The Other Uncalled High-Stick
Danny Gray
August 23 2012 11:16AM

I’m only going to say this once: if you value your sanity don’t read any further. Being a Leafs’ fan you probably don’t value your sanity very much so I suspect you’re all still with me. Good. Today I’m going to show you something that will ruin your life all over again.
I don’t know how we’ve missed this all these years, perhaps we all managed to repress the same 45 or so seconds between when Darcy Tucker laid out Sami Kapanen and Jeremy Roenick scored the last goal in a playoff game against the Maple Leafs. Regretfully, I cannot maintain the illusion any longer. Darcy Tucker appeared on M vs. W this week and dropped the following bombshell—Mats Sundin was highsticked and cut to the tune of 6 stitches moments before Roenick scored that goal. There was obviously no call.
Let’s all take a moment to collect ourselves. WHAT?!?!?! You must all be thinking right now. That goal is etched into my memory. Surely Leafs fans would never forget about an uncalled, blatant high-stick that drew blood in a pivotal playoff game. Ever. But we all did. Check out the video below. Start at about the 1:00 mark. The high stick occurs at the 1:49 mark.
WHAT THE FREAKING HELL IS THAT?!?!?!? Are you serious?
Further research shows that it was #23 Jim Vandermeer (UPDATE: I'm dumb, it was apparently Alexei Zhamnov, so hate him) that high sticks Sundin causing him to turn the puck over and allowing Roenick to break out 2-on-1 with Amonte. We’ll just stop the tape there. Nothing else happened ever again.
There are a couple things worth talking about here that may have gone either unnoticed or forgotten in the years since this game. After all you can only repress so much.
Holy hell did Darcy Tucker nail Kapanen.
The Flyers commentators thought play should have been stopped after Kapanen was hit. If only.
The ACC is loud as shit and not a single person was sitting down the entire OT.
The Leafs were dominating the Flyers for most of the OT, don’t tell me they wouldn’t have won Game 7.
I dropped to my knees in front of my couch, started banging on the couch with both hands, yelling 'NO NO NO NO NO NO NO' before burying my face in the pillow and screaming one final "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO". My wife was a little bit scared I think.
I can't even believe I've never seen this before. What a brutal missed call. You need to tell us who the refs were so we can also hate them forever.
@daoust
I believe it was Auger and Walkolm. So, yeah.
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
It couldn't have been Jim Vandermeer, since he finished the 03-04 season with the Blackhawks. #23 during that game was Alexei Zhamnov:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/boxscore.htm?id=2003030226
Also, based on the second link I posted, the referee that missed the call was either Kevin Pollock or Stephen Walkom (and possibly one of the linesmen).
@Frag
Thanks, will update.
We can still hate Jim Vandermeer. From Wiki:
"Vandermeer was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on February 19, 2004, with Colin Fraser and a 2004 2nd round draft pick in exchange for Alexei Zhamnov."
They even traded numbers (Both #23).
This depresses me.
You seem like a pretty calm guy in general Danny, so punching a wall is likely not standard for you.
Similarly, I'm not that emotional. But I flipped the coffee table after that goal. My mom, also not impressed.