Ice hockey. Sport of kings.
The utterly insane sport played predominantly by Canadians and Russians – two nations known for producing humans with the least regard for their own well-being – is a glorious spectacle at the best of times.
And with the NHL deep into its playoff period, the on-ice play is only getting better.
So, too, are the on-ice fights.
Today’s deciding Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning was as tough as any game of hockey you’re likely to see, particularly when the gloves were dropped.
Case in point, Washington’s Tom Wilson and Tampa’s Braydon Coburn, coming to blows late in the first period of today’s game for one heck of a donnybrook.
Fights are rare as hell in the post-season, with teams instead focused largely on putting the puck in the net, rather than putting opposition players on the ice.
And, look, it should be said here that condoning the melee or a scuffle is something we’re absolutely not in the business of, naturally. In every other walk of life, violence is abhorrent.
However, and here’s a hot take for you, it is 100% possible to denounce random acts of violence in everyday society while getting jazzed as fuck whenever there’s a fight on a sporting field.
With all that said, here’s the biff.
GAME 7 FISTICUFFS!
Attaboy, @tom_wilso. #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/bmMMmhAv4K
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 24, 2018
Hell yeah, hell YEAH SMASH HIM.
What’s even better is that, just prior to the fight starting, both players were sent to the penalty box for 2 minutes after a previous attempt at throwing hands fizzled. Meaning they sat in a holding pen and jacked jaws for 120 seconds, then immediately starting swinging for the fences after they fired out of there.
Good stuff. Good, good stuff right there, folks.
Washington managed to take out the game, and the series, meaning they’ll now face off against the Cinderella-story Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Christ alive hockey rules.
