Firsts, Seconds
Wade Belak and David Koci fought halfway through the first period of the Preds–Avs game last night. It was a decent heavyweight battle, one that sometimes settles down a game. But both teams continued playing hard and with under a minute left in the same period Steve Sullivan and Wojtek Wolski dropped the gloves after a whistle. Really.
Sullivan hasn’t been in a fight since he had a quick bout with Tony Granato in 1997. It was Wolski’s first fighting major at any major hockey level.
The fight wasn’t much, but enough to get a little headline from local papers:
Denver Post
The Tennessean
Rangers & Flyers classic battle
There were four fights in the Rangers–Flyers game Thursday night. Getting the most attention from that game [from the Daily News to HuffPo] is Daniel Carcillo punching up Rangers points leader Marian Gaborik.
Carcillo responded to his critics via TSN’s Michael Landsberg:
“If you watch the video he came after me and I fought him just like I’d fight anyone else.”
The 24-year-old went on to tell Landsberg he would not have fought Gaborik if he did not drop his gloves first.
“I was pretty surprised and I’m not really sure if [Gaborik] looked up and saw who it was, but he dropped his gloves, I dropped mine and the rest is history.”
New York and Philly play again on March 14th.
The Gazette on Laraque
Montreal’s The Gazette has gone after Georges Laraque each day after the Habs told him to stay home.
From Pat Hickey, yesterday:
But Laraque’s ice time reflected his ability – or lack thereof. He was a fourth-liner whose role was defined by his skills. His most obvious skill was his ability to throw punches, but he had nine fights last season and only four this year.
Fourth-liners have to understand and accept their role, and when they don’t, they tend to whine and become a distraction in the room. Laraque had reached that point.
From Mike Boone, today:
In the wake of the Georges Laraque debacle, however, Gainey had to say something. And part of what the GM said was an acknowledgment that he had erred in signing the erstwhile heavyweight champion of the NHL.
Those of us old enough to remember Eaton’s will recall the department store’s promise: “Goods satisfactory or money refunded.” Sadly, the slogan died with the passing of the great retailer.
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