While game two didn’t make for the most exciting hockey with a FLA blowout, the last 10 minutes were definitely fun to watch. It was cool to see Pastanak/Tkachuk fight just because a player like Pasta doesn’t get involved all that often. After the game I saw the scrums and Pasta/Tkachuk fight all over social media and I saw many large NBA accounts retweeting the fight and people (who I don’t think typically watch hockey) just saying how fun hockey looked. A lot of people were excited for a very physical game 3 and this seems like such a terrible move from the NHL.
First of all Game 2 wasn’t even that bad. Maroon and Cousins got tossed for basically just talking to each other and then every guy was getting a misconduct for wrestling after the play. Pastrnak and Tkachuk were the only two to actually fight.
Obviously hockey itself is the most important aspect of the game and you don’t want a break every 5 minutes for some guys to wrestle around; but isn’t this what makes hockey, especially playoff hockey more exciting and gets viewers? I think it’s one thing to make a statement like this if players are taking dirty shots with some intent to injure, but I don’t remember any of that in game two.
Just seems like the league has a good rivalry here and a chance for fun some hockey, but they’re calming it down before the game even starts. Just wrote this really quick so sorry if the writing terrible but just wanted to put it out there.
by InternationalBug5216
49 Comments
Just means they are more worried about their players than $$$
Let them play and fight…it’s exciting and hopefully the refs don’t ruin the game one way or the other.
It’s to protect their stars essentially. A fight will happen but they’re trying to avoid players head hunting the likes of Barkov, Pasta, etc
Yea, and WWE refs say the same thing. But all it does is make way for more drama and heavier chairs!
Lol they said the same thing about the Oilers and Canucks about embellishment.
JFC.
Go watch MMA, boxing, and WWE.
Going after knuckle draggers is not going to bring long-term fans into the sport.
Same thing with Devon Toews on Colorado. High hit from Ben no call. Watch what they call when Ben gets hit next game.
The NHL is like whoa actual fun and excitement generating interest in our sport? Better put the brakes on this we need 60 mins of dump and chase
It’s a fine line. Passion is cool. Taking runs, throwing elbows, and boarding the numbers is not. Sometimes you gotta get ahead of it to prevent it from happening in the first place
Disclaimer: I haven’t watched this series at all. My opinion may be completely meaningless
It’s the future law suits. This makes it look like they care about player safety. As well as if the consensus is hockey isn’t a sport but more a violent, head injury game. Less people watch and less kids are allowed to play
Perhaps they’re more interested in cultivating actual sportsmanship rather than WWF-like brawls between apes on skates?
Just a theory…
Can see NHL side of things: everything gets out of hand and good players get injured. Not good
The league is a joke due to the bad officials. They are rampant and the NHL is blind.
It was the 2nd game my friend ever watched and he absolutely loved every second of it, and plans to watch more because of it.
TLDR
Part of me thinks this was strategic to garner more views. Play it up to be super violent to get people watching.
I mean, regardless of my opinion on this kind of game (love love love it), it’s kind of a bad look on the league if they weren’t heavily scrutinizing a Bruins / Panthers series from the start.
The best hockey was the good ol Rock’Em Sock’Em style hockey.
I refuse to believe they are this dumb, but then again game 7 of the bruins first series was only available on ESPN+ so maybe they are.
And yet Benn can hop and headhunt in the Colorado series no f**king problem, huh?
Fighting is stupid and a waste of time. I want to watch hockey!
Let’s be honest here, that really wasn’t a scrap, Pasta got rolled, and could only punch back when Tkchuck had 2 refs on top of him…
4 minutes for a non intentional high stick and Florida scores but they keep 2 minutes of powerplay. Fuck the refs.
All that means to me is that if the series starts getting out of hand andthe loser gets chippy, they are saying they are going to step in before there’s another Pierre Turgeon moment
Tryna make NHL stand for the “No Heart League”
Well the competition on TV right now is the NBA….58 minutes of boredom followed by 2 minutes of guys trying to get foul calls.😴 I think the NHL is ok.
Imagine typing a few paragraphs that no one will read but instead interject with their own bad takes.
Remember when we used to just watch the games????
absolute joke league the NHL is
Woah, this series is getting crazy entertaining, and people might watch it for fun instead of betting on it.
So you’re asking about the league that makes it near impossible to watch the games from all the weird TV contracts if they don’t want the sport to grow?
So. let me get this straight. The NHL should encourage more fighting in the sport of… checks notes…. hockey? The sport we actually tune into to watch when we see NHL written? Maybe you’ve been watching too much Monday Nigh Raw?
If they cared they would promote their stars more and have more inside access shows for their fans and exposure.
They need to scrutinize there terrible refs. Every single game…. horrible. Worst in all of people sports.
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> and this seems like such a terrible move from the NHL.
This is like, almost everything that’s happened under Bettman’s tenure, lol.
Bettman is a fucking moron and still doesn’t understand fans, casual and hardcore, both like and want fighting and physicality in the game.
The refs breaking up every fight or scrum has gotten so old.
I get the concussion concerns, but much like a boxer or UFC fighter, if grown men want to fight and are getting paid well, let them do it.
I haven’t been my normal NHL fanatic self since they introduced the draft lottery over a decade ago.
It’s all scamming bullshit.
If they want to scrutinize something, scrutinize team zebra, they’re laughably inconsistant.
Maybe if the nhl refs were forced into some accountability these games wouldn’t get out of hand. The league protecting their shitty refs
it’s also fun how if a playoff game goes into overtime you miss the entire fucking first period of the next playoff game. awesome planning, phenomenal execution, NHL. Good job.
The NHL wants zero intensity. They want everyone game to be silent with no hits. It’s weird cuz combat sports are the most popular they’ve been in modern history. It’s a multi billions dollar industry. You’d think they’d embrace rough stuff seeing how popular that kind of thing is.
It’s because only one team is allowed to play dirty and take cheap shots. Edm. Everyone else they’ll be watching.
NHL wants money now not in the future. They are being hasty.
It’s harder to watch games now than ever* (in the modern era). The ads break broadcasts, blackouts etc feel like couple times a month.
Grow the sport or milk the moneycow
“Game 2 had a nasty tone” yeah and? It’s the fuckin playoffs that’s what we want
More games HAVE to be on ABC
They will condemn it and then play the same highlights all over the place for attention. The pasta fight will get air time all next season whenever they play again too. They’re full of shit.
The NHL has gone away from fighting more and more as time goes by with the instigator penalty and many more rule changes. Do we want to go back to bench-clearing brawls and players lying on the ice with concussions so the game is more “fun”?
I grew up in the 80’s and saw my share of Habs-Bruins , Nords and Flyers nastiness. It WAS exciting. It also caused many players CTE and shortened careers. Every team would have a couple of goons that would just be there to fight.
Skill excites me. Watching the Avs, Oilers, Canucks play excites me. Good solid thumping hits are fun, too.
“Many large NBA accounts retweeting the fight” So they love the UFC, where the object is to beat down your opponent. In Hockey, it’s to score more goals.
What other sport would allow a fight? The NBA, you slap a guy who’s in the air and you get a technical 1 foul. Throw a punch, you might be gone for a few games.
Throw a punch in the NFL..see what happens or MLB..lol.
It may be hard for hockey fans to understand but people with multiple working brain cells don’t think that was entertaining
Popular for who is the question? Hockey is a blend of bloodsport and skill and which way the balance tips determines the audience.