First, take a look at the video put together by SBNation of the hit Taylor Hall had on Cal Clutterbuck last night.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqqCj5MkA3I]
I’m not a scholar of the NHL, despite my other gig at Barry Melrose Rocks, so you are all entitled to your own opinions, but to me, it looked like Taylor Hall had intent to hit Cal Clutterbuck. That’s the problem with the hit, in my mind. What I don’t believe, however, is that he intended to go knee to knee with Clutterbuck, which has earned him a 2 game suspension.
Hall didn’t overtly stick his leg into Clutterbuck’s path (in my estimation) though he did crouch and prepare to hit him, though to me it looked like he wanted to throw his hip or shoulder into Clutterbuck. No matter the technique, it still would have been an illegal hit. Note that Clutterbuck had left the puck for Kyle Brodziak before Hall even got ready for the hit.
Given that Clutterbuck was injured on an illegal play, Hall deserved to have been suspended, regardless of whether or not there was an intentional knee on knee collision.
Hopefully Clutterbuck gets better soon.
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