Super Series (spoilers?)

[corylav]

Canada takes Game 1, 4-2 ... here's a snippet on Sutter and who he's playing with:

S. Legein - B. Sutter - M. Lucic
21 12 22

The checking line, though still loaded with talent...Sutter won many key draws and likely killed about a minute and a half of Canada's penalty time through the face-off circle alone...

[puck_it]

i dont know if this is a watchable series, but maybe our neighbors to the nroth get it on TV. So, anyway, i tagged it with spoilers til we find out ;)

[cmw00]

I was hoping we'd get this somehow on CI, but I guess not?

[Squeaky]

Watched game two on the web--convincing win by Canada, 3-0. Some very nice, slick work on the third goal by David Perron.

Learned one new bit of info on Sutter--led the OHL in short handed goals last year. So there's some more indication of both offensive upside and defensive responsibility.

[CC]

"Well, Game 2 is in the books, but it was really over after a Brandon Sutter bodycheck took down the Russian’s most notable player, Alexei Cherepanov, in the first period in a yard sale of equipment, sticks and bodies.



The Russian sniper never recovered, and neither did his teammates as the Canadians overwhelmed them at all ends of the ice en route to a 3-0 win Wednesday morning.



After the big bodycheck, Sutter added a goal of his own in addition to some solid defensive work along with his linemates Stefan Legein and Milan Lucic. The line has become the backbone of the Canadian squad with its high-energy, shut-down play and today, bigtime bodychecks. "

[SoCalcaniac]

Learned one new bit of info on Sutter--led the OHL in short handed goals last year.

You mean the WHL- as he played for the Rebels of Red Deer in the Western Hockey League, not the Ontario League. ;)

Sutter is making a name for himself- not that he already hasn't, but playing for dad on the national team in the so-called super series is a big deal for the kid, and I'm sure he'd like to send a message back home that he came to play and that he'll be showing that when he comes to Raleigh for training camp.....

I don't think this Super Series thing is going the way Tretiak and the Russians want it to- and that old adage that you can't re-create the past. I'm not so sure that the Russian kids even care enough, but I could be wrong..... But we all know how patriotic the Canadians are.

[KaniacFever]

For anyone who hasn't seen, here's the Sutter hit on Cheraponov in Game 2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7WTtWHOmf4

[puck_it]

a sneaky trip by cherapanov to sutter, and sutter gets his payback. friggen awesome. keep your head up alexi! :D :spin:

another clip... slows it down, and its a TOTALLY clean hit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meDcW5YYe4M

[SoCalcaniac]

Cherapanov was hella sneaky- and did anyone else notice how quick our Brandon got back and made that hit?? Verrry impressive. And that hit was totally clean.

[puck_it]

hell yeah, its great seeing that he can stick up for himself. i cant wait to see him here on our ice. He wont be at camp will he?

[Canesluver]

Of course he'll be here, silly boy - haven't you seen the roster? #14!!

[puck_it]

i couldnt remember if he was doing NCAA or Canes/Red Deer route

[OilerFan]

Decent hockey thus far:

-As mentioned, Sutter really asserting himself with physical play. You guys have a solid NHLer on your hands...One thing you can g'tee yourself with a Sutter boy, hard work and effort all the time, the fact that he also has some skill is icing on the cake.

-Kyle Turris has been incredible...at both ends of the rink. He was the Oilers top prospect going into the draft and they tried hard to trade up for him (apparently Lowe was walking over the trade table but another GM backed off). I'm guessing it was Pitkanen/Sanderson/2nd overall for Smith/Lupul/6th overall but PHI backed out and Lowe decided to go ahead with the trade after the draft without the benefit of the pick swap.

-Oiler rookie Sam Gagner has looked great as well (another prospect with a strong pedigree). Even though we didn't get Turris, I'm happy with what I've seen thus far. Unfortunately couldn't find a clip of his shifty moves that set up his 1G/1A in Game 1 but it's more of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_xNxWmd7cI
Hopfully Sutter and Gagner meet in the cup finals a few years down the road but for god sakes...this time we need a different result!

-Cherepanov (who many analysts were shocked falled so far at the draft) has been invisible this series. And is now out for the rest of the games with a concussion:
http://www.tsn.ca/canadian_hockey/news_story/?ID=217269&hubname=

-John Tavares (likely top pick in 2009 draft) hasn't been very effective but the kid doesn't turn 17 until late Sept. Speaking of which, his agent is lobbying to get him eligible for the '08 draft because he misses the cutoff date by only 5 days. NHL likely won't budge (Bill Daly confirmed as much on the radio) especially given that they didn't allow Ovechkin an exception and he was only 2 or 3 days past the cutoff IIRC.

