Into the Final Stretch
The NHL officially entered into the final month of the regular season on Wednesday. With a little over 80 total games left this season, the amount of fighting majors handed out thus far is at 699. The projected final number at the moment is 748, which will end up being less than 2003-04’s activity in terms of the last ten years, but easily the highest amount achieved following the lockout.
Keeping with the numbers theme, the last three days have resulted in eleven total fights. Last night featured four of them, including a two-fight game between the Isles and Caps. Joel Rechlicz and John Erskine participated in their first-ever bout a little over a minute into the second period and Tim Jackman and Jeff Schultz followed moments later. Bill Guerin also dropped the gloves for the first as a Penguin against Devils middleweight David Clarkson while David Hale and Ian Laperriere danced as well in Yotes–Avs.
Tuesday was highlighted by a three-fight affair involving the Bolts and Bruins. Evgeny Artyukhin found a surprise opponent in Zdeno Chara during an early scrum. Fights between Richard Petiot and Byron Bitz and Josef Melichar and Milan Lucic ensued later on. Also that night, Bobby Ryan got into his first NHL scrap against Steve Staios in Ducks–Oilers. A heavyweight bout between George Parros and Zack Stortini was the other fight in that game.
Monday’s lone dance pitted Steve Begin in his first bout as a Star against Phoenix scrapper Brandon Prust.
Van-Chi fight log update
A few readers have sent in emails concerning the fact that a fight between Alexandre Burrows and Duncan Keith is in our fight log for this past Sunday’s Blackhawks–Canucks game. Both were listed with fighting majors and misconducts from initial reports, but the box score currently says differently. Keith wasn’t given a fighting major and Burrows hasn’t been credited with anything at all. We’ll wait for the league to make the change for now, but if it doesn’t happen, we’ll be sure to remove the fight from our records.
Videos added
Tim Jackman vs Jeff Schultz Apr 1, 2009
Joel Rechlicz vs John Erskine Apr 1, 2009
David Clarkson vs Bill Guerin Apr 1, 2009
David Hale vs Ian Laperriere Apr 1, 2009
George Parros vs Zack Stortini Mar 31, 2009
Bobby Ryan vs Steve Staios Mar 31, 2009
Aaron Johnson vs Andrei Kostitsyn Mar 31, 2009
Josef Melichar vs Milan Lucic Mar 31, 2009
Richard Petiot vs Byron Bitz Mar 31, 2009
Evgeny Artyukhin vs Zdeno Chara Mar 31, 2009
Steve Begin vs Brandon Prust Mar 30, 2009
Some reads
Tocchet no fan of Sens’ Ruutu
Tocchet tells players: Be in shape next season or things get ugly
Donald Brashear to Chirpers: “Come and See Me”
Milan Lucic makes good impression
Avs’ Sakic iffy to play this year
Women to be admitted to Hockey Hall of Fame
Ducks’ Marchant proves he’s a ‘Warrior’
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks up
Danton eligible for parole
