Throwdown Lowdown – Rangers @ Blues, 01-08-11
This photoshop job is just hilarious. Image via katchop.com
Well, in a game that the Blues arguably did not deserve to win, they were able to sneak a point from a 6-5 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs that included one of the most incredible shootout/penalty shot goals I’ve ever seen by Mikhail Grabovski. However, there were no fights in the contest, so the Blues hang tight at 37 fighting majors on the season, tying them for third place with the New York Rangers. And yes, their fight record remains at that same robust 17-11-9 mark.
Yes, that’s right: tonight’s opponent has just as many fighting majors as the Blues! We’ve covered the Rangers once before this season (November 7th). Back then, they were not one of the league’s premium fighting teams like the Blues have been all season. It would turn very quickly after they played the Blues on that night. And they’ve done a lot of this work without Derek Boogaard – he of the high-dollar offseason contract head-scratcher of the 2010 Free Agent season – who is currently out with a concussion. After a fight between youngster Dale Weise and veteran Steve Ott last night, the Rangers are drawn even with Blues in third place with 37 fights on the season, and their fight record is a robust 15-7-15. It stands to reason that two teams with an extensive season fight record and players willing to throw at moment’s notice would go at it tonight, and I certainly hope that they decide to.
Former Flame Brandon Prust (6’2”, 192lbs, 5-1-5 including a win over Tyson Strachan) leads the team with 11 fights, likely to no one’s surprise (he’s also among the top five individual fighters in the NHL). The aforementioned and not-playing Boogaard (6’7”, 265lbs, 4-1-2) and arguably the “Biggest Jerk In The NHL” Sean Avery (5’10”, 195lbs, 2-2-3) are tied for second with seven each. Mike Sauer (6’3”, 213lbs, 0-1-3) follows with four. Ryan Callahan (5’10”, 190lbs, 1-0-1), Brian Boyle (6’7”, 244lbs, 1-0-1), Brandon Dubinsky (6’1”, 210lbs, 1-1-0) and the aforementioned Weise (6’2”, 210lbs, 1-1-0) have fought twice each. No Ranger has fought only once on the season – it’s either multiple or none with this team at the moment.
You would like to think Prust and Cam Janssen are going to scrap at some point. It almost has to happen, right? We’ll see – I’ve seen crazier things happen than a fight that should have happened but never did. Another fight that would be interesting is Boyle going at it with Brad Winchester. Boyle has a size advantage but not much of one against Winnie.
Time to retain the home magic and stop this stupid two-game losing streak. DO IT!
LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!
Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights
