i hope Muppet learned his lesson to STOP LOOKING AT THE PUCK and KEEP YOUR HEAD UP.

Posted by FlyersFan on 12/23/09 at 08:37 PM ET

I hope this won’t start up the head shot debate given he left with a shoulder injury

Posted by jkrdevil on 12/23/09 at 08:44 PM ET

Good, clean hit.

Carkner makes Adams pay later.  Good on Adams for taking his licking like a man.

Good old fashioned hockey all the way around.  Beware yuppies!!!

Posted by Sig from DC on 12/23/09 at 09:11 PM ET

Agreed. Clean hit.

He got caught looking at the puck. It happens even to the best.

Posted by Osrt on 12/23/09 at 10:54 PM ET

cant wait until Crosby takes one of those

Posted by Death Metal Nightmare from MKE on 12/24/09 at 12:26 AM ET

Clean hit. Hockey is a tough sport and he got hurt but you can’t penalize a player for throwing a check at a player with the puck.

Posted by Bo from FL on 12/24/09 at 12:37 AM ET

“cant wait until Crosby takes one of those”

Crosby takes plenty of clean hits.  He also takes plenty of dirty hits, such as the cross-check he took from behind that put him headfirst into the boards this evening.  He just usually gets back up from them.

Posted by Entitynein on 12/24/09 at 01:15 AM ET

Could the cheap shot artists on this otherwise useful blog please refrain from defending mindlessly the obvious blows to the head? The guys helmet pops off instantly when his forearm strikes his jawline. You just can’t find more blatant outlandish attempts to injure in the game.
If you are so blind to this issue in the sport outsiders to the game will come in and legislate away this “problem” for hockey fans.
I’ll add that this mysterious (to outsiders) “the code” that results in instantaneous `golly he fought the instigator, ain’t that wonderous, no problem here, move along’ only contributes to the already widespread view that hockey fans are bloodthirsty morons in need of a lot of parental supervision, like carnival sideshow fans.

Posted by Kevin from San Jose on 12/24/09 at 01:28 AM ET

Could the cheap shot artists on this otherwise useful blog please refrain from defending mindlessly the obvious blows to the head?  Funniest thing I read on the internets all morning.  Thank you for that.  /sarcasm

Are you serious?  Hit was clean; period.  Clean your glasses and watch the replay.  jeesh

Posted by James from South Central, PA on 12/24/09 at 07:55 AM ET

“There’s no way that that’s anywhere but straight to the head”. “That’s just my opinion”.

What? Opinion? look at the video, it’s shoulder to shoulder . They were stunned that Adams didn’t get a penalty. They wanted him thrown out of the game.

Posted by Lindas1st from New England on 12/24/09 at 08:18 AM ET

I’m not sure if the new Messier helmet is the solution or not, but it seems with today’s technology, someone should be able to come up with a helmet design that will minimize concussions and also allow freedom of movement.

Posted by Navarath on 12/24/09 at 08:22 AM ET

Alfy is soft. Can’t play with the big boys.

Absolutely clean hit. No argument can be made that it was dirty. Learn hockey before you comment.

Posted by Jimmy from Windsor on 12/24/09 at 08:48 AM ET

The new messier helmet (M11) actually isn’t even as good as the Reebok 6k, so the 8K helmet is even better…they just dont have Messier selling it.  (This was all given to me by a Reebok employee, so take it for what it’s worth).

That looked like a perfect clean check to me btw.

Posted by Greg on 12/24/09 at 08:58 AM ET

I don’t like it.  Adams isn’t what you would call a cheap shot artist or agitator.  Looked like a typical clean hit that became a dirty hit because of circumstances but you can’t really blame the guy who gets injured for lunging for a puck. 

They NHL will probably suspend him anyway…but it’s not going to be more than a game or two.  I’d be okay with them suspending players who make legal but dangerous hits if they did it consistently…but they don’t (richards ovechkin malkin).  Being a pens fan I can tell you off the bat Malkin plays with a big chip on his shoulder and does stuff that an ordinary player would get penalized for (and some that would result in a suspension: i.e. slewfoot)...he needs to grow up and not retaliate.

Posted by stoneman from vegas on 12/24/09 at 09:12 AM ET

I’d be okay with them suspending players who make legal but dangerous hits ...

Not me.

Posted by Lindas1st from New England on 12/24/09 at 09:33 AM ET

It may have been a clean hit and a legal hit but why can’t players play with class?  Taking out someone you know is in a vulnerable position is stupid.

His stick went to the puck, yes… but his face was looking right at Alfredsson.  Barely touching the puck made it a legal hit but it didn’t need to happen.  If Adams had really gone after the puck, this injury would not have occurred.

I don’t think he should get a suspension but a nice smack upside the head would be good.

Posted by Matt Fry from Winnipeg on 12/24/09 at 10:04 AM ET

Perfectly clean hit, Adams is seperating Alfredsson from the puck. Alfredsson got hurt because his shoulder slammed into Adams back. What I don’t understand is the need to drop the gloves every time a clean hit is thrown. How does dropping the gloves after a clean hit deter players from taking cheap shots? We used to just suck it up if we got hit hard and waited for the opportunity to do the same. Isn’t hitting part of the game anymore or is it now tough to take exception to anyone being hit? It’s obvious that nobody cared about Alfredsson’s welfare because not a single Sen went to see if he was okay as he laid on the ice. It was more about making a “show” about sticking up for your teammate.

The fact the Alfredsson’s helmet strap is on so loose pretty much makes the helmet useless. He’s lucky he didn’t hit his head as he hit the ice and have an injury more serious than the shoudler.

Posted by Hockey1919 from Montreal on 12/24/09 at 10:54 AM ET

Since someone from Ottawa has to comment…

The best sequence is in the second video, starting at 34 seconds. Alfie is not “admiring a pass” but is chasing a loose puck, same as Gonchar. Alfie does not have his head down, you cannot skate at your standing height. Watching when their skates are all in a line, their heads are all at the same level, but since Alfie is generously listed at 5’11, Adams is 6’0, and Gonchar is 6’2, Alfie has his head highest. The second angle shows that Alfie is going for the puck along the boards, and Adams comes in from the faceoff circle, only going in front of Alfie right at the end, one of those unsuspecting hits. Finally, if you want to say that Alfie has his head down, it is likely because when you watch Adams, he lines up shoulder to shoulder height, but at the last second turns and drives himself, and his shoulder, upwards into Alfie’s head.

Go ahead, flame me, but this is the same discussion going on within the NHL every time a hit comes into question, and people with all biases as well as clear minds all speak. Also, one of the impending captains of the Swedish Olympic teams is not soft, returning from things like anthroscopic knee surgery last season missing only a single game, and playing in the same extra gear Staal sported last night after having his jaw broken.

Posted by SENShobo from Waterloo, ON on 12/24/09 at 11:35 AM ET

It was a legal hit but that doesn’t make it clean. He hits high with intent and can be argued it was an intent to injure. Blindside high hits need to be made illegal.

Posted by Timbits on 12/24/09 at 01:40 PM ET

Legal and clean.  Brutal, but both legal and clean.  Tough break for Alfie, as I like the guy, hope he heals up quick and gets back out there.

And to the sheet stain who wants Crosby to take a hit like that, he gets lined up plenty, but he spins off hits better than anyone I’ve ever seen.

Go Devils.

Posted by Puckhead from Jersey! on 12/24/09 at 04:24 PM ET