-Flames prospect Lleland Irving in goal for game 3...my hatred for the Flames wants Canada to squeak out a 7-6 win.

All in all, while it's good to be watching hockey in late August...this series has not been competitive thus far. I'm not even sure if it's a big mismatch in skill...I think a lot of this has to do with Brent Sutter outcoaching Nemchinov (Devils fans should be pleased with who their new coach is).

[corylav]

another win for our neighbors to the North ... 6-2

[redblackhockey]

Sorry, but the hit was not "clean". By the NHL's excessively lax standards, it would be marginal, but this was not clean in international play or in any league other than the NHL. Any hit to the head or neck is illegal in IIHF play, and in most if not all leagues not called "The National Hockey League". Usually, there is a mandatory multiple game suspension (read: Shea Weber vs Yannic Seidenberg) if the player is injured.

As far as the <i>charging</i> aspect, after taking off the Hurricanes Goggles it sure looks like charging to me. He lined Cherepanov up and took well over three strides to get to him and deliver the hit. He says himself that he went out to get Cherepanov, noticed that he was vulnerable (head down) and "leaned into him".

Cherepanov wasn't a "victim", though. His slew foot wasn't a minor thing. It isn't as dramatic as a huge open ice hit, but it can be more damaging. The way a slew-footed player falls (almost always on his tailbone or back of his head) could lead to devastating injury. It was a very dirty (and intentional) move on his part. While I like Sutter's gritty response, I don't like the head-high hit.

That said, Sutter has been a force to reckon with, and it will be fun to see him in a Canes sweater in a couple of years.

Cherepanov was clearly a marked man, even before the slew-footing. After Sutter nailed him, Colton Gillies drove him into the ice a few minutes later. Still later, Milan Lucic threw him into the boards pretty hard.

What's peculiar, though, is that Cherepanov played the rest of the game and seemed unfazed by the Sutter hit. Later, he was ruled out for the remainder of the series, but Russia didn't lobby too hard for a suspension. Rumor has it, he's in the coach's dog house because of his lack of production. The speculation is that the coaching staff asked the doctors to deem him unfit, and used "concussion" as an excuse.

[puck_it]

of course it was charging, he was assesed a minor for the penalty. but in the aspect he went well out of his way to make a check and deliver a message that he wont be ****ed with. The actual hit, and hit alone, not the lead in was clean as a whistle, yeah there was some contact to the head area, butthat was a result of cherepanov keeping his head down. It was a good penalty, you deserve to get your clock cleaned if you're going to make sneaky dirty plays. Sutter hit him dead on, and made sure he knew it was him.

I know you cant make a hit to the head in IIHF, nor can you in the NHL, but sometimes the player puts his head down and it's collateral damage. Look at waht happened to letowski. Look what happened to Lindros. Keep your head out of the way and theres not a problem.

[nccanes]

I know you cant make a hit to the head in IIHF, nor can you in the NHL,

Since when can you NOT hit to the head in the NHL?

I realize it was the talk of the league everytime someone rec'd one last year, but the discussion was normally about those types of hits and if the SHOULD be legal, not that they weren't.

[redblackhockey]

No.
Checks to the head and neck are not illegal in the NHL. Not in and of themselves, anyway. That was the discussion.

Per the IIHF official rulebook:
540 – Checking to the Head and Neck Area.
a) A player who directs a check or blow, with any part of his body, to the head and neck
area of an opposing player or ”drives” or ”forces” the head of an opposing player into
the protective glass on boards, shall be assessed at the discretion of the Referee a:
- Minor penalty + Automatic Misconduct penalty (2’+10’)
or
- Major penalty + Automatic Game Misconduct penalty (5’+GM)
or
- Match Penalty (MP)
b) A player who injures an opponent as result of checking to the Head and Neck Area
shall be assessed, a
- Match Penalty

Checking to the head and neck has a rule to itself.

In the NHL rulebook, there are a few references to hitting the head and neck, but only secondary to some other violation. For example, a subsection to the elbowing rule is that a player can be assessed a major penalty and a $100 fine IF the play results in an injury to the other player in his head/neck area.

