Rangers Get Bigger, Keep Winning, Fighting
It was a relatively slow trade deadline for the NHL. The New York Rangers, the team on top of the fighting major leaders list, added the massive John Scott to the roster by sending a fifth round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Blueshirts took on their Hudson River Rivals last night. The game was got rougher in the second period and there were two fights towards the end.
Eric Boulton took on a tired-looking Brandon Prust. It was a slow back and forth, and an odd sight, as both players are about the same size, not in their usual David vs Goliath position.
A few minutes later David Clarkson jumped into Brandon Dubinsky, sparking the second fight. Dubinsky stayed on his skates, turned and the two dropped the gloves quickly.
The Rangers shutout the Devils 2-0. There was a combined total of only 27 shots.
Continue reading: Rangers Get Bigger, Keep Winning, Fighting
Deadline Day 2012
Lots of predictions heading into today, but which trades will actually happen? Fire up five browser windows, flip on your television and please don't fall for the fake Twitter accounts.
Where we're following:
- Player Movement & Rumors - our own forum, heavily moderated on a day like today, and bursting with everything about to go down.
- TSN - they're all about Deadline Day. The Trade Tracker will update live and offers live audio for everyone. Their Tradecentre homepage will give you fuller stories. Tradecentre Live - Live video for Canada only.
- Sportsnet.ca - Live video coverage for everyone. They have their own trade tracker, as well.
- CBC - the HNIC homeland has setup their own Trade Deadline Special.
- The Score - offers up their nice, simple trade tracker.
- NHL.com - the mothership has a trade tracker and will offer video from the NHL Network at noon setup for the day.
On TV:
- USA - the NHL Network in the US is simulcasting TSN's coverage.
- Canada - turn your TV on.
The Best AHL Fights This Season
The page for the best AHL fights of 2011-12 has been released. Brett Gallant and Joel Rechlicz bouts currently have two of the top three spots. The two also have the top rated fight from last season.
The page will update daily as the season continues and more votes come in.
Other AHL pages: 2010-11, 2009-10.
Here is the full list of hockeyfights.com's "best of" pages.
Instigator Rule Opinion Swaying Among NHLers
The NHLPA and CBC conducted a player poll with a variety of questions ranging from fastest shot (in case anyone wants to disagree with a machine) to which player would you start a franchise with. Also asked: Should the instigator rule be abolished?
A slight majority of players still favor the rule: 53% of players polled said no. However, this is down from 66% of a no vote last season.
Each season 98% of players said fighting should not be completely banished, the phrasing taken directly from the question.
America sees some bouts
Sunday was Hockey Day in America, so says the NHL & NBC Sports, and fans witnessed a few good scraps.
In one of the early games, Ryane Clowe out-matched a very willing Justin Abdelkader in a spirited bout. This was the 13th fighting major of the season for the Detroit Red Wings, matching their 2010-11 total. Seven of those fights have come within the past month.
Shawn Thornton took on the much larger Matt Kassian. At first the fight looked like it was going to be all Kassian, but Thornton was able to hang on, get position and the two started going back and forth. It was a long one, testing Kassian's stamina, Thornton's being well-documented.
Later in Florida, Krys Barch went with George Parros. Barch was able to land a few shots as the two spun around over and over.
Continue reading: Instigator Rule Opinion Swaying Among NHLers
Bruins and Canadiens Battle Once More
No matter what the standings look like, what's a Montreal-Boston game without some fistic action? Ryan White and Adam McQuaid let the haymakers fly last night, adding yet another battle into this rich rivalry.
About 15 minutes into the game the two combatants dropped the mitts after a save by Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas. Both players landed some heavy shots in a fight where defense was nearly non-existent with fists flying from over, under and behind each player.
Double dip of Smith
Ottawa Senators forward Zack Smith decided once wasn't enough last night when his club squared off with the Florida Panthers. Smith fought veteran middleweight Matt Bradley half-way into the second period in a very technical fight. He then engaged the big, young blue-liner Tyson Strachan, late in the game.
