Jacob Trouba Is Bringing Rock'em Sock'em Hockey Back One Viciously Monstrous Hit At A Time
Bruce Bennett. Getty Images.I can't imagine there are many Jacob Trouba fans throughout the other 31 fanbases in the NHL outside of New York. The guy plays the game like an asshole. Not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, I'd highly recommend more guys play the game like a bunch of pricks out there. But Trouba doesn't garner much adoration from other fans around the league because more often than not, he's barreling his body through their favorite team's skulls.
Case in point, Trouba turning into a one-man demolition crew last night against Calgary.
First up we go to 14 minutes into the game when Dillon Dube find himself dead to rights on the tracks while trying to exit his own zone. Bad place to find yourself when the Trouba Train is pulling into the station.
Now we're going to talk about this further in just a moment here, but personally I don't think that's a hit that Trouba needs to answer the bell for. It was a big collision, no doubt. But the majority of the violence on that hit was just because Dube didn't see it coming until it was too late. He went flying but he popped right back up. Still a huge hit for sure, but why should Jacob Trouba need to sit in the penalty box for 5 minutes after that hit just because Chris Tanev didn't like it? The NHL really needs to adjust the instigator penalty in these situations to give the aggressor a full 5 minute major and then the other guy just gets 2 minutes for roughing. Seems like a better option than giving both guys the 5 minutes for fighting and then the instigator penalty on top of it.
But now let's go to later in the night towards the end of the 2nd period. Nazem Kadri is coming down 1v1 on Trouba. Now don't get me wrong, Kadri is a perfectly fine player. He's a Stanley Cup Champion and I'm sure that at some point in his career, he was able to pull off this move. But attempting to go outside-inside on Trouba when he already has the weapons lock engaged? That's a recipe for disaster.
That was violence. That was death. That was destruction. And on top of everything…that was beautifully clean. He put his shoulder squarely through Kadri's shoulder. There's not a single thing wrong with that hit as far as the rules are concerned. Yet…well I think that is 1000% a hit that you're going to need to answer the bell for immediately afterwards. I mean when it's that big and that violent and the other dude's helmet stays perfectly in place while the rest of his body goes flying? There's going to be a little tussle after that hit.
Unfortunately for Dillon Dube, this was his chance to get a little payback on Trouba but instead he ends up with his back on the ice again.
Still no issue with Dube going at it with Trouba after the hit. Especially considering Tanev already stepped up for him earlier in the night, so now he needs to pay it back to his teammates. The situation absolutely called for a fight there. It's just that maybe you don't want to have the guy who has literally been homiciding your team all night get another easy W on the fight record.
Anyways there were 3 fights on the night, 9 total goals, overtime. That's a great night of hockey if you ask me. All thanks to Jacob Trouba being a killer.