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In what was a pretty interesting game with huge leads and come backs, fights from guys who don't normally fight and teams trying to score on them selves one debatable point has been over looked. Taylor Hall was hip checked cleanly by Marc Giordano, this prompted Colin Fraser to speed over and take on Giordano. The thinking that Hall has to be protected and if you check him or otherwise play him cleanly I will punch you.

What I can't understand is if it is a legal hit and Hall was not injured on the play, why the spaz out? Hall got caught. He was fine because it was a clean check. End of story. Giordano's role is to separate the forward from the puck cleanly, he did that.

What this amounts to is if a player plays inside the rules and an opposing player doesn't like it then the hockey world applauds him for breaking the rules and punching a guy in the face. Then people wonder why this great game is called barbaric south of the border. I would like to reiterate that Hall was not injured nor was there the intent to injure. If Giordano had intended to injure Hall, Hall would have left on a stretcher. If Hall can not protect himself then why is he out there? In addition is a guy with zero points really a guy that gets Gretzky like treatment all of a sudden?

What happened to honor? If Hall felt like he was contacted in a dirty way then why didn't he drop the mitts and take on Giordano? Hall didn't even look angry. He popped right up! Yet Colin Fraser felt he had to rush in there and save him? If you can't play hockey and your only role is to fight opposing players who are playing cleanly you don't deserve the very small amount of ice you get.

"Hey you iced the puck!!", Followed by a punch to the face.
"Hey you backchecked me and made me look bad!", Punch to the face.
Those are two scenarios where no one got injured on clean plays and you could never imagine a fight because of them, yet with Fraser it was being applauded.

To be clear I'm not opposed to fights in hockey. I am opposed to fights that occur simply because two heavyweights are on the ice and that's what they are paid to do. In the above scenario, if Hall had been injured on a dirty check and unable to defend himself like a man then I can see how a team mate would stick up for his guy but when it's clean and no one even got injured? That's just trying to justify your hockey existence.

The refs agree too, giving Fraser an instigater and a 10.

S>O>
Filed Under:   Flames   Oilers   Fraser   Giordano  
October 27, 2010 4:06 PM ET | Delete
It isn't the first time it's happened, nor will it be the last.
October 27, 2010 4:12 PM ET | Delete
You are 100% correct, I'm just a little tired of it.
October 27, 2010 4:26 PM ET | Delete
I agree and from the outcome of the fight, Fraser might want to let someone else do the "protecting"
October 27, 2010 4:28 PM ET | Delete
October 27, 2010 5:28 PM ET | Delete
October 27, 2010 6:46 PM ET | Delete
Hey Sane! Troll here. Whatever. This stuff stems from the constant media hype of these 'kids'
October 27, 2010 6:47 PM ET | Delete
Even the players get caught up in it. Let them take the extra penalties.
October 27, 2010 7:00 PM ET | Delete
Hall WILL get hurt sooner are later his play sucks and he just expects the sea to part for him but the 'sea' in this case hip checked him cleanly.
October 27, 2010 7:07 PM ET | Delete
Yet when the player making the hit refuses to fight he gets scrutinized like what happened to Phaneuf last preseason.
October 27, 2010 7:43 PM ET | Delete
I have no problem with 2 250lb scraping it out for momentum but when guys scrap for stupid reasons like Colin Fraser did pisses me off the hot was clean!
October 27, 2010 7:43 PM ET | Delete
Hit
October 27, 2010 9:40 PM ET | Delete
Fraser's actions are what the instigator should be used for.
October 27, 2010 10:07 PM ET | Delete
On a dirty hit, definitely protect your guy. On a clean hit... Tell him to keep his head up.
October 27, 2010 10:49 PM ET | Delete
agreed with jsaquella. That should be an instigator penalty. Retaliation to clean hits is completely bull shit.
October 27, 2010 10:56 PM ET | Delete
Didn't Bourque get like 17 minutes of penalty last year for something similar? I remembered that retaliation for clean hits were not so uncommon last year. Not that it makes any sense at all.
October 28, 2010 10:49 AM ET | Delete
Actually we were left with a 9 minute penalty kill. Washington took a penalty in the middle but we killed off the whole thing. The funny thing was how Langkow got crushed by the Caps' no-name d-man and turtled when Bork rushed in.
October 28, 2010 10:52 AM ET | Delete
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_G8oyEOidk
October 28, 2010 1:15 PM ET | Delete
Troll here. So by that logic you are also against Jokinen's actions in fighting Gagner in the game too in retaliation for Gagner hitting Stajan? "Retaliatory" fights happen and if the other team is willing to take the penalty for starting a fight then more power to them
October 28, 2010 1:47 PM ET | Delete
lol he aint getting gretzky like treatment.... yet. to say they get hype maybe it is because they are the future of that franchise. if calgary had half the farm team the oilers do all we would hear about is them. They also get a lot of attention cause they were high draft picks, samething with crosby or stamkos or any other franchise players. get use to it
October 28, 2010 2:03 PM ET | Delete
Door mat, I will admit I saw that fightbut missed the pre curser to it and absolutly if that was the case, i'll take your word for it, I'd be against it. It's stupid if it's a clean hit. MF1313, so because it's done around the league it's ok? I am used to it, I'm just tired of it.
October 28, 2010 2:18 PM ET | Delete
yea if its done around the league then its gd. the team and the league make money from promoting the up and coming players. so yea it is gd. i agree it does get tiring but it going to happen everywhere
October 28, 2010 5:20 PM ET | Delete
It is just sending a message that says, if you touch our skilled players there will be consequences. ALL teams do it, and the best teams at it are usually really good hockey teams.
October 28, 2010 5:22 PM ET | Delete
your jealousy over the oilers having Hall is starting to show on alot of your blogs. When the franchise player on your team takes a hard hit, regardless whether it was clean or not, teammates will most likely stick up for him. Get over it.
October 28, 2010 6:40 PM ET | Delete
MF1313 nand marty. I get it, I know why it happens but skilled doesn't also have to mean wimp does it? I can name a lot of players who've dropped them that are considered elite. Gretzky- Did you read my blog where I said if White is getting nightmares from Eberle? THAT is the kid I'm jealous of you having!
October 28, 2010 6:53 PM ET | Delete
Sane, i'm not talking about individual players, I'm saying all teams don't let their more skilled players get pushed around, so they will have the confidence to play their game. Really good teams will have a good balance of both types of players.
October 28, 2010 6:54 PM ET | Delete
Marty- I think you have to define "push around" does that mean taking liberties and playing dirty? Or are you saying a clean check?
October 29, 2010 2:03 AM ET | Delete
If ya wanna play tough get ready for the consequences.
October 29, 2010 12:33 PM ET | Delete
Sane: I'm talking about both clean and dirty. The message should be, from any teams perspective, if you touch our skilled guys their will be consequences, period. I agree though, the game should be more about the skilled players, but you still have to protect those guys so they can do their job. It doesn't have to be a fight though, you can come at him with a good clean solid check to send the same message.
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