OMG.

ESPN is so pathetic.

This may be heresy, but I think the NHL on Versus is best for everybody.

IMHO

Posted by w2j2 on 05/02/09 at 08:59 AM ET

Oh my freaking word. Fail.

Posted by Jennemy of the Skate from putting the b*tches in the box on 05/02/09 at 09:04 AM ET

Um ... yeah.

Wow.  On the other hand, if Anaheim is going to be nice enough to loan Detroit one of their defensemen to fill up injuries, that is very sweet of them. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/02/09 at 09:21 AM ET

On the other hand, if Anaheim is going to be nice enough to loan Detroit one of their defensemen to fill up injuries, that is very sweet of them.

They’d never get their guy back. They’d have to break his fingers just to pry the Wing jersey out of his hands. The term “Stockholm Syndrome” acquires a whole new level of meaning here, no?

Posted by Bio on 05/02/09 at 09:29 AM ET

These hits remind me of the 80’s and 90’s when they were considered clean.  Stevens vs. Kariya...that was considered a good hit and Stevens was God for these types of hits. It was never considered anything more than interference; no dicussion about intent to injure or a “head shot”.

Browns’s hit happened before the pass was completed and IMO was not dirty.  Hudler should not be admiring his pass.  Hockey is and has always been a dangerous game.

Posted by Mr. Nasty on 05/02/09 at 09:31 AM ET

anyone who doesn’t care who wins the game or series loves to see big hits.  It is front page news on TSN as well.  It is all people talk about with regards to the game.

Posted by Mr. Nasty on 05/02/09 at 09:36 AM ET

Browns’s hit happened before the pass was completed and IMO was not dirty.

So someone named “Mr. Nasty” thinks the Brown hit on Hppy was not dirty. Why, I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you.

anyone who doesn’t care who wins the game or series loves to see big hits.

I won’t reapeat all of the arguments here. They’ve been adequately covered in this KK post. But the bottom line is there’s a huge difference between “big hits” that are (and should always be) an integral part of the game and “cheap hits” that threaten the careers of far too many players. IMO, Brown’s hit clearly falls into the latter category.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 05/02/09 at 11:31 AM ET

Stay classy, ESPN.

I’ll repeat my $.02 from the main thread:

A great article with comprehensive angles on the hit:

http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/02/the-morning-skate-head-shots-continue-in-round-2/

It looks like there was about 1 second between the pass and the hit.  You can see Brown swing the part of his arm between his shoulder and elbow into Huds’ once-pretty face.

It’s a vicious hit, but I bet you don’t see Brown receive any disciplinary action for it.  One second later, sure.  Pure elbow hit, sure.  But I have a feeling a goal (that arguably won the game for us) and a relatively healthy Happy is all we’re going to see out of this.

That is, until Mr. Brown gets back on the ice.

Posted by Hippy Dave from San Francisco by way of Detroit on 05/02/09 at 12:37 PM ET

i love how pronger just stands there while franzen runs over his goalie, what an idiot, once he gets beat, the play must be over eh? great team player right there

Posted by yzer19man from Chicago on 05/02/09 at 01:03 PM ET

Epic fail.  I much more trust the Chief’s Interns than the pros at ESPN.

Posted by SYF from Las Vegas, NV on 05/02/09 at 01:25 PM ET