Ilya Kovalchuk whips around Brayden Schenn. AP Photo/Tom Mihalek

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.

Videos added

Blake Wheeler vs P.K. Subban Feb 5, 2012
Tom Sestito vs Brandon Prust Feb 5, 2012
Tom Sestito vs Stu Bickel Feb 5, 2012
Tom Sestito vs Brandon Dubinsky Feb 5, 2012
Wayne Simmonds vs Stu Bickel Feb 5, 2012
Adam McQuaid vs Matt Hendricks Feb 5, 2012
Mike Commodore vs Ben Eager Feb 4, 2012
Ryan Reaves vs Brian McGrattan Feb 4, 2012
Kyle Clifford vs Tim Gleason Feb 4, 2012
Patrick Kaleta vs Matt Martin Feb 4, 2012
Byron Bitz vs Cody McLeod Feb 4, 2012
Ilya Kovalchuk vs Brayden Schenn Feb 4, 2012
Chris Thorburn vs Krys Barch Feb 3, 2012
Cory Sarich vs Matt Pettinger Feb 3, 2004
Ron Petrovicky vs Gregory Campbell Feb 3, 2006
Todd Bertuzzi vs Keith Ballard Feb 2, 2012
Justin Abdelkader vs Maxim Lapierre Feb 2, 2012
Carson McMillan vs Chuck Kobasew Feb 2, 2012
Clayton Stoner vs Cody McLeod Feb 2, 2012
Colton Orr vs Eric Godard Feb 2, 2006
Wade Redden vs Guillaume Lefebvre Feb 2, 2006