Throwdown Lowdown – Red Wings @ Blues, 01-20-11

Here’s Brad Stuart – who won’t be playing tonight – getting drilled by Sidney Crosby. Jeff Quirin approves! Image via “The Sidney Crosby Show” (sidcrosby.blogspot.com)

The Blues got a big lift from the return of TJ Oshie and took home a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.  In this game, Roman Polak squared off with Kyle Clifford in a fight I thought Polak shouldn’t have gotten into.  It was a landslide win for Clifford.  At first glance, I thought it was a draw, but review the video (it is here) and you’ll see Clifford clearly won this brief fight.  This scrap – the first by Polak in the 2010-2011 regular season (he also had one with old friend Jeff Woywitka in the pre-season) – brings the Blues to 45 fighting majors on the season, still good for second in the NHL only behind the Anaheim Ducks.  Their fight record now stands at 18-16-11.  You know how I’ve been worried about that fight record slipping?  Well, the Blues have almost reached the even point.  NOT GOOD!

As with most division rivals, we’ve covered the Detroit Red Wings several times before (November 17th, December 15th and December 23rd).  Never have I seen a team that actually TRIES to avoid fisticuffs quite as much as this team.  And I can’t really explain it, either.  It’s not like they don’t have young players eager to prove their worth to their teammates.  It’s not like they don’t have grizzled veterans that have a short fuse from time to time.  It’s not like they’re in Detroit – one of the violence capitals of North America (oh wait).  I just don’t get it.  All of this adds up to a sad fact from a franchise who considers Gordie Howe to be its’ primary hallmark: The Detroit Red Wings are DEAD LAST in the NHL in fighting majors, with a grand total of eight.  EIGHT!  WE’RE OVER HALFWAY THROUGH THE SEASON AND THEY’VE ONLY FOUGHT EIGHT TIMES!  Unreal.  They, unpredictably, are 0-4-4 in those fights.  So they haven’t fought much, AND they haven’t won any fights.  Wow.

Three Red Wings fighters are tied at the top of their board . . . with two each. How pathetic.  Anyway, those fighters are Justin Abdelkader (6’1”, 212lbs, 0-0-2), Brad Stuart (6’2”, 210lbs, 0-1-1, out indefinitely with a broken jaw) and Jonathan Ericsson (6’4”, 220lbs, 0-2-0).  Your other fighters are Pavel Datsyuk (5’11”, 194lbs, Draw, out with a broken right hand) and Doug Janik (6’2”, 211lbs, Loss, currently with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins).  You’re counting correctly – out of the eight fights on the season by the Red Wings, only four of those fights are currently with the big club, split between two players.  Seriously, you should look at the Red Wings roster.  It is BEREFT of glove-dropping firepower.  WEAK!

I won’t waste my time trying to pick a solid fight matchup, because it just won’t happen tonight.  Sometimes, you know when this is coming.  This is one of those times.  I hope I’m proven wrong, though.

Let’s win a second one for Teej.  And a second win at home over the Red Wings would be nice, too.

LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!

Information obtained via the incomparable Fried Chicken’s Hockey Fights