Hockey: the tough man sport

Last week, NHL star Alex Ovechkin was jawing back and forth with Tampa Bay Lightning's Steve Downie. Downie is seen as a bit of an enforcer and can really handle himself in a fight, Ovechkin is a big guy and can probably handle himself but would get pummeled when fighting a fighter. So, after serving matching minor penalties, they both came out of the box and Ovechkin chased after Downie and they dropped the gloves. No sooner had the gloves dropped and the players sized each other up, and Downie knew he was going to just destroy this guys face, Matt Bradley came charging in and fought Downie. Most people have been supporting Bradley's move to protect Ovechkin because he is who the people come to see play. The guy is an amazing player, real top notch, no one owns Matt Bradley jerseys, no one watches intently every time Bradley touches the puck waiting for him to do something amazing. He was protecting Ovechkin. Which is fine. Enforcers are meant to do that.

But only if the other team is making a run at your star player. If they are taking cheap shots at your million dollar baby, you send out the goons to pummel each other and send a message. When your star wants to drop the gloves and try to be a tough guy, I say you let them. Once. When they get embarrassed by someone who has gotten inside their head and taken them out of their game, and they want to drop the gloves, let them. When they come back to the bench with a bleeding face and missing teeth and a hurt ego, you yell at them. If your star wants to act the part of the tough guy and gets taken into a corner and his face is caved in, you get to tell them 'Told ya so' when they get back.

Last night Rangers star Marian Gaborik got taken to the cleaners by Flyers tough guy Danny Carcillo. And he deserved it. He was going back and forth with Carcillo and in the process dropped his gloves and Carcillo smelled blood in the water. It was a four punch fight. But hey, that's what you get when you try to be a tough guy. Later on, Sean Avery sought out Carcillo and they fought. All was right with the world again. People were taking the Rangers players through the wringer because they didn't step in and protect Gaborik, but he deserved it. He wanted to fight and he got it, it is just too bad for him that he wanted to do so with an enforcer.