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    Puck Daddy

    Kings’ Kyle Clifford faces the Shanahammer after check to the head of Gilbert Brule (VIDEO)

    By Greg Wyshynski | Puck Daddy – Wed, Feb 22, 2012 9:49 AM EST

    The turning point in Tuesday night's clutch 5-4 shootout win for the Phoenix Coyotes? When Los Angeles Kings forward Kyle Clifford laid out Gilbert Brule with 6:13 left in regulation, caused a scrum and earned both a major penalty and a game misconduct for what the official said was a check to the head.

    Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle was given a roughing minor, setting up 2 minutes of 4-on-4 (where the Coyotes have been better than the Kings this season) followed by 3 minutes of power-play time that resulted in Radim Vrbata's 30th goal of the season to tie the game. Phoenix scored twice in the shootout to win.

    (An aside: Vrbata now has 12 more goals and 16 more points than anyone else on the Coyotes other than Ray Whitney. He'll never get Hart Trophy consideration because of his location and renown; but there's absolutely no logical argument why he shouldn't if the Coyotes make the dance.)

    Helene Elliott of the LA Times reports that Clifford's been suspended pending a hearing with Shanahan.

    Watching the replay, did Clifford get the head or was it a hard hit to the shoulder that jostled the head of Brule? Here's how the admittedly partisan Dustin Brown saw it, via LA Kings Insider:

    "It was originally a two-minute penalty. I guess the linesman came over and said it was a five. It is what it is. The only issue — I haven't seen it, maybe it was a five, maybe it wasn't — but they had the two on the board for a minute, and then they come over and tell him? I think that stuff should happen immediately. I know there was a big pile-up, but they put the two-minute penalty up and put him in the box. Then the linesman came over after the fact. If he thought it was a five-minute major right away, he should have been over there right away.''

    So it was a two that became a five and a gamer. It's a fair gripe from the Kings; it may not matter if the NHL and Brendan Shanahan deem this as a hit in which the head was the principal point of contact. If they do … it may take another camera angle, because I find this one a little inconclusive. Also, Clifford's not exactly known for this kind of stuff.

    UPDATE: Word is that there's no hearing scheduled for Clifford as of Wednesday morning and there may not be one.

     

    30 comments

    • MstrB
      MstrB  •  Mesa, Arizona  •  3 months ago
      For fun, grab the FSN West broadcast too if you can and run them side by side. There Fox talks more about how the principle point of contact was the shoulder. Just a nice comparison on how your description of a hit can change a little depending on perspective.
    • The Predator
      The Predator  •  Hauppauge, New York  •  3 months ago
      keep your head up... he finished his hit, didn't aim for head
      • b
        b 3 months ago
        which game were you watchin? If that wasn't a head shot with his elbow, then you are as blind as a bat.
      • Andrew
        Andrew 3 months ago
        clifford's shoulder rotated fairly significantly and his elbow caught him up in the head, he meant to do it, that is such a cheap shot, the whole LA kings team is a bunch of hockey thugs. Coyotes put them in there place twice in the last two weeks. Kings can't score so they resort to dirty play
    • Johnny Appleseed
      Johnny Appleseed  •  3 months ago
      Brule plays for Phoenix?
      • Chau
        Chau 3 months ago
        They claimed him off of waivers.
      • Josh
        Josh 3 months ago
        been a great player for them for the last 10 games.....drew 2 of the powerplays we scored on vs the kings
    • Joe
      Joe  •  Kelowna, Canada  •  2 months ago
      Hit was late, shoulder to the head, and a blindside, by all means suspendible. Read the rule book.
    • Ricky Diaz
      Ricky Diaz  •  Piscataway, New Jersey  •  3 months ago
      ummmm...that looked like a good hit.
      • DP
        DP 3 months ago
        Thank you... was worried that people would think otherwise.
      • Ken
        Ken 3 months ago
        Sure, if elbowing a guy to the head is a good hit.
      • Eric
        Eric 3 months ago
        Ken, get your seeing eye dog to look at the hit, okay?
    • michael e
      michael e  •  Phoenix, Arizona  •  3 months ago
      What I want to know is, how does this go from no call whatsoever. To a minor, only called after Clifford was jumped. To a major called by someone other than the ref who was closest to the play? I was at the game and had a good view of it live. It didn't warrent a penalty, period. I have seen the replay, it still doesn't deserve a penalty. If you really think that this should be a penalty, then go back and watch the tape of the game last Thursday between these 2 teams. Check out the hit, elbow first to the face of Richards while the Kings were on the power play. No penalty, no review and 1000 times worse than what we see here.
      • michael e
        michael e 3 months ago
        So, for those of you who chose to go thumbs down..... No hearing, no suspension, no fine.... and should NOT have been a 5 minute match penatly. The league just said without saying it that the refs franked the kings!
      • b
        b 3 months ago
        I saw the game on TV. The instant replay was clear that he hit Brule's head with his elbow.
        Sorry dude, get your eyes checked. He should be kicked out of the NHL for life. We don't need dirty and bad players who have to hurt others just to get some ice time.
      • Andrew
        Andrew 3 months ago
        Michael E I guess the NHL should hire you then as head of officiating since you know so much about it.
    • RE Loan Broker
      RE Loan Broker  •  Palm Springs, California  •  2 months ago
      Why would there be anything, clean but hard hit, they need to stop trying to turn hockey into a soccer mom feel good sport. My son plays, at 16 he was 6'4" and got penaties for checking, went to Canada to play juniors problem gone...... Touchie feely people are ruining competative sports. Hits targeting Heads bad but don't over extend......
    • Christopher
      Christopher  •  Gainesville, Florida  •  3 months ago
      It looks like another case of a follow through gone wrong. Going high in the follow through puts more shoulder pads and forearms into heads than a typical targeted hit. Keep the arms down. I agree it was blindside, but that isn't a requirement for the head shot rule anymore. He looks like he's trying to be clean with the hit by tucking his elbow in at the start, but the follow through still triggers force into the head. Defense should really also be paying attention.

