Fights like the one that happened between the in-state rivals Ducks and Kings on Saturday make us forget all about the notion to ban fighting in the league.
Just seven minutes into the first period, the benches cleared for a line brawl that spawned from a simple icing. Ducks winger Corey Perry and Kings forward Kyle Clifford met along the boards and exchanged some shoves, because it's always good to somehow get a guy like Perry off the ice.
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As the refs pulled the two apart, Perry gave one last little nudge. Before the linesmen could blink, fisticuffs ensued.
The final result was 66 penalty minutes and two ejections — one for Anaheim's Kevin Bieksa and another for Andy Andreoff.
Additionally, five minute majors for fighting were issued to Bieksa and Andreoff, as well as to Rickard Rakell and Kris Versteeg. Ten-minute misconducts were given to Jamie McGinn and Luke Schenn.
It was Rakell's first NHL fight, and Schenn and Versteeg's first in their respective uniforms. Schenn is fresh from the Leafs and Versteeg from the Canes.
Ricky Balboa!!👏🏻Congrats on the first NHL fight! I guess there is a little Viking in him. https://t.co/20enBdEI7M via YouTube
— Hampus Lindholm (@HampeLindholm) March 6, 2016
"It was my first fight, ever," Rakell said after the game. "I’m usually a pretty nice guy, but you try to stick up for your teammates. It all happened so fast. I didn’t think too much."
Anaheim ultimately took down Los Angeles 3-2 in regulation.