Higgins hit on Jones

[schmidtdoggydog]

http://www.yaleclublax.org/higgins.jpg

I just received this link. This picture makes the hit look rather vicious. I can see how the Sioux players became a bit hot under the collar.

[jk]

Agreed. We can all be thankful that Matt wasn't badly injured. The picture is chilling, with the angle of his impact into the boards and his helmet visible elsewhere.

[PCM]

It's lucky that Matt wasn't hurt any worse. I can see why the Sioux players reacted as they did.

[sprig]

I could see why they did also. But a case might also be made (from the pic) that Higgins was trying to avoid smashing Jones head into the boards, but when his feet got caught up, did it inadvertently.

I don't know how Higgins plays the game, but we certainly have seen players who would have used the opportunity to make a big hit on a guy going down, without worrying about what they might do to his head (probably even relishing the opportunity to smash an opponent's head into the board).

All I can say it, don't get into this position with DeMarchi nearby.

At any rate, it appears worthy of the protection the captains (and McMahon) thought necessary.

All the talk about what constitutes fighting/ punching on USCHO is nuts. Can't help but think about all the Taffe punches after the whistle last year, as well as Orpiks and Giontas punches and elbows after whistles in the championship game, all of which didn't even bring a minor penalty.

[dagies]

Yes, a scary scary picture.

Things happen really fast. It's not surprising to me that the guys thought something innappropriate happened and responded in what I consider a proper manner. If this happened a lot then maybe you can make a case for goonery. As it is, it may have been a mistake but doesn't make the guys wrong.

[U2Bad1]

Yeah, but you have to think about the player's point of view on the ice. They aren't going to say "hey let me look at the replay, oh that really was a dirty hit im gonna kick your *SS now". They react to what they think they saw on the ice, and from the picture it looked like a dirty hit. Whether it was or not is a different story.

[dagies]

that's what I meant too.

[Riverman]

Higgin's should have been Commied all I am going to say.

[siouxpuckie]

I think the immutable laws of physics show Jones was already down before the contact.