A Heavyweight Sighting
Valentine's Day 2012 marked something seldom seen in the NHL this year: a true heavyweight clash.
Young Minnesota Wild enforcer Matt Kassian squared off against veteran NHL fighter George Parros of the Anaheim Ducks. It started off pretty open, with both players landing solid shots before it digressed into grappling.
This marks Matt Kassian's steepest challenge of the year, and it comes against a club in Anaheim that is one of only a handful of teams to carry a legitimate heavyweight enforcer these days.
This was George Parros' first fight since December 26th and only his seventh fight all season. Last season he had a total of 27, with seven of those FMs coming before Thanksgiving. Matt Kassian has moved into the tough guy role due to the demotion of Brad Staubitz to Houston. He's had a hard time finding dance partners and this was only his fourth fight of the year, the first since taking on Darcy Hordichuk twice in the same game in December.
With how things tighten up down the stretch with teams battling for playoff spots, fights between heavyweights like Parros and Kassian could be close to done for the season.
Something more common
There is no love lost between divisional rivals St. Louis and Columbus. Last night we saw another chapter added as Derek Dorsett and B.J. Crombeen dropped the gloves for a middleweight duel. It was a locked-out, technical, right-hand battle that had few punches thrown and fewer landed.
Flyers and Leafs Rivalry Picks Up
Philadelphia Flyers rookie Zac Rinaldo was welcomed to the continuous battle between the Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs by veteran tough guy Mike Brown in a rough way.
About halfway through the first period the two dropped the mitts, and Brown put Rinaldo down with a flurry of right hands. With two more games between the rivals in March, this may not be the only time RInaldo gets his shot at Brown.
Scott Hartnell and Dion Phaneuf also threw down when Hartnell didn’t take too kindly to Phaneuf giving him a hack as he scored the first goal of the game. It was a short bout with more grappling than punching.
Agitator vs Agitator
Vancouver pest Maxim Lapierre and Minnesota agitator Cal Clutterbuck dropped the mitts - and lids - and met up at center ice with a theatrical glove drop and square off.
As for the fight itself, Lapierre used his reach to negate most of Clutterbuck’s punches while landing over and under rights. In the end, it was the Canucks agitator getting the best of the Minnesota agitator. Shame it wasn't a mustache contest.
Super Weekend Recap
Amidst the parties for the Super Bowl (interest in the game sometimes secondary), there was a good amount of hockey being played over the weekend and a few highlights to point you towards.
Kovalchuk ices Schenn
Ilya Kovalchuk had seven NHL fights going into Saturday afternoon's game against the Flyers. Not many, but probably more would expect from the skilled Russian. He's fared well in a few of them, too. When Flyers rookie Brayden Schenn skated away from a scrum, dropping the gloves against New Jersey's highest-paid player, he probably didn't expect the challenge that was coming. Kovalchuk was able to whip Schenn around before sending him to the ice with a big right hand.
McGrattan tops?
Ryan Reaves is proving he can handle himself in the NHL this season. Brian McGrattan's comeback NHL season has launched him back into the 'champ' discussion.
The two had a big battle Saturday with McGrattan landing some big uppercuts at the end. The fight was a positive for both men: McGrattan cementing his place as one of the league's best, and Reaves proving he can stand in there with anyone.
Sestito's version of a hat trick
No one's expecting Tom Sestito to net three goals in a game any time soon, but three fights? Done. Sunday afternoon's Flyers-Rangers game was reminiscent of the rivalry's past with a total of 7 goals and 4 fights.
Mid-way through the first Wayne Simmonds and Stu Bickel had a good scrap. It was only the second penalty call of the game, and the only fight Sestito wasn't involved in.
After that, Sestito had a fight per period versus Brandon Dubinsky, Bickel, and Brandon Prust, respectively. Sestito's fight against Prust came only 1:35 into the third period. Sestito was given a game misconduct for having a third fight and was ejected.
Sestito's final stat line read: 25 PIMs, 2 hits in 7 shifts, 3:48 TOI.
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