Who wants the smoke?
There is only one sport where the rules protect the Athletes' right to self police.
The NHL is perhaps the only job on the planet that isn't based JUST on fighting that also allows, even encourages, fighting. If you're a boxer or MMA fighter, of course fighting is part of the job. If you work in corner office C, and Glenn from Admin starts some drama at work, it's going to be a short career if you decide to unload a set of Rick Rypien-esque piston left hands to Glenn's jawline while you're riding the elevator down one Tuesday afternoon.
What can't be argued, is the effect that elevator dust up will have on the office.
People will be talking, they'll be re-enacting, releasing the adrenaline that, positive or negative, witnessing a physical altercation drums up.
The same can be said when it happens on the ice, but instead it can be openly cheered & built upon. Teammates getting a little extra charge in their step can be a big card to play when you're struggling to find success & momentum like this Canuck team is.
10 fights & 13 games later the Vancouver Canucks are your NHL Leader in scraps. Luke Schenn has a pair, Riley Stillman & Kyle Burroughs can say the same, and I don't mean the pair that give you the confidence to drop the mitts in the first place. Anyone on the Ice willing to do the job has that pair, I mean 2 separate tilts in a dozen or so starts.
With the effect on the building often being an uptick in chatter, vibe & reaction, it's often the home team that will benefit most from an unscheduled duel. In rare cases a road team will steal that momentum, especially if their team-mate comes out with the consensus 'W'. Or, in the case the other night vs the Devils, a shorthanded goal on the power-play that ensued after Miles Wood accrued an additional 2 minute instigator penalty.
The building was buzzing after the fight had taken place. Almost just as fast it was 3-0, then 4-0 Devils & the Canucks found themselves out of the game. The spark was lost before it could set fire.
So we are 3-6-3, nowhere near the league leaders, while leading the league with 10 fights. Simple reasoning leaves us at a place where fighting does not equal success, at least not in a linear sense. But where does it benefit a team? Is there value knowing the guy next to you will chuck some knuckles with you?
Sure there is. Ask Pavel how he felt with Gino on his wing, it gives guys an extra inch or 2 of height and 10-15 pounds of extra confidence in the corners. The problem lies with the finish. Make the momentum mean something. Make your team feel like they have no choice but to make the next shift a game changer.
I give you exhibit A.
I will never miss an opportunity to share the 'Gino vs St Louis Blues' video, eat up.
| POLL | ||
Is fighting still serving a purpose in the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 33 | 86.8 % |
| No | 5 | 13.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
