Brendan Smith Hit on Ben Smith - How Many Games?

[BigPete]

**** Ben Smith for being so short that he's the perfect height for elbows to the head.



I think any amount of NHL games he's suspended could be huge for this guy. It could be the difference of getting called up or not later in the year. He's not going to be called up to serve a suspension.

Only you........

 

[supraman]

God I am torn on this hit. Having looked at it on youtube it looks like if Ben hadn't deked the hit would have contacted his shoulder which would have made it legal. The question I have is did he have time to lessen the blow or was he past the point of no return. As much as I want to wear my homer glasses I really think this was a hockey play that went bad.

 

[Variable]

A lot of hits to the head can be debatable over whether or not the guy really wanted to hit him in the head, it's the idea that you shouldn't take that chance where you're putting yourself in that position (and the other player for that matter). Like others were saying, there were other, most likely better, plays to make in that situation without that result and that's what he should've done. So I don't have a problem at all with punishment, that's the way things change, that's how new thought processes get put in place. You can't really get caught in the whole grey area zone again because you get stuck with the same kind of half ass decisions that Colin Campbell came up with. It has to be clear. A hit to the head is a suspension.

 

[winos5]

**** Ben Smith for being so short that he's the perfect height for elbows to the head.



I think any amount of NHL games he's suspended could be huge for this guy. It could be the difference of getting called up or not later in the year. He's not going to be called up to serve a suspension.

Exactly the point I was trying to make. Thanks for the assist.

 

[BigPete]

God I am torn on this hit. Having looked at it on youtube it looks like if Ben hadn't deked the hit would have contacted his shoulder which would have made it legal. The question I have is did he have time to lessen the blow or was he past the point of no return. As much as I want to wear my homer glasses I really think this was a hockey play that went bad.

IMO, Wang Smith had every intention of hitting Ben. Did the way Ben turned and his height in comparison to Wang Smith have something to do with the shoulder on head? Maybe. But it doesn't matter to me, the problem was when Wang Smith came from Ben's blind side to deliver the hit. That is what started the whole mess.

I don't want hitting or fighting taken out of the game, but hockey is much more than just hitting a guy. It is also stick and puck control. Wang chose a body check over stick-work to defend against the play. That was the catalyst to the head shot.

This whole, keep your head up bullshit is just that, bullshit. Don't blindside hit a guy PERIOD.

 

[CLWolf81]

A lot of hits to the head can be debatable over whether or not the guy really wanted to hit him in the head, it's the idea that you shouldn't take that chance where you're putting yourself in that position (and the other player for that matter). Like others were saying, there were other, most likely better, plays to make in that situation without that result and that's what he should've done. So I don't have a problem at all with punishment, that's the way things change, that's how new thought processes get put in place. You can't really get caught in the whole grey area zone again because you get stuck with the same kind of half ass decisions that Colin Campbell came up with. It has to be clear. A hit to the head is a suspension.

Thats really all that needs to be said, especially for a disgusting hit like this.



Its definitely not a pretty sight to see and our Smith couldn't avoid it. It looked like he tried, but still, nasty inappropriate hit...

IMO, Wang Smith had every intention of hitting Ben. Did the way Ben turned and his height in comparison to Wang Smith have something to do with the shoulder on head? Maybe. But it doesn't matter to me, the problem was when Wang Smith came from Ben's blind side to deliver the hit. That is what started the whole mess.

I don't want hitting or fighting taken out of the game, but hockey is much more than just hitting a guy. It is also stick and puck control. Wang chose a body check over stick-work to defend against the play. That was the catalyst to the head shot.

This whole, keep your head up bullshit is just that, bullshit. Don't blindside hit a guy PERIOD.

Giving you a +1 there. Absolutely right.



This is the kind of stuff Shanahan will want to get rid of, and this looked intentional, so I expect justice to be served.

 

[winos5]

I think everyone wathcing that knew what it was. You don't get ejected from games for hits that are hockey plays. That was clearly a headshot with intent to injure. The fact that this guy is a rather high draft pick and highly rated prospect within the Detoilet plumbing means we'll be seeing this Wang again in the future, hopefully on the recieving end of a Scott beat down or Car bomb revenge hit.

 

[phranchk]

The more I look at it the more I find it dirty as hell. I'm pretty sure with the trajectory Ben Smith was on Brendan would have still nailed him in the head had he not deked. Brendan could easily have taken the body on that play and tied up Ben, but instead he decided to go for a shoulder to the head. I still don't think he was intentionally aiming for the head, but as a checker you have to be aware of the situation.

 

[IceHogsFan]

Sitting in our seats behind the net my stomach hit the floor when I saw Ben go down. F Me..........Stop the video at :04. You can clearly see his elbow up. I do not care so much for vengeance on the ice but damn it, his bell should have been cracked by somebody. Keith tried to but was stopped. It was the perfect opportunity to defend one's teammate after a brutal hit and with it being a pre-season game. I gladly would have given up the win just to see Ben defended by his teammates.

