, but that obviously doesn't help with the loss of Sundqvist and Thomas

[Popeye_Card]

Thomas and Sundqvist out means Fabbri and likely Sanford in. Fabbri did alright in Game 2, but I'm not liking what this does to our bottom lines and we're running extremely low on right-handed shooters (unless we skate a very rusty Thorburn).

I think I'd roll with:

Schwarz(L)-Schenn(L)-Tank(L)
Maroon(L)-O'Reilly(L)-Perron(R)
Sanford(L)-Fabbri(L)-Blais(L)
Steen(L)-Bozak(R)-Barbashev(L)

And try to keep those top two lines on the ice as much as possible.

[cardsfantx]

who sits if Dunn is indeed back? gonna take gunnerson out after he just scored the GW goal (and has been pretty freaking solid)? Edmundson?