The All-Star break is near and that’s pretty evident based on the play of some teams around the NHL. As different clubs struggle to find their identity and try to recover from injury and fatigue, fighting hasn’t been a priority. While there were only a handful of fights to pick from this week, there were a couple that you need to see.
5. Zach Bogosian (BUF) vs Anthony Duclair (ARI) – Jan. 18th
This was a rather brutal scrum to end the game between the Sabres and Coyotes. Some pushing and shoving is pretty common, but this altercation led to the fight above and some game misconducts. Bogosian picks up the win, but it’d be better if all of this action happened between the whistles.
4. Dion Phaneuf (TOR) vs Brayden Schenn (PHI) – Jan. 19th
Not many things have gone right for the Maple Leafs this season, but Phaneuf’s battle against Schenn wasn’t among the disappointments. Schenn wasn’t bad by any means, but at one point it looks like he’s trying to feed Phaneuf his own jersey … which is an interesting strategy.
3. Michael Latta (WAS) vs Justin Falk (CBJ) – Jan. 19th
The Capitals have been extremely difficult to beat and that apparently rings true in fights too, as seen in this scrap between Latta and Falk. This fight itself wasn’t as lopsided as the score, but Latta is still the winner.
2. Cody Bass (NSH) vs Mark Stuart (WPG) – Jan. 21st
The refs make it a bit difficult to see what’s going on, but this is a strong fight for Bass. Stuart never seems to get into a rhythm and that’s a testament to how well Bass controls the engagement.
1. Matt Hendricks (EDM) vs Erik Gudbranson (FLA) – Jan. 18th
Hendricks and Gudbranson fought back on January 11th, but that wasn’t enough to settle their differences. On the 18th, the duo danced again and there’s really no question who won. Gudbranson dominates and the only thing you can say for Hendricks is that he hung on for dear life.
Previous Installments
Week 15
Week 14
Week 13
Week 12
Week 11
Week 10
Week 9
Week 8
Week 7
Week 6
Week 5
Week 4
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1
A big “thank you” to HockeyFights.com for making this column possible.
