NEW YORK – Wearing gloves when Madison Square Garden dropped the puck to start the Capitals-Rangers game on Wednesday.
After Monday night’s incident where Capitals forward Tom Wilson punched a prone Pavel Buchaniewicz and then inflicted a body injury, Artemi Panarin – and the league fined Buchanwich by slapping Wilson on the wrist – Rangers responded gave.
First, the Rangers released a statement on Tuesday in which the NHL was suspended and asked for the firing of George Paros, the head of the NHL’s Player Safety Department.
MORE: What happened on Monday night? | Wilson postponed suspension | Ranger responds
On Wednesday, the Rangers responded on the ice.
Just outside the opening faceoff, there was a line brawl. Centermen Kevin Rooney and Nick Dow chatted and then dropped the gloves before they hit the ice. He was joined at Donbrook by Rangers wingers Philippe Di Guisepp and Colin Blackwell, and Capital wingers Karl Haglin and Garnet Hathaway. Hagelin, the former Ranger, moved against Blackwell.
There is no heavyweight in those matchups. And the vengeance did not stop there.
After Wilson – Public Enemy No. 1 – got on the ice, defenseman Brendan Smith – who is one of the few Rangers with fights under his belt – departed right after that. Smith received 17 minutes for the penalty, including two to provoke. Based on their teammates beating on the glass from the penalty box or tying their poles on the bench, the Rangers feel the extra two were worth it.
MORE: Rangers’ didn’t disappoint Wilson, called George Parrows’ unfit ‘for running NHL player’s safety
Despite Wilson taking off the gloves to answer for his actions, the fight did not stop there. Next Up won by Long Island kids Anthony Biteto vs. Michael Rafael and Ryan Strome vs. Lars Eller.
During the first five minutes of the game, there were six fights and 72 penalty minutes. By the end of the period, there were a total of 100 penalty minutes.
Nobody expected this to happen; After all, a prototype on the Rangers roster is not a tough guy.
Well, don’t say that those who stood in line for the faceoff – or anyone on the roster, for that matter.
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