Early Heavyweight Action
Afternoon games are generally thought of as tamer than evening games, but the last few weeks have seen more fighting coming earlier in the day.
Eric Boulton and Jody Shelley started things off just five minutes into the Flyers– Devils early afternoon game. It was a back and forth battle that saw Boulton land the better of the punches. Shelley has appeared in 17 games this season, it was his second fight.
Michael Rupp squared off with Shawn Thornton in the other early game. A more level affair, it happened in-between the first goals for each team:
At 2:44 of yesterday's second period, with the Bruins trailing, 1-0, Shawn Thornton asked New York's Mike Rupp if he cared to fight. Rupp accepted, and the two engaged in an even dustup that saw Thornton rally late in the scrap. “We've fought a few times,” Thornton said. “I like the way he plays the game. He's a very honest, hard player. I thought it was a good time for it.” Forty-four seconds later, with the rink still buzzing, Andrew Ference tied the score. “I think Andy made me look good by getting a goal,” Thornton said.
Mark Bell returns
Mark Bell hadn't seen NHL action since the 2007-08 season until the Anaheim Ducks recalled him from the Syracuse Crunch yesterday and put him in the lineup vs Ottawa. He's spent the last four years in the AHL and Swiss-A league. The OC register quickly sums up his story:
Bell's story is well-chronicled. His promising career as a power forward was sidetracked by an alcohol-related arrest that landed him in a California jail. That was followed by two more years of unfulfilled potential and then three spent in the American Hockey League and overseas.
