After taking a big hit and landing on the ice first, Joe Pavelski became suspect in Game 2 versus the Minnesota Wild. A late hit by Wild defenseman on Pavelski was immediately given a key 5 minutes, then the officials revised the change to just 2 minutes from a minor penalty for roughness. Pavelsky left the game, barely able to skate under his own steam, and never returned.
According to a report from ESPN, Greg Wyshynski: “The news: @tweet She will not have a hearing @tweet Doumba died after being wounded @tweet Joe Pavelski center out Game 1 last night. It was considered “close to the delay, but within the allowable window,” the source told me. Dumba was given a rough minor.”
The reaction to the play is almost universally seen as disgusting. Obviously a late hit and tackle, fans take comfort in the fact that the NHL ruled that this wasn’t a hit to the head. Although it is likely that most of Pavelski’s damage was done when his head hit the ice, the puck was long gone when a dumba ran down an unsuspecting Pavelski. The Athletic Club’s Saad Youssef tweeted, “If Matt Dumba’s hit on Joe Pavelski was legal, it’s time to change the rulebook. That’s indisputable: Dumba’s hit was late, it was ferocious and it wasn’t necessary at all.”
Others saw the strike as within the rules. Matt Larkin of Daily Vesuv wrote, “It wasn’t a charge. Remember, when evaluating whether a player is letting his feet go, you have to watch his skates.” before Contract. Dumba’s feet remained on the ice until the moment of impact. If sleds are launched as a result Connection? This is legal. He also said it was a shoulder-to-shoulder hit. Also, because the hit occurred between 0.5 and 0.6 seconds after the opponent pucked, the NHL deemed everything happened within an acceptable window.
Is the dumba reflex playing into it?
The fact that Dumba reacted the way he dealt the blow also upset people. Whether or not he was considered a pioneer, he showed little concern for the welfare of the person he set. In fact, he didn’t even look at a player who might have been concussed on the ice and then laughed in the penalty area.
After the bout, Dumbaa said, “Honestly, I thought it was a hit. I figured (the referees) would see the same thing. Shoulder to shoulder,” Dumbaa said. “I don’t even know why I was roughed up, probably because I was in the box already.”
While Dumba’s reaction won’t change the NHL’s mind, you can bet the Dallas stars will remember.
Next: Four Reasons Why Matthew Kneese Didn’t Start Game 1