Colorado Avalanche: 3 Habitual Line Steppers on the Team

The Colorado Avalanche have three players whom Charlie Murphy would have called habitual line steppers. Find out who they are.

The Colorado Avalanche, just like any hockey team, is made up of different characters. Naturally, a key component of making a team successful is chemistry. However, there’s no set formula for how to make chemistry work.

While hockey players in general have a reputation for being nice family guys off the ice — humility is emphasized in the sport — their characters may change in the dressing room. And their behavior definitely changes on the ice. What most of these men would never dream of doing in life — like slamming their body into someone else’s — is part of their on-ice job.

Enter the habitual line steppers. Because both on and off the ice, there’s a line you don’t cross. The three players on this list at least tap dance around that line — earning what the late comedian Charlie Murphy dubbed habitual line steppers.

There’s are plenty of terms for hockey players who spend the majority of their careers over the line — goon comes to mind, as does it synonym, enforcer. The three players on this list aren’t goons — they’re just men who have stepped over the line often enough to be considered habitual.

Let’s look at the three Colorado Avalanche players who could be considered mildly habitual line steppers.

Nikita Zadorov

2017-18 Penalty Minutes: 103 minutes, plus 32 minutes in the playoffs
Career Penalty Minutes: 243 minutes (222 games)
NHL Fights: 8 fights
DoPS Suspensions: 0

Defenseman Nikita Zadorov is definitely one of those players who dances around that line. Thus far, he’s managed to avoid being suspended by the Department of Player Safety. However, he did get suspended twice when he was still with the Buffalo Sabres.

Both times Zadorov was suspended by the Rangers was during the 2014-15 season, when he was just 19 years old. The first time came in January 2015 when he got stuck in the Dominican Republic while vacationing over the All Star Break. He didn’t report to the team on time. Buffalo suspended him for a game.

The second time came in February when the then-teenager slept through his alarm clock and was late for a team seting. The Sabres held him out for a game.

With the Colorado Avalanche, Nikita Zadorov has been known as a big hitter — when first joining the team, he stated that he likes to hit. This is my personal favorite hit, or series of hits:

I cackle every time I see it.

Concerning fights, seven of his eight NHL fights have occurred with the Colorado Avalanche. Three alone came this season — which helps account for his high penalty minutes total.

Here’s Zadorov scuffling with veteran fighter Dion Phaneuf:

Well, he held his own. Hopefully he gets better at fighting.

Erik Johnson

2017-18 Penalty Minutes: 58 minutes
Career Penalty Minutes: 418 (637 games played)
NHL Fights: 11
DoPS Suspensions: 2

Defenseman Erik Johnson has avoided team-related suspensions thus far. DoPS-related suspensions… not so much. In fact, he’s been suspended twice.

The first time came in February 2014. Johnson, aiming for Islanders’ center Frans Nielsen’s stick, instead got the Dane’s hand. He broke a small bone in Nielsen’s hand, which earned him a two-game suspension:

The second suspension came just last year. Johnson cross-checks Tampa Bay Lightning skater Vladislav Namestnikov while still in the faceoff circle, and somehow that’s considered boarding:

He got two games for that as well.

Additionally, he’s gotten ejected from games– at least twice in two games I happened to be attending. The second one angered me the most. It came in the home opener against the Minnesota Wild during the 2014-15 season. Johnson labels forward Erik Haula with a clean hit, but he goes down like he’s been creamed. Meanwhile, Johnson’s gigantic body hits the boards and makes a commotion.

I’m glad Erik Haula didn’t win the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Anyway, Johnson has been involved in 11 fights in his career. Early on, he… wasn’t great at fighting. He had a tendency to… get pulled down. The most famous example came when he was still a St. Louis player. Stars captain Jamie Benn punched him directly in the face.

Related, I hate Jamie Benn.

Johnson has gotten a lot better. This year, he put a total beat-down on Coyotes tough-guy Zac Rinaldo after the latter sucker-punched tiny Sam Girard:

It was a beautiful thing to see. I just love how Johnson shakes Rinaldo like a terrier with a rat while bending him over the boards.

 Gabriel Landeskog

2017-18 Penalty Minutes: 37 minutes, plus 8 minutes in the playoffs
Career Penalty Minutes: 391
NHL Fights: 11
DoPS Suspensions: 3

Our captain and his self-proclaimed “wild ways” is our most habitual of line-steppers. Gabriel Landeskog is a power forward, and he has the suspensions to prove it.

The first suspension came on March 9, 2016 on a cross-check of Anaheim Ducks skater Simon Despres:

Ok, that wasn’t a good hit. Unfortunately, that single play earned Landeskog the reputation as a habitual line stepper with the DoPS, and that’s not a good distinction.

On November 12, 2015, Landeskog got suspended two games because Bruins

licker

instigator dove:

The initial point of contact is clearly Marchand’s shoulder. And Mr. Brad “I Lick People” Marchand couldn’t have been that injured if he proceeded to sucker-punch Landeskog. Props to Johnson for flying in to protect his captain.

Because of that bogus suspension, the  Department of Player “Safety” meted out harsh punishment for Landeskog’s subsequent hit on Flames skater Matthew Tkachuk:

I’m not saying Landeskog didn’t deserve any supplemental discipline, I’m saying four games was too steep. The hit occurred two years after his last suspension, so his record shouldn’t have been considered.

Ah, well, the DoPS won’t be satisfied until it actually executes — or permanently bans — our gifted captain. Moving on.

Our captain also sticks up for players and for his team when necessary. My favorite Landeskog fight  came three-and-a-half years ago when Gabe engaged in a captain fight:

That said, my favorite Landy line-stepping move will always be his sucker-punch to Mikko Koivu:

I make no apologies.