Burrows to have phone hearing today.

[DIBdaQUIB]

That said it shouldn't be a suspension or even a fine if head shots are held to the same standard as last season. Emelin was leaning well forward as Burrows committed to the hit but straightened up and turned his skate to slow down. These changes caused Burrows to make contact with the head instead of the shoulder. Had he not held up and straightened Burrows line would have made it a hit to the shoulder. By last years standards the player throwing the hit wouldn't be suspended as he doesn't have time to adjust to the other players changes.

You can see how far forward Emilin was and his skate turn and spray ice....

This is correct. Emelin made changes to his path at the last split second that caused the head contact. Burrows had him lined up for a shoulder to shoulder contact and Emelin's actions changed that. The hit may have been a bit late but that is not suspendable.

Any suspension will be a political statement, sending a message or persecution of a player the league and press have gone to great lengths to de-fame.

[-DLC-]

Emelin should get at least a 9.5 for that spectacular dive.

9.8 on the richter

And, honestly, I wish they'd take this into consideration. It compromises the entire process if guys are reacting with dramatics because it then makes it more difficult to weed through it all. I'm thinking that may have contributed to the lack of a call (or could have had offsetting penalties if they were called).

He did return....so was he decapitated or slightly rustled? When they rule on these, I open they have their eyes wide open to the sales job.

[AllEyezOnMe]

9.8 on the richter

Why do fans think anything that an opposing team does is a damn dive ? I understand that Emelin had lost balance before burrows came in for the hit but I'm sure this was not a DIVE. Guess Steve Moore dove like it was his last game in the NHL

[Horny Manatee]

I cannot believe how some people can be such homers.

We don't have a game against Boston (our Stanley Cup Final) coming up so they can suspend Burrows for as long as they want.

[aGENT]

I would Rather see that, than the NHL, and the rest of the Canuck hating Eastern media, to have one in hand and suspend us down the road when it really starts to get intense, for something silly,

Don't worry, both will likely happen.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Dive? Wow. You'd have to be a pretty big homer to say that.

[viking mama]

Why do fans think anything that an opposing team does is a damn dive ? I understand that Emelin had lost balance before burrows came in for the hit but I'm sure this was not a DIVE. Guess Steve Moore dove like it was his last game in the NHL

Funny - you should say that,...

[aGENT]

Dive? Wow. You'd have to be a pretty big homer to say that.

Yeah, he's clearly off balance. Even the most jaded Canuck homer could at best call it "embellishment" but he was going down either way.

Still doesn't deserve a suspension IMO though.

[higgyfan]

It's hard to make a prediction from looking at the 2 videos shown. It's too bad the ref wasn't wearing a headcam, as that would be more conclusive. There's a reason it wasn't called as a penalty. After all, the refs were favouring Mon all night, so it seems like it would be called regardless.

Knowing the NHL, I suspect Burr will get 2 or 3 due to a late hit.

[Baggins]

Dive? Wow. You'd have to be a pretty big homer to say that.

I'd love to see anybody saying it was a dive take that hit and stay on their feet.

[Chalky]

Why do fans think anything that an opposing team does is a damn dive ? I understand that Emelin had lost balance before burrows came in for the hit but I'm sure this was not a DIVE. Guess Steve Moore dove like it was his last game in the NHL

Why do posters generalize specific peoples opinions as the general opinion of a fan-base.

[drdeath]

48.1 Illegal Check to the Head A hit resulting in contact with an opponent's head where the head is targeted and the principal point of contact is not permitted. However, in determining whether such a hit should have been permitted, the circumstances of the hit, including whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit or the head contact on an otherwise legal body check was avoidable, can be considered.

The case is there that the head was the principal point of contact but it's a hard sell to say burrows targeted it and Emelin definitely put himself in a vulnerable position right before Burrows hit him. Therefore this hit does not meet all criteria to be a rule 48.1 violation. It does however constitute interference. It'll be hard to give a player without repeat offender status anything longer than a game for interference... unless his name is Aaron Rome.

[SamJamIam]

Dive? Wow. You'd have to be a pretty big homer to say that.

Dive? No.

Embellishment? Definitely.

[poetica]

I was at the game but the hit was at the other end of the ice so I didn't really get to see it. They never even showed it on the jumbotron, so though I saw the guy on the ice for a few minutes I wasn't sure what had happened until I saw the video this morning after hearing that Burrows was getting a phone hearing. It's always concerning to see a guy on the ice, so I'm really glad to hear he's okay!

On first viewing of the video I actually thought Burr deserved a suspension, but when I paused the video to check frame by frame it became clear he tried and did hit through the body. The head contact was coincidental near the end of the hit.

(Stills from Sportsnet video.)

If you look at Emelin's skate in relation to the blue line you can clearly see he's moved by the impact of the hit long before his head is contacted, thus proving that the body was the main point of contact.

As for the claim of lateness, being that Emelin is still in the follow through of his pass it's clearly not "long gone" and he's eligible to be hit.

