Video of the Day: Gaborik Soars

by uvgt2bkdnme on Aug 25, 2011 4:22 PM CDT

[Editor's Note: Bumped to the Front Page in lieu of an official video of the day]

In what has become my source of instant happiness and frippery, today's video of the day takes us back to a simpler time: I was just in high school, the Red Wings were having <i>yet another</i> great season, and as we would soon find out later that spring, we would bear witness to a Stanley Cup win.

Today's video celebrates that gaiety that should accompany all of us as much as possible in our lives. In a rare instance that a forward blows by Nicklas Lidstrom, Marian Gaborik receives a breakaway pass from some guy that I cannot identify in the video to save my life. Keeping his head down and the puck on his stick, Gaborik streaks into an on-rushing Dominik Hasek, who came very far out of his net to try to knock the puck away from Gaborik rather than try to make a save on the breakaway. I had never seen a play like this before this instance, so I don't really know if Hasek should have been assessed a penalty, nor do I know if the rulebook has another to say about this specific play. All I know is that (especially because Gaborik wasn't injured) I will be laughing at this play for the rest of my life.

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This video...

Makes me giddy every time I watch it.

by SlapshotGoal on Aug 25, 2011 7:24 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

teehee index finger pressed against lips

You wanna tell me that to mah face?!
YET ANOTHER Detroit Red Wings blog.

by uvgt2bkdnme on Aug 25, 2011 11:10 PM CDT up reply actions

This is a brilliant move by Hasek

It’s high-risk, but letting a player of Gaborik’s skill skate in uncontested is even riskier.

Reminds me of something a soccer goalie would (and should) do.

Red Wings: Hockey Par Excellence

by Naysayer on Aug 25, 2011 10:51 PM CDT reply actions

depends on where it happens

with all that open field, soccer goalies could easily screw themselves over.

heheh, and now i just got an image of a goalie tripping up a striker and said striker doing the same flip Gaborik did in the video.

You wanna tell me that to mah face?!
YET ANOTHER Detroit Red Wings blog.

by uvgt2bkdnme on Aug 25, 2011 11:12 PM CDT up reply actions

Actually, I'd say it's a significantly lower-risk...

for a soccer goalie, because the soccer net is so huge. If a player breaks away on you he’s virtually guaranteed to score.

I’ve seen soccer goalies make many a mad dash 20 yards out to kick a pass away from an oncoming rusher. It’s one of the few interesting things in soccer.

Also note that this would not be penalized in soccer (ironic, eh?). : (

Red Wings: Hockey Par Excellence

by Naysayer on Aug 25, 2011 11:25 PM CDT up reply actions

Awful

I remember watching this live, I can’t believe they called a penalty on Hasek on this play. He clearly hit the puck before Gaborik.

by Red Wing Nut on Aug 26, 2011 12:25 AM CDT reply actions

The best part of that is the last half second before the video ends, when you can see the shit eating grin on Hasek’s face. I remember watching this live, and I remember thinking (and Ken and Mickey offering a little later) that maybe he was just bored, in a 5-0 win against that offensive juggernaut, the Minnesota Wild.

http://sacrificethebody.blogspot.com/
Sacrifice the Body - Examining the NHL through statistical analysis, reasoned thought, and blind conjecture.

by IAmJoe on Aug 26, 2011 4:56 AM CDT reply actions

It does give a perspective on how fast and physical hockey is compared to other sports.

Gaborik pole vaults with his right hand to complete the flip but he was flying after contact with Hasek. As for the penalty well, considering the results I don’t think the referees wanted to start a precedent for goalies coming out of their nets to engage in such hits.

by Idle Drifter on Aug 26, 2011 8:33 AM CDT reply actions

WTF

IT WASN’T A HIT!!! It’s no different than a PK forward sliding to block a shot on the penalty kill.

by Red Wing Nut on Aug 26, 2011 8:59 AM CDT up reply actions

Well, it sure looked really bad.

I can’t put too much blame on the refs for calling a penalty there, even if it was the wrong call, especially considering it was a 5-0 game with just over 2 minutes left. But the only reason it looked so bad was because Gaborik kept his fricking head down the whole time. How many times must players be told to KEEP YOUR HEAD UP.

by tehGOALIE on Aug 26, 2011 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions