Lightning Have Mixed Emotions Over Neil's Hit

[The Crow]

Tampa Bay Lightning rookie defenseman Victor Hedman will not play in Saturday's game with the Canadiens because of a concussion sustained in Thursday's game with the Senators on a brutal hit by Ottawa's Chris Neil.

"Back in the day you'd throw water on your back and go out," Tocchet said. "But now, with those lingering effects you just have to be very careful. You got to make sure. Lucky that's his first one, and hopefully it's just a mild concussion. It's one of those things you've got to go through the whole process and when they say he's ready, we'll play him."

Hedman, 18, did not practice Friday, sitting in the Bell Centre stands with members of Sweden's junior national team that is in town preparing for the world championships. Hedman also was smiling and jokey when talking to reporters and even joked about keeping his head up from now on when he tries to field pucks behind the net.

He also said he believes the hit was clean. He said Neil caught him in the chest with his arms, and only hit Hedman in the jaw with his forearm or elbow as Neil's body rode up Hedman's. He said he had a headache after the hit but had no residual effects on Friday.

"I feel good, very good," Hedman said. "It was a big hit. it was a clean hit. ... I was trying to pass the puck to (defensive partner Mattias Ohlund). I tried to reach for it and he just came and run over me. I was a little shaky there, so day to day, you can't rush things just take it slow."

Opinions, however, were still divided in the locker room over if the hit was clean.

Center Zenon Konopka, who was adamant Thursday the hit was dirty, reiterated that on Friday.

"He didn't even try to play the puck," Konopka said. "And he came from the blue line and (Hedman) is in a vulnerable position. He (Neil) has to use common sense."

Konopka called Thursday for Neil to be fined or suspended by the league. He clarified that Friday, saying, "When I said there should be repercussions, it doesn't need to come from the league. They have to come into Tampa one more time," on April 8.

But left wing Ryan Malone said he had less problem with the check because Neil hit from the front and did not go for the head.

"You don't want to see this happen," Malone said, "but I thought it was okay."

"It's one of those things," Tocchet said. "I can understand both sides of it. Sometimes I've seen some hits that are a lot less than that get a fine or suspension. It's a tough call. I have a tough time giving an opinion either way, I really do. It was one of those things it was a perfect storm for that to happen."

As forward Ryan Craig said, "It's a fine line. If Heddy doesn't get hurt, we're not talking about it."

"Well," Konopka said, "not as much."

FULL:

http://tampabay.com/blogs/lightning/...neil-was-clean


I personally think it was a clean hit, but I can understand how people have mixed emotions, being that it was Chris Neil and who he layed the hit on. I just cant wait till April.

[ScottRasner]

Why in the world is this in the trivia/game section?

[The Crow]

It's a trivial thread

Please move

[ScottRasner]

Originally Posted by The Crow

It's a trivial thread

Please move

Ha ha ha. the face explains it all here.

[silverback]

Okay, Konopka just became a retard in my eyes.

The hit was perfectly clean and now, after the game is over he's going to talk about "repercussions". Why the hell didn't he do something last night? Man, the Lightning are pathetic (well, maybe not Downie, at least he shows up).

Glad Hedman's okay, but maybe now they will realize that Walker, Fedoruk, Konopka, and Downie don't scare anybody.

[The Crow]

Had the game been 3-0, and had Downie not already gone after Neil, Konopka would dropped em no matter what. Let's face it, the hit was not a blatant dirty one, and I'm sure Konopka (Who CLEARLY challenged and prodded Neil in the 3rd) knew what else was at stake here. I think the game situation kinda ruined this potential.

It's not about whether Neil should be scared of certain guys, it's a team showing that they won't forget about this hit and will get their revenge come April. Konopka edged out Neil anyway this year in most peoples eyes, as did Matt Walker.

[Skorka85]

Originally Posted by silverback

Okay, Konopka just became a retard in my eyes.

The hit was perfectly clean and now, after the game is over he's going to talk about "repercussions". Why the hell didn't he do something last night? Man, the Lightning are pathetic (well, maybe not Downie, at least he shows up).

Glad Hedman's okay, but maybe now they will realize that Walker, Fedoruk, Konopka, and Downie don't scare anybody.

So Konopka who leads the team in fights doesn't show up? You think he had nothing to say to Neil and never challenged him the whole rest of the night? You don't know a thing about Konopka if you think that. It's not about wether it's a clean hit or not, a teammate got ran, end of story. Retribution doesn't always come right away, the next shift, the next period or even that game. Hockey players have elephantine memories, and jumping a guy in a game or trying to force him to fight isn't always the best course of action.

