If revenge is a dish best served cold then where better to serve it than on a sheet of ice.
With that in mind, how much revenge will Minnesota be looking to exact on Edmonton’s Taylor Hall on Sunday night? That’s when the two teams will meet for the first time since Hall tagged Cal Clutterbuck with an open ice hit Feb. 21. There’s no doubt this hit blew up Clutterbuck. He didn’t see Hall until it was too late; with a head of steam the Oiler winger steam-rolled the Wild winger.
It happened so fast it was impossible to tell, at first, what hit where and when. Upon further review and analyzing the collision frame by frame, Hall’s hip contacted Clutterbuck’s thigh before going knee on knee. Hall skated away wondering what the damage was as Clutterbuck lay on the ice writhing in pain. It looked like a knee but ended up being a thigh — that was the damage to Clutterbuck. The damage for Hall turned into a two game suspension. It happened at the 17:27 mark of the third period and since that moment a countdown has been on until the two teams meet again.
The second meeting of the season between Edmonton and Minnesota may end up being insignificant if neither Hall nor Clutterbuck plays. Clutterbuck hasn’t seen the ice since suffering a thigh contusion, while Hall suffered a leg injury Friday night against St. Louis. No Hall, no Clutterbuck, no problem. If Hall can play now things could change dramatically. However, I can’t see tough guys like Zenon Konopka or Michael Rupp chasing Hall around the ice for retribution. That’s not their style and really not their problem. What might be more likely is hard-nosed, physical players like Kyle Brodziak or Clayton Stoner passing on a word or two to Hall. I don’t think it would lead to a fight but instead more of a warning not to do it again … or else. Hockey can be a game of intimidation.
That’s never really been part of what Hall does. He’s had one NHL fight (Derek Dorsett), one AHL fight (Antoine Roussel), and has piled up all of 86 penalty minutes in 147 games — can’t exactly call him a dirty player. Clutterbuck may not agree with that as he’s been sidelined since being sideswiped by Hall. Clutterbuck, who has led the NHL in hits multiple times, has been known to lay out a body or two. He’s no angel but he’s also never been suspended and is a thorn in every team’s side. He knows his role and plays it to perfection. He’s usually the one doing to others what Hall did to him.
It won’t be until Clutterbuck returns to the lineup before we see how this all plays out — how mad or hell bent on revenge he is for the hit. My guess is he’ll skate by and utter a few obscenities and challenge him to a fight. Hall’s best response should be sorry you got hurt, it was a hockey play and I’m not fighting you. Imagine if this were reversed. Let’s say Zach Parise did the same thing to, for example, Ryan Jones. Parise, like Hall, is not a dirty player and Parise, like Hall, is a competitive one. I would expect the next time Jones played against the Wild he would voice his displeasure, give him a rap on the shin pads or a shove and move on. Maybe a suggestion of fisticuffs but even that I doubt.
No one knows for sure what will happen until it does. If it’s not Sunday night then circle April 16 and 26 on your calendars for the other two times Edmonton and Minnesota meet this season.