We've seen this exact hit not face suspension pretty much every game. That being said though, the name "Burrows" on the back of the jersey likely means he'll get a 3-4 game suspension. I wouldn't be shocked for it to be 5. Pissed, but not shocked.

[Mustapha]

I know a lot of people are bringing up the Rome hit, but to be honest I got more angry when Marchand was throttling Sedin while the refs were both watching intently for him to hit back so they could call a roughing penalty.

I guess Colin Campbell wanted his widdle baby to win a Cup so bad that they would stop at nothing

[Apple Juice]

At least it's a phone hearing so 5 games max. But I doubt it'll be anything more than 2. One angle it looks he went shoulder first and then the jaw but another angle shows head first.

[Mustapha]

If they can suspend Edler for hurting poor Marian Hossa while attempting to bat down a puck, they can suspend Burrows for this.

It was a heavy hit. Emelin should keep his head up. Burrows is just doing his job.

[Plaguez]

Travesty of justice if Burr gets anything for this hit. Initial contact was hard to see right until I saw the still photos posted above. Shoulder is principle point of contact. No injury resulted. Doesn't meet any criteria to suspend.

[Mackcanuck]

Kerry Fraser pipes in on officiating last night

http://www.tsn.ca/fraser-two-missed-picks-on-vancouver-s-ot-power-play-1.121403

"Alex Burrows should get some time off without pay to think about why he would dare make such a late, high hit from a poor slide-through angle that resulted in significant contact to the head of Alexei Emelin. There was no call on the play as both referees were guilty of 'puck watching' after Emelin's pass through the neutral zone was picked off by Nick Bonino. Both refs focused on the change of puck possession at the red line and got their wires crossed as to who should remain focused on a potential finishing check. We will await a decision by the Player Safety Committee on this dangerous and careless illegal check to the head.

While I'm okay with the ref's decision to penalize Tom Gilbert once he set a moving pick by going East-West against Alexander Edler, two separate picks on the ensuing power-play set by Radim Vrbata and then Kevin Bieksa were every bit deserving of a penalty call; if not more so. The infractions took place in open ice where both referees would have had a clear view of the play. So why were no armbands raised; not once but twice?

It appeared to me that the referees became stubborn when they detected some attempts at "salesmanship" by the Montreal players to get the call. The picks were legitimate as contact was deliberately initiated by the Vancouver players in open ice. Any minor theatrics that might have taken place following the illegal picks was not worthy of keeping the whistle in the holster; especially with Gibert serving a penalty for the same infraction. I am also sure there was some conscious thought process not to be perceived as whistling the dreaded 'make-up call.' Common sense and sound judgment should have overridden both of these debilitating thought processes to whatever degree they existed in the mind of either referee.

I fully endorse every effort to eradicate embellishment from the game. The referees have been instructed to make diving/embellishment a focus of emphasis as we have seen in this young season.

However, with a four on three situation in OT that created plenty of open space on the ice this was not the appropriate time to become either stubborn or attempt teach players a lesson about theatrics.

Vrbata dished the puck from the top right faceoff circle to Edler in the middle. Tomas Plekanec fronted Edler from a distance as the lone Habs high defender on the PK formation.

As Edler walked the puck toward the right side Vrbata skated directly at Plekanec, who was attempting to mirror the movement of the puck carrier. Vrbata initiated direct and deliberate contact with the Montreal defender. To restate; there was plenty of ice for Vrbata to take without 'bumping' into Plekanec. The deliberate contact initiated by Vrbata detained Plekanec from moving freely in his attempt to remain in front of Edler and establish position in the shot-block lane.

A momentary stall/pause was then followed by a 'reaction' from Plekanec as his body rotated and dropped to one knee. I see this as any easy call to make and both referees should have raised their arm the instant that contact was initiated. Any subsequent reaction from Plekanec was minimal and of no consequence to the infraction committed by Vrbata on the power-play.

Not long afterward, with 49 seconds remaining in the power-play, Bieksa retrieved the puck at his blue line with Manny Malhotra in pursuit. Bieksa retreated into the Canuck end zone as Malhotra backed off toward center ice. Bieksa started up ice, dropped the puck for Chris Higgins who swooped in from behind, and then proceeded to run a perfect one-man 'Flying V' to engage and contact Malhotra at the red line! Malhotra was attempting to intercept Higgins by moving laterally to his right but was taken out by Bieksa's body contact and stick restraint. I can only suspect that the subsequent left leg swoop that Malhotra utilized might have given the referees a false impression of the play. I know Manny Malholtra to be an extremely honest player; he's as honest as the day is long! This deliberate interference, initiated by Kevin Bieksa, was more worthy of a penalty than the two previous picks set by Gilbert and Vrbata.

With five seconds remaining in Tom Gilbert's interference penalty, Daniel Sedin deposited the puck behind Carey Price for the OT power play winner."

[GMJB]

For me this was hard to judge because of bad angles but from what I do see to me it looks like Emelin was trying to duck so I'd say a fine would be more than enough wouldn't be suprised to see a 1 or 2 game suspension though.