      My major issue with a lot of this new stuff is that the damage can still be in the head even if the initial contact point is the body. It may not be full force, but it doesn't take a ton of force to cause damage to the head. Players really need to just keep their arms and follow throughs in the body zone. When I reffed raising your hands, or leaving your feet on a follow through was considered roughing. Just like going from one side of the ice to the other to lay a guy out was considered roughing or charging. Those were the rules laid out then, but it seems now guys are allowed to take liberties with the basics. Stay solid keep your arms down and you'd have a lot more solid hits and less head injuries.
      • Robert
        Robert 3 months ago
        Actually a blind-sided hit isn't legal. But that isn't the point here. The head was targeted and the penalty called, as it should have been....
    • Robert
      Robert  •  Phoenix, Arizona  •  3 months ago
      Doesn't matter what part of a player's body strikes an opponents head. The player throwing the hit has the onus of avoiding a strike to the head, period. Amazing how many people can't grasp that concept. A linesman can relay his assessment of an injury-potential infraction and it can then be called by the referee. This was handled correctly. On a side note, not sure how Dustin Brown can comment on a play he didn't even see....
    • Mustache of Kes
      Mustache of Kes  •  3 months ago
      Is it just me, or is Clifford's biggest crime being significantly taller than Brule? Ergo, shoulder meet head - in what would normally be a clean(ish) hit.
    • Chau
      Chau  •  San Diego, California  •  3 months ago
      I hate Torres.
    • marc adler
      marc adler  •  Newport Beach, California  •  3 months ago
      If 2 refs & 1 was right there, do not call a penalty when it occurred, How after scrum, now its an added penalty. Shanny should penalize his idiot officials.
    • FleetingGame2000
      FleetingGame2000  •  Annandale, New Jersey  •  3 months ago
      Not suspension worthy. Shoulder check where the head was not targeted on a player watching his pass.
    • alex
      alex  •  Burbank, California  •  3 months ago
      THATS A CLEAN HIT!!!!! this is getting out of control. Keep your head up and you wont get lit up like a rookie.
    • Patrick
      Patrick  •  3 months ago
      Stupid. The initial point of contact was elbow on chest with shoulder following through. By the letter of the rule, he did not target the head and he did not make initial contact with the head. Should not have been a major and should not be under review by Shanahan.
    • Jason
      Jason  •  Bay City, Michigan  •  3 months ago
      i think the only penalty they couldve called there was a boarding but even that is stretching it a bit
    • fair_n_hite_451
      fair_n_hite_451  •  Calgary, Canada  •  3 months ago
      Shoulder to jaw, no elbow, backside pressure, no reputation .... fine maybe.
    • Shanaban
      Shanaban  •  3 months ago
      This is the type of hit that drives me beserk. HE JUST STANDS THERE. A 5 year old can tell me that Kyle Clifford will finish his hit. Brule just stands there and watches his pass, HE THINKS HE'S A FAN IN THE FRONT ROW. If you really wanna watch the game Gilbert, buy a ticket and GTF off the ice. It's not Clifford's job to 100% protect Gilbert Brule out there or be responsible for his safety. That's Brule's job. BUT NO. The NHL says it's Clifford's job. Gutless call by the linesman. If Brule braces for that hit, no call, even if it is a tad late. Brule is the type of cowardly, idiotic player that doesn't belong out there with the big boys that the league is trying to protect. Remember good, tough, hitting hockey? Guys like Brule are snatching that away from you with their lost little baby behavior out on the ice.
    • hgdan
      hgdan  •  Los Angeles, California  •  3 months ago
      The NHL is protecting the value of the Phoenix Coyotes, there's no doubt about it, Bettman is pulling all the strings right now, Tortorella was right, there is some fixing in the NHL no doubt about it, and it's sickening
    • dw5000
      dw5000  •  Irvine, California  •  3 months ago
      LIKE I HAVE SAID BEFORE, PUT SKIRTS ON EM. THE GAME IS WAY TOO SOFT NOW.
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