 

[LordKOTL]

Unfortunately, I missed most of the game but I did catch the Smith-on-Smith hit. So, I can't comment about Stalberg going down. That is a shame though, The last two games he's started to look good on the ice.



For the Smith hit--Dirty play by any definition. It's wasn't a "hockey play gone bad". Brenden Smith may have contacted the head with his shoulder, but he DID NOT have to follow through with the elbow.



Now, IMHO the suspension should be at least 2 regular season games--if not more, and of course the rest of the preseason.



As for revenge, I think Hossa got it in a most convincing fashion. That was one wicked slapper.

 

[bierboy]

...As for revenge, I think Hossa got it in a most convincing fashion. That was one wicked slapper.

That's not revenge in the pre-season. Kicking the shit outta somebody is revenge....

 

[tvltre]

Besides bolland, who else was on the ice for that hit? 29 Bickell knows how to make them answer...didn't see him do squat til after Smith was gone. Seabs and Keith should not be fighting. So nope. No one on the ice i can see stand up for Smith.



This was the problem the Hawks had the last few years without having someone that had the skill to stand up and make teams pay for crap like this.

 

[Variable]

And yet they won the Cup, got to the Conference Finals against the defending Cup champions. and took the Canucks to 7 games with a hurt and shorthanded team for most of the series. But yes, no true enforcers, that's what has been holding the Hawks back these last few years.



Come on. If you want them to be the Ottawa Senators, be my guest, I'll take those last few years mostly absent that sort of bullshit every day of the week.

 

[LordKOTL]

If the ultimate goal is winning games, Hossa did his job in spite of it being only preseason and it not counting. If nothing else that sent a message, take a bad penalty and you will lose the game. Winning is paramount, bloody ice is the icing on the cake.



Yes, Bickell should have stepped in and pounded him, but Bickell seems to be like Byfuglien that way: big, but not too mean.



I would have like to have seen Brenden Smith turned into a nice red smear on the ice as well, but Hossa making them pay with that slapper was even nicer.

 

[phranchk]

Question is, if Brendan Smith gets suspended will the Red Wings do the right thing and leave him up to serve the suspension before sending him down?

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

And yet they won the Cup, got to the Conference Finals against the defending Cup champions. and took the Canucks to 7 games with a hurt and shorthanded team for most of the series. But yes, no true enforcers, that's what has been holding the Hawks back these last few years. Come on. If you want to them to be the Ottawa Senators, be my guest, I'll take those last few years mostly absent that sort of bullshit every day of the week.

Uhhh.... Ben Eager would have kicked the shit out of him and Adam Burish would have gone after and probably got his ass kicked, but at least he would have engaged.



The fact is... someone should have attempted to attone immediately. Bolland just skated up and talked some shit.

 

[IceHogsFan]

And yet they won the Cup, got to the Conference Finals against the defending Cup champions. and took the Canucks to 7 games with a hurt and shorthanded team for most of the series. But yes, no true enforcers, that's what has been holding the Hawks back these last few years.



Come on. If you want to them to be the Ottawa Senators, be my guest, I'll take those last few years mostly absent that sort of bullshit every day of the week.

The team did not need an enforcer on the ice at that moment. I don't care if you were the smallest guy on the line at the time, damn it, I want to see someone do something at that moment rather then some pushing against the glass.

 

[phranchk]

I have a feeling that with the punishments being handed down by Shanahan you'll start seeing less and less on ice retaliations. Especially in tight games where you can't afford to be down a man. I think it's something we will have to get used to.

 

[PatrickShart]

Ben knew that Wang Smith was there...so I don't consider it a "blindside" hit



Ben made a move - into a dangerous part of the ice. It's high risk and you know you're going to get hit there, or have to make an elusive move to avoid it



Wang Smith knows - he must get a piece of Ben - with the BODY, and cannot play the puck. It's toast, if a Dman does that, and every single on knows that, is taught that from peewee on.



Ben made an elusive move to get around, and Wang Smith leaned/lunged to get a piece of him. Being taller/bigger, the recipe for shoulder to head was perfect height. You can't hit a guy in the chest when you're 6in taller than them. The extension of the elbow was late/follow through and looked worse, but it was shoulder to head. I don't think it was intentional to target the head - but the head was hit cleanly.



That's the responsibility of the defender or the consious effort they are trying to remove from the game. I think a 4-5 game suspension is suitable, for a 'first time offender'. It will be interesting to see how Shanny handles Wang suspensions, or any of the teams he has relationships with - Holland, Lamriello, etc



Good to see Bickell - the biggest guy on the ice, go after Wang Smith for that. He was right in the play and should've jumped Wang Smith.



Also, it was good to see Foley in mid-season form, missing calls, names, etc.

 

[Variable]

Well if it's true you'll be seeing less and less retaliation why couldn't it also be true that it also means there would be less and less to retaliate to? Shouldn't that be the goal? Yeah you'll always have dumbasses but if you get it to a point where you start singling them out, they won't last long anyways, because their previous worth will be for jack shit.