Detroit waited a whole year to get at Claude Lemieux, and they waited to do it on home ice too.

[NJDevils17]

I thought it was a perfectly clean hit and I'm glad that Hedman seems fine and that he was ok with the hit.

While I disagree with Konopka about the hit, I'm glad he's willing to take care of this on the ice with Neil next time.

[skacore]

Perfectly clean hit but it's still something you seek retribution for, I think everyone on both teams expects that. Not like Neil would be shy to oblige anyone on the TB roster. This rivalry is 1 of the few bright spots so far this season.

[ToxinX]

One of those Dirty/legal hits that was posted about in the original articles sections a bit back. It was cleanly executed, but when a man goes down like that, Neil gets taken to task... I wish it had been someone other than steve downie, but props to him for going way out of his league to make a point.
I think Z is wrong in his comments about it being dirty, but if that means he dances with Neil again in the future, I'm all for it. He had enough reason for that based on the sucker punch he got when the linesmen separated them the first time they scrapped. I'd love to see Z take the opening draw, center ice when the Sens hit Tampa in April and start the game off right.

[Humpzilla]

Originally Posted by silverback

Okay, Konopka just became a retard in my eyes.

The hit was perfectly clean and now, after the game is over he's going to talk about "repercussions". Why the hell didn't he do something last night? Man, the Lightning are pathetic (well, maybe not Downie, at least he shows up).

Glad Hedman's okay, but maybe now they will realize that Walker, Fedoruk, Konopka, and Downie don't scare anybody.

Now for one, I agree with you about the Lightning not being all that imposing. Now would having Fritz in the lineup help -- yeah sure. But i know the Bolts wouldn't go for that. Fritz just sucks as a hockey player.....and he's not exactly the most dominating fighter.

That said, Konopka went after Neil in the 3rd period. Neil wouldn't drop the gloves. And since Z doesn't want to pull a 'Chris Dingman in the playoffs', he chose to keep his job on the team, rather than cause the club a penalty. And as much as i'd love to have seen Neil get another reminder of what he did, it just wasn't going to happen with that score. But you sure as hell know Neil will be getting knocked around at the end of the season. That is depending on how much the TB Lightning suck

Personally, i'll take a team which fights a lot over a team who wins a lot of fights, though doesn't fight as often

[The NJ Devil]

Originally Posted by skacore

Perfectly clean hit but it's still something you seek retribution for, I think everyone on both teams expects that. Not like Neil would be shy to oblige anyone on the TB roster. This rivalry is 1 of the few bright spots so far this season.

Great post.

[BROKEN*ORBITAL]

I feel good, very good," Hedman said. "It was a big hit. it was a clean hit. ... I was trying to pass the puck to (defensive partner Mattias Ohlund). I tried to reach for it and he just came and run over me.

Sounds more like he's from Alberta than Sweden. Love hearing that from the kid.

"He didn't even try to play the puck," Konopka said. "And he came from the blue line and (Hedman) is in a vulnerable position. He (Neil) has to use common sense."

How do you say that with a straight face when two stalls over is Steve Downie?

"When I said there should be repercussions, it doesn't need to come from the league. They have to come into Tampa one more time," on April 8.

Yeah because making "threats" through the media isn't going to cause any extra scrutiny for the game by the league. What a f*cken idiot Konopka comes off as here. I mean really? I'm sure as soon as he saw this interview on SportsCentre Chris Neil was trembling on the phone with the doctor trying to get a sick note to give to Clouston for April 8th.

"Back in the day you'd throw water on your back and go out," Tocchet said.

I vaguely remember an interview with a bigjack era player and they were asking him about concussions in those days. His reply was something like, "We had concussions back then too. We used to just call them headaches and keep playing though."

[The Crow]

Well assuming the media was asking him about it, is he not supposed to say what he thinks should be done by the team or the league?

[acd1]

Hedman is arguably the lightnings best defenseman and the future of the team. Konopka should not have given Neil the chance to turn down a fight. Talking about retribution after the game in the press just makes him look silly. Day late and a dollar short. Honestly, I think this is a situation where Vinny should have jumped Neil to make a statement.

Good clean hit, but you can't allow your young star to take that kind of hit without seeking retribution.