The Buffalo Sabres had to break up a fight during practice on Monday. Newly minted captain Rasmus Dahlin had to be separated from Peyton Krebs after executing an open-ice hit on the smaller forward. Krebs didn’t like the play and let his captain know. The two started to throw punches before a handful of teammates got in the way to break it off.
You can catch the scuffle and a recap of how it unfolded here, thanks to our great team at Buffalo Hockey Now.
Practice fights always feel surprising when they’re publicly reported. But they’ve been part of the game for decades. Perhaps the most notable fight in recent memory between teammates came during the St. Louis Blues 2018-19 season. They won the Stanley Cup that year but they struggled mightily to start. In fact, by Christmas, they were dead last in the NHL and fired head coach Mike Yeo, replacing him with Craig Berube.
Somewhere in the middle of all those struggles and frustrations, defenseman Robert Bortuzzo got into it with forward Zach Sanford during practice. The two had to be separated by teammates but that fight was seen as a turning point in the Blues’ season. Berube applauded them at the time for leaving their emotions on the ice. Fast forward to June, and the Blues were crowned champs.
I’m not saying the Sabres are on their way to a Stanley Cup, but it’s just a reminder that this happens far more often than we may think. It doesn’t mean it’s not fascinating each time.
Colorado Hockey Now
What an insane week it’s been for the Avalanche. Already missing several key pieces, Colorado has lost Jonathan Drouin to an upper-body injury, Devon Toews to a lower-body injury, and they’re 0-3 to start the year for the first time in 16 years. Brutal.
You can catch my Good & Bad from Monday’s 6-2 loss here. The most glaring mistakes came from a key piece of the lineup.
The full game recap is here. But also, my weekly Monday column about the Avs’ goaltending woes is worth catching up on. How many goalies will the Avalanche use this year?
Also, Colleen Flynn caught up with a handful of Avs skaters to discuss the art of the optional skate/practice. When and how do players choose to participate?
Around The NHL
Boston Hockey Now: The Bruins are coming to town Wednesday to take on the Avalanche. They’ll be looking to rebound after a loss to the Florida Panthers.
Detroit Hockey Now: The aforementioned column was centered around a question pertaining to the number of goalies the Avs will use this season. I think Detroit might need that question answered too after Alex Lyon got the nod in their 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Monday.
New Jersey Hockey Now: Speaking of goaltender rotations. Let’s check in on the New Jersey Devils, who shut out Utah Hockey Club on Monday. It wasn’t Jacob Markstrom backstopping them to a victory this time. Boy does that team look and feel a lot different with actual solid goaltending.