There is no specific mention of checks to the head/neck being illegal in and of themselves. Secondly, the two or three times it is mentioned, it has to be in conjunction with some other infraction. This is too vague, and it is predicated upon whether there is or is not injury.

Unless and until the NHL rules change, the rule is that you can check someone in the head as much as you want, so long as you don't elbow him, or "rough" him.

If you can find an NHL rule that pertains specifically to hitting about the head and neck, please prove me wrong.

[cmw00]

Yeah that hit was Awesome but dirty as hell. Hope he keeps that up in the pros!

[StormShaman]

Because, of course, the 'Canes need to have the reputation for being a bunch of cheapshotting douchebags.

[cmw00]

Is that so much to ask?

[puck_it]

how is it not legal? If you have your hands up going into a check, its roughing. coming in high like that isnt legal.

additionally, if you slam a guys face into the boards, you'll get called for boarding.

There's no "head contact" rule, but it's covered under various other rules in the NHL rulebook.

[Canesluver]

Hey?! Everybody saw the write-up about Sutter and the Super Series at nhl.com, right? It's been out since the 28th, but if you haven't, here goes:

Sutter Stoked by Super Series with Russians

Brandon Sutter has jumped right into the fray at the Canada-Russia Super Series. Fortunately for the 18-year-old center, versatility and adaptability are hallmarks of his well-rounded and highly respected game. So, too, is Sutter’s work ethic. It seems he never tires of the game he loves. Except for a short break in July, Sutter has been playing hockey almost non-stop since last September. He says he would have it no other way.
“I had a very good summer,” he said, even though Sutter’s summer did not start until July and ended a few weeks ago as he began training intensively for the Super Series. “I enjoyed it a lot. You know, I played Under-18 for Canada last spring and then after that I had a few trips -- to the (NHL Entry) Draft and to Toronto for the (Central Scouting Bureau’s) fitness testing.
“Other than that, I have just been at home. For a year that was so busy, I had a lot of time off in the summer to get myself going again and kind of regroup. It was nice to get refreshed and now I am ready to go.”
In fact, Sutter’s dedication to the game and his abundant skill set were the main reasons Carolina selected the Red Deer Rebel (Western Hockey League) -- and son of Team Canada coach Brent Sutter -- in the first round of the 2007 Entry Draft.
Also, those traits helped Brandon Sutter excel as Team Canada’s defensive-line center in Monday’s first game of the Super Series in Ufa, Russia. Game 2 is Wednesday, also in Ufa.
Canada won the first game of the eight-game series, 4-2, and Brandon Sutter found himself killing a passel of Canadian penalties (Canada faced 11 shorthanded situations, including two 5-on-3 kills) and also being deployed against Alexei Cherepanov, Russia’s most dangerous offensive player and a first-round choice of the New York Rangers (http://www.newyorkrangers.com/) this past June. Sutter, named an alternate captain for the team, also had the helper on Canada’s first goal, scored by Stefan Legein, which kicked off a four-goal run to turn the game around.
Upon leaving for Russia late last week, Brandon Sutter was already ready to go; despite the fact that he had only one practice under his belt. He already was entertaining visions of returning to Canada for the final four games of the series after completing a strong showing in Russia.
“Usually going into the season, things don’t pick up until after training camp and after exhibitions and you get into the regular season,” said Sutter, who lives for big games. “Then, you have to wait how many months before playoffs? This is coming right away and it is definitely a huge tournament for both countries.
“Having a chance to play on home ice is definitely going to be unreal. Going over to Russia is going to be a cool experience for everyone. We’re looking forward to, hopefully, doing our best and winning as many games as we can.”
For Brandon Sutter, winning is the only thing.
He hails from one of the most competitive families in hockey. His dad is one of six Sutter brothers to make it to the NHL. He has been schooled, practically since birth, in the sacrifices it takes to be successful in hockey and Brandon Sutter is more than willing to pay that steep price.
Brent Sutter, his father and new coach of the New Jersey Devils (http://www.newjerseydevils.com/), is uncompromising in the way the game should be played -- with passion and with a commitment to fundamentals. He has passed on those ideals to Brandon and that process now continues for father and son with Team Canada.
Brent Sutter is a proud Canadian, his hockey identity shaped by the Summit Series -- an eight-game series between a collection of Canadian NHLers and the Soviet Union’s best players contested 35 years ago. The ’72 Summit Series was the inspiration for this Super Series.
Brent Sutter has made sure that Brandon Sutter is well-versed in the intrigue, bravery and mental fortitude that went into Canada’s come-from-behind victory in the series. Paul Henderson scored the game-winning goal in each of the three final games to give Canada a 4-3-1 series win and instill the country with almost unbelievable pride.
“He’s definitely helped me understand what it was like back then and how it was much more than just a hockey game in an eight-game series,” Brandon Sutter said “At that time, it meant a lot to the people and the history of Canada. He was alive for all that and he witnessed it, so I think him being the coach is good for us players to understand and feel what it was like.”
Words are one thing, experiences are another.
Monday night in the brand new arena in Ufa, Russia, Brandon Sutter felt what it was like to be in such a cauldron of emotion; facing a supremely talented Russian squad before a boisterous pro-Russian crowd while Canada looked on through the national television broadcast on TSN.
And, Brandon Sutter passed the first, early test -- one of the toughest of his young hockey career -- with flying colors.

