For all you young skaters out there, learn a lesson from this play. If you’re going to skate with your head down you are going to get blasted and you will likely get hurt. Matt Ellis has his head down here for so long you start to wonder if he was looking for a lost contact or something. Johnny Boychuk sends him crumbling to the ice with a massive hit.

After he got nailed Ellis was at least able to get up but he had to leave the game and retreat to the locker room. Fortunately for him and the Buffalo Sabres, Ellis did return to the bench later on in the game. But Boychuk’s jarring hit got Boston going psycho.

The only thing more exciting than a huge hit like that is getting a little action in the stands while watching the game. A hit like that is pleasing for everyone, especially Baby Hulk Hogan.

The hit was fantastic, but the real story here is the this is the second time that R.J. Umberger has been blown-up big time, in playoff hockey.

The first big hit came  a few years ago when he was a member of the Philadelphia Flyers and Brian Campbell destroyed him.  It was one of the biggest hits in NHL history.  I thought R.J. would learn his lesson after a hit like that, I guess not.  Here are both the hits for your enjoyment.

Brian Campbell Smokes R.J. Umberger

If you didn’t see the play, this is what happened:  OV was flying down the wing, chasing the puck.  Then big bad Zdeno Chara strolled over and clipped his feet with his stick, which sent Ovechkin flying like superman into the boards.  It looked a lot worse at the time and I thought he was done. Check out the video.

I bet Gary Bettman is glad that the golden boy is fine, because that is the last thing the NHL needs right now.

Jason Blake came roaring down the wing and cut to the net, as he cut to the net goalie Tim Thomas decided the only way he was going to stop Blake (who earlier beat him for a goal) was to lunge at him with his blocker and glove.  Thomas used a double armed close line technique and never recieved a penalty for it.

“Thomas is the man.  And I have no idea what is wrong with this play.  Thomas checks a player.  There is nothing in the rules that says he can’t.  If Jason Blake doesn’t get his a$$ handed to him from Brian Burke, it will be because he is on waivers (yeah, won’t happen, I know).  Dude, you just got checked by a goalie.” Via Puck Daddy and Jerseys And Hockey Love

This is not the first time Thomas has hit a player, a couple of weeks ago against the Montreal Canadiens Tim Thomas hit an unexpected Andrei Kostitsyn who was crossing in front of the net and a fight ensued.

Is Tim Thomas double armed close line a legal play in hockey?  We think not, but if a goalie can hit a player and not get a penalty, then we think players should be able to body check a goalie when they come out of their crease.