Sitting here at Goonblog HQ, Starting my day as I usually do. Going through some various box scores, lamenting the recent Bruins slide. Into absolute suckatude. But I’m sure the B’s are glad the spotlight isn’t on them this morning, as the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers had a very… interesting… game last night in Canada’s Capital.
Looking at some highlights, there’s not a singular incident that started the trouble in Ottawa. It looks it was just general frustration of being blown out that got the better of the Senators. These two clubs combined for 167 PIM, including 12 misconducts. 10 of the misconducts were handed out at the same stoppage in play at 12:38 on the third.
By my math, that’s every player on the ice getting a 10 at the same time. I don’t believe I have ever seen that, and I feel terrible for the rink announcer having to read them all off in two languages. Check the footage below. It’s wild.
Florida coach Paul Maurice had this to say about the evening’s affair: “That’s mild. We only got to about 160-some minutes there. It’s got to get into the 250s before it gets too squirrelly,” Maurice said. “Sometimes hockey can get like that. That’s part of why the game’s so darn great, because it’s graceful and beautiful and physical and angry all at the same time. Probably good for both teams. You get to make it part of the story of your year.”
Senatorial Frustrations, So What?
I don’t like agreeing with Paul Maurice, but he’s spot on. If you look at some of the highlights, the bench looks like a late night beer league game near the end. There’s about 4 guys on the Florida bench at one point, and the backup goalie has moved from his usual perch on his chair by the door to the middle of the bench to yuck it up with the remaining guys.
Because, absolutely: the sort of chicanery that took place in Ottawa is one of the main things that makes hockey so unique. In other sports when it’s a blow out, and in hockey too sometimes, guys are just trying to get through the last few minutes and get on the bus. Not in hockey. A lot of times when there’s a game as lopsided as this one, guys tend to try and take out the season’s frustrations on one another. Things have not gone Ottawa’s way this year, and you can clearly see them trying to exact revenge on the Panthers for their season’s failings.
Tkachuk-ing Hands
Interestingly, there was only one fighting major in the affair. Usually these things devolve into a slugfest, but not last night. Perhaps the officials giving out 10 misconducts was a way to prevent a donnybrook from happening, as the fight in question took place prior to the misconducts and the stripes could see where we were headed.
At any rate, Matthew Tkachuk of Florida, and Josh Sanderson from Ottawa had a quick dust up before all hell broke loose.
Tkachuk’s aggressive play has led him into numerous on-ice altercations throughout his career. As of the end of the 2023 season, he has had a total of 14 NHL fights, according to HockeyFights.com. His PIM history is also substantial. In his rookie season (2016-2017), he served 105 penalty minutes. His career high came in the 2018-2019 season when he served 120 penalty minutes. Over his NHL career, Tkachuk has accumulated nearly 500 PIM, a testament to his assertive, and sometimes contentious, style of play.
In addition to his PIM, Tkachuk has faced formal disciplinary action from the NHL. Notably, he was suspended for one game in the 2017-2018 NHL playoffs for a hit on Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. In the 2019-2020 season, Tkachuk was also suspended for two games for an elbowing incident involving Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tyson Barrie.
It’s not much of a fight, and Tkachuk is given a misconduct for removing a players helmet, which was his own. He’s motioning to Sanderson to remove his bucket before they tangle, and he doesn’t oblige. Chuckie gets a really hard right in that gets Sanderson’s attention. He lands another, and Sanderson goes down. I guess score it a win, as Sanderson doesn’t seem to throw a punch. Good on these guys for mixing it up. I love the 160 PIM.
Would have been cooler if there were more fights. And definitely if Matt Carkner were still on the Senators. But we can’t win ’em all.