[cmw00]

how is it not legal? If you have your hands up going into a check, its roughing. coming in high like that isnt legal.


Hmm by nhl rules? Charging, leaving his feet, elbow/forarm to the head.

[puck_it]

he didnt leave his feet at the point contact was initiated. charging was called based on distance traveled.

at any rate, i was responding to "how are hits to the head illegal in the NHL". i was recapping the main question last directed at me in my post.

oh, and i like to add that while the hits to the head amy not be quite called as strictly as some would like, the fact of the matter is, head contact is covered in one way or another through various rules, unlike a blanket rule in the IIHF. If you take issue with the calling of the rules that's one thing, its part of the gray area culture that was examined with hooking/holding/obstruction type fouls.

[corylav]

I thought the hit definitely needed to be penalized (not suspension-bad or anything ... but charging was fair) ... that being said, watch Cherapanov drag his leg at the beginning of the play to trip up Sutter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7WTtWHOmf4&NR=1

No doubt in my mind Sutter was pissed about the cheap shot and paid him back.

[puck_it]

oh oh... and to anyone thinking Sutter overstepped his bounds, this is why fighting is needed in hockey :) No rebtributive checks that break the rules. You go out, pound his face a few times and call it a day.

[corylav]

oh oh... and to anyone thinking Sutter overstepped his bounds, this is why fighting is needed in hockey :) No rebtributive checks that break the rules. You go out, pound his face a few times and call it a day.

esp. to people who slew foot others ...

[caveman]

Looked to me like Sutter's hit was perfect, not late, didn't leave his feet before contact, elbow isn't up, shoulder to shoulder, just a beauty of a hit. Granted I don't know what rules this game was being played under, but NHL wise that is absolutely great timing, great check.

Cherepanov -- just another in a long line of players afraid of a real hit, but not afraid to dish out cheap shots behind the play...

"WE GOT THE RIGHT GUY." ;]

Here's a Rangers fan's take on it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNZf2aNWdew&mode=related&search=

Here's the point of impact in slo-mo, showing shoulder to shoulder contact, not leaving his feet, elbow is down, etc.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meDcW5YYe4M&NR=1

If Cherepanov got a concussion, it was from whiplash or from hitting his head on the ice when his apparently none-too-well-buckled helmet falls off. But credit to Cherepanov, he gets right up, picks up his helmet, and plays the rest of the game. Either he wasn't actually dazed, or he put on a show of being just fine...

[SoCalcaniac]

Meh; that Cheraponov/Sutter pseudo to-do seems so long ago, I'm just wanting this "Super" series thing over with tonight so #14, Brandon Sutter can get on a plane and fly to Raleigh to attend his first NHL Training Camp. ;)

The 8th and final game is tonight in VAN - the Russians got 1 tie game (Friday) and our kid Sutter, is playing with alot of confidence:

CP player of the game - Brandon Sutter. A smart, hard-working shift on a penalty kill in the first period drew an ovation from the Centrium and he provided his team with an opening to take control of the game with a go-ahead goal in the second period.

I realize it's a reach for the kid to make it out of camp this year, we're too jammed up and seriously don't need help in the Center position, but this Sutter kid impressed me at the draft when we met him, and even prior to the draft, but now, having zeroed in on him and observing what he's been doing; we got the right kid.

[caveman]

From the highlights I've been watching, St. Louis got a steal with Perron with the 26th pick this year. Really slick playmaking moves. Then again, every player on Canada looks pretty good in the highlights I've been watching...

[puck_it]

oh yeah, perron definately is a helluva pick. and a total sleeper in the draft. I think he's going to be a heck of a player.