Brenden Dillon got in his first career fight as a member of the Washington Capitals after Ilya Kovalchuk was incensed by a wicked slash by Ryan Hartman.
The new guy is sticking up for the new guy. I love it.
Hershey Bears center Kale Kessy lost consciousness after getting in a fight with the Charlotte Checkers’ Derek Sheppard. The fight occurred during the second period with the Bears up 4-1.
The fight was Kessey’s sixth of the season.
In you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up news, Vegas Golden Knights enforcer Ryan Reaves and New York Islanders forward Ross Johnston dropped the gloves in an NHL game because they wanted to impress someone famous in the crowd.
The two behemoths fought three seconds into the game immediately after the opening faceoff.
Nick Jensen got in his first career fight as a Washington Capital on Friday against the New Jersey Devils. Jensen dropped his gloves with annoying, sandpaper-y forward Miles Wood.
On a night where the Capitals dominated everywhere on the scoreboard and scoresheet, Jensen’s fight was the lone low light – though he does get major props for fighting in the first place.
Tom Wilson and Zdeno Chara threw hands in the first period in what has to be one of the tallest fights in NHL history.
The two players came to blows due to some orneriness from Wilson near the corner boards.
Wilson gave The Big Z a BIG cross-check, breaking his hockey stick over the Slovakian legend. Chara didn’t appreciate that attempt to injure so HERE WE GO!
When the Washington Capitals first met the Anaheim Ducks this season on November 18, the game went off the rails. During an especially spirited second period, Garnet Hathaway spit on Erik Gudbranson after the Ducks defenseman landed a sucker punch as the two were separated by an official. An angry Gudbranson, afterward, said the spitting “was something you just don’t do in a game – and he did it.” Hathaway, who was ejected, expressed regret. The Capitals forward was later suspended three games by the NHL.
Coming into Friday’s rematch, both teams said all the right things and downplayed what happened in November. They were more interested in the “big two points on the line.” But the Ducks later revealed that was bologna after the game was over.
The legend of Tom Wilson continues to grow.
Towards the tail end of the Capitals’ 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers, the top-six winger began throwing his body and engaging in some not-so-friendly post-whistle chats with his combatants – one of which was caught by a hot mic during NBC Sports’ presentation of the game.
Sidney Crosby got in his eighth career NHL fight on Saturday with Columbus Blue Jackets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Crosby was Dubois’s idol growing up making the bout even more confusing.
The Washington Capitals signed penalty killer and checking line forward Garnet Hathaway to a four-year, $6 million contract over the offseason. The former Flame did not distinguish himself much during the preseason – well, that is, until Sunday when he was a part of some of the chippiest parts of the game.
Hathaway delivered the biggest Capitals hit of the exhibition season, leveling right wing Brian Gibbs with a huge open-ice check.
Eleven seconds later, Roland McKeown challenged Hathaway to a fight. He did not win.
Liam O’Brien is having the best Training Camp of his career as a member of the Washington Capitals.
And Friday against the St. Louis Blues, O’Brien showed off his leadership skills dropping his gloves with Jordan Nolan after a listless Capitals squad gave up two consecutive goals to start the second period.
The spirited fight, however, knocked O’Brien out for the rest of the game.
