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Years go by without recalling why the fighting is still part of the NHL. And then, there are notes like the one between Miles Wood and Jamie Benn Wednesday night in Dallas that allow everyone to understand why it was part of the game originally.
Perhaps there will be a moment when the fighting is no longer part of the sport. That may be a good thing, with all we know about brain injuries caused by head shots and the long-term effects of concussions. It's hard to take a sport seriously when it tries to keep its players healthy while allowing them to hit their face and head with no more impact than the two players who have to stay at home. Spread for five minutes.
And the frequency of fighting continues to decrease. According to statistics provided by hockeyfights.com, during the 2001-02 season, there were 803 fights, averaging 0.65 per game. In 2017-18, there were 280 fights, 0.22 per game. In 98 games this season, there were only 19 fights (0.19 for).
Many things go into these numbers, mainly the fact that the game has become exponentially faster. The traditional applicator is no longer on the list of teams. The pace of the game has made most of them obsolete, even if they are only invited to play 4-8 minutes per game. The fact that the helmets must stay now does not help because you wonder what in breaking your hand by hitting the helmet or the visor of your opponent? And there are only a handful of players in the league who have grandfathering and are allowed not to wear a face mask, mandatory for all players who have played less than 26 games in the NHL before the 2013 season. -14.
But hockey has always been a game based on emotions. The margin between success and failure is so thin that all the clichés about working harder than the other team resonate more in this sport than in others. When there is a 50-50 round of pucks in the corner, the winner will probably be the one who wants it more.
Which means it can become chippy. And it can become verbal. And it can become personal.
When it all comes down to it, you see a player like Wood – a silly Buffalo kid with 142 NHL matches – side by side with a player like Benn – a former Art Ross Trophy winner with a medal from With Team Canada and 673 NHL games to their credit – and they nibble before a faceoff. The Stars were down 3-0 and Benn was trying to fire his team. It's clear as the day Wood looks at him and tells him to leave, well, go for a ride.
The puck falls and they engage. It's a real fight born and fueled by emotion There is no dance, no stupid preamble like those who came to define the staged fights. There were two guys who sincerely wanted to hit a blow to the face. When did the last time you saw two players face each other separated by the intensity of the fight gathered to continue?
It is not easy to decide if the fight has yet to be part of the game. Most of the time, it's easy to think that this is not the case. But a fight like this is happening and it's hard not to like it.
Praise from Matheson's point of view
Speaking of head injuries, one player did not accept a suspension with more stubbornness than Panthers defenseman Michael Matheson did last week. He got a two-game ban after what looked like a rather nasty body of Elias Pettersson, a super talented young Canucks player, on Saturday night.
Pettersson, the 19-year-old favorite of the Calder Trophy, suffered a concussion at the game, but he was recovering well and could return soon. The injury seemed to bother Matheson, who clearly stated that there was no intention of hurting when he was talking intelligently to the media – something that many other suspended players might learn.
"After the match and since then I've been watching the clip many times and I really understand what they saw and why they thought it was worth playing two games." " Matheson said. "The league really focuses on head injuries and the protection of its players, which I fully endorse and support 100%."
Pens still powerful
Sidney Crosby and Co. recalled Thursday night that the Penguins were not about to overturn in pursuit of their third Stanley Cup in the last four years – and fourth in the Crosby era. As entertaining as the Maple Leafs were, Pittsburgh ruled him out 3-0 in Toronto. It was a good return to the net for Matt Murray, a shutout game with 38 saves as he was playing his first game since another concussion at training on Oct. 8.
The Penguins lost defender Justin Schultz, carrying the puck, for four months, injured his broken leg. This is quite the loss of an already shallow backend. But as we've all learned, it's crazy to count Penguins.
It takes risks for journalism
As reported by a friend of The Backcheck, Joe McDonald of The Athletic, the podium (and press gallery) of the Saddledome in Calgary is absolutely terrifying. One side is mainly reserved for the print media, and then on the other side of the ice – and this multilevel wavering bridge – is the side of the broadcast crews. A guy who covered the Rangers several years earlier was standing against the back wall during the national anthems and was leaving as soon as possible. I never blamed him.
Stay tuned …
… Smoke signals from Gary Bettman's sixth avenue office when the league overlord finally returns from his weekend of reflection to determine how to deal with Tom Wilson's 20-game suspension. As we have explained, it is up to the Players' Association to understand the difference between the defense of their constituency and the defense of a single constituent. But if Bettman maintains the suspension and it happens before an umpire, just hope that Shyam Das will be on vacation.
Starting shot
It's hard not to be caught off guard by this video of the Kenyan hockey team coming to Canada and playing with Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon. Thanks to the sponsor, Tim Horton's, for making this possible.
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