Throwdown Lowdown – Stars @ Blues 01-02-11

Even PK Subban got some shots in on Sutherby. Image via Yahoo! Sports

I was hoping that Cam Janssen and Paul Bissonnette would lock horns in the Blues’ 4-3 nail-biter victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Friday night.  And trust me, Janssen did everything short of inciting a riot to get BizNasty to dance with him.  But all overtures were rejected.  There was a near-fight between Ed Jovanovski and Brad Winchester, but nothing came of it.  So there were no fights in that contest, and the Blues remain at 35 fighting majors on the season, still good for a tie for third place with the New York Rangers, and the fight record stands at 16-11-8.

The Dallas Stars have become a very truculent team in the last couple months.  In fact, they may have fought more times since early November than any team in the NHL (though I do not have the numbers to back this up).  In all, the Stars have collected 32 fighting majors thus far this season, good for sixth place in the NHL by themselves.  The problem, though, is that this team is not GOOD at fighting – they are a pathetic 4-17-11 on the season, including three losses to the Blues during a brutal home-and-home set between the two former Norris Division rivals.  We have reported on the Stars in previous games (October 16th, November 26th and November 27th), and let’s just say that a lot has changed as each report has went along this season, in a good way.

Krys Barch (6’1”, 222lbs, 0-5-2) leads the team with seven fighting majors.  He is followed by Brian Sutherby (6’2”, 204lbs, 1-3-2 including losses to Winchester and Janssen) with six, pest Steve Ott (6’0”, 194lbs, 0-2-3 including a loss to Eric Brewer) with five, future stud Jamie Benn (6’2”, 207lbs, 1-1-2) with four, Brandon Segal (6’2”, 209lbs, 0-3-0) with three and Mark Fistric (6’3”, 234lbs, 0-1-1) with two.  There are five Stars with a fight each: former Blackhawk Adam Burish (6’0”, 189lbs, Win), captain Brenden Morrow (6’0”, 205lbs, Win), James Neal (6’2”, 205lbs, Draw), Matt Niskanen (6’0”, 204lbs, Loss) and Nicklas Grossman (6’4”, 226lbs, Loss).

I don’t know what kind of fighting will happen in this game, but it’s almost a sure bet that there will be one.  Will Barch fight Janssen once again, as they’ve done several times in the past?  Will Sutherby risk getting his tail whipped again and go after someone?  Will Ott do something to bug Brewer again and almost assuredly get pounded . . . again?  Or the best one . . . will Benn and David Backes go at it in a matchup of what are arguably the two teams’ future franchise players?  We shall find out.  I would also not be shocked at a line brawl.  This game is THAT intriguing.

The Note has a chance for six wins in a row.  I would love for them to capitalize on that opportunity.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights