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MUST WATCH: Flyers Resemble Broad Street Bullies as Fights Erupt

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1 year ago

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Nick Deslauriers, Philadelphia Flyers
Winger Nick Deslauriers (left) of the Flyers and Minnesota's Ryan Reaves mix it up Monday. Photo: AP.

If Dave Schultz was watching the Philadelphia Flyers-Minnesota Wild game on TV at his Somers Points, N.J., home Thursday night, he probably smirked and wondered why there was so much commotion about four early fights in the matchup.

After all, the Flyers, with Schultz as the ringleader, were used to games like that in the 1970s.

But nearly five decades later, the game has changed. Less hitting. Fewer fights. More fancy plays.

On Thursday, however, the Flyers and Wild turned back the clocks. In the first 22:45, there were four fights. One came 15 seconds after the first one. The next one came one second after the second bout.

Old. Time. Hockey.

The Philadelphia Flyers, who dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the Wild, lead the NHL with 25 fights.

Flyers left winger Nick Deslauriers, a modern-day Schultz, leads the league with nine bouts, including the first one Thursday.

Click on the photo to see his scrap with Minnesota’s Ryan Reaves:

 

The second bout featured Wade Allison’s quick takedown of Mason Shaw. Click on the photo and watch below:

 

Just one second after Allison’s win, Zack MacEwen took on Minny’s Marcus Foligno after the ensuing faceoff. MacEwen got in some early shots, but Foligno rallied for the decision.

PHN: Flyers and OT Don’t Mix

That meant there were three bouts in 16 seconds. Somewhere, Schultz, Don Saleski, Andre “Moose” Dupont, and Bob Kelly were probably smiling. Click on the photo for the video of the Foligno-MacEwen bout:

Early in the second period, the Wild’s Brandon Duhaime decisioned Philadelphia’s Patrick Brown. Here’s the fight:

There were several other scrums throughout the rest of the game, but no other fights.

The Philadelphia Flyers took over the NHL lead with 25 fights this season. Only one of the teams in the top-five in fights — Minnesota — is in a playoff spot.

Here are the teams with the most fights this season:

  1. Flyers: 25 fights.
  2. Vancouver: 24 fights.
  3. (tie) Nashville and Ottawa: 22 fights.                                           5. Minnesota Wild: 21 fights.
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