Friday Night Fights Coming To Raleigh…Wow, I’m So Thrilled
By Chris Baker
I am going to go out on a branch and say the Canes will be mixed up in more fights this year than the last three seasons combined. Please, try to contain yourselves with anticipation of that! I am so ecstatic I cannot contain myself! Can’t you just tell?!?!?
If I were a betting man, the bell total would be under the 25 (counting preseason fights) but over the 5 the Hurricanes were involved in last year. (5 counting the play smack down of Erik Haula)
And for what goal, I am not really sure. Seems like its an element of the game the Canes have done pretty well without to this point. But yippee! More fights!
Maybe the idea is to draw more penalties, thus giving the power play more opportunities. If you subscribe to the notion that the PP was that great, maybe giving it more chances is the key.
Maybe to keep key players like Sebastian Aho, and Teuvo Teräväinen from getting knicked and knocked. This I can see, but bringing in one guy just for this? Step Noesen has brought the heat before, and he is actually good. Sign me up as thrilled!
Whatever the reason, we’ll have Brendan Lemieux to thank for the extra gauntlets on the ice.
Lemieux had a total of 6 fights last year, which is more than the five the Hurricanes registered as a team. Get me ring side…I mean down on the ice!
Of the six engagements Lemieux entered last season, I will score him as losing two (Tanner Jeanot and Trent Fredric) and fighting to a draw two more (Radko Gudas and Jujhar Khaira). I will credit wins over Klim Kostin and Yanni Gourde even though Lemieux hit the ice first against Kostin. Only the Gourde fight was all that explosive but came at the end of a Kings loss. So what was the point other than to fight?
Most, if not all, of Brendan Lemieux’s fights are tie ups with a few punches thrown to get the effect. The Khaira scrap was barely a fight at all. Neither of the participants was doing much besides tugging jerseys and shoving helmets. Boy’O’boy the Canes will have a season of fights to remember. Pardon my enthusiasm for that!
For his career, Lemieux has 31 total scraps having squared off against Trent Jeanot three times, Khaira and Gudas twice. On his list, Gudas is the only guy I see the need to really go toe to toe against, but even then there are better ways to mute him than a lock up at center ice.
So the Canes, with the help of Brendan Lemieux, will have more fights when they’re playing the Rangers, and Dylan Coghlan will have someone else to join him in the press box.
Wow…color me impressed.
Maybe Lemieux will drop the gloves with Erik Haula when the “Haulamonster” comes to town on his “ First Round Force To Be Reckoned With ” Tour.
Again….mark me as thrilled.
The Hurricanes paid just over the minimum for a fighter, who negates any penalty he draws.
Hold my drink Ethel, I’m spilling it with excitement.