Versus team toughness and the role of enforcers.
A good read here, I think another issue is that come playoff time – team toughness matters in a big way – but that the role of a true enforcer is minimized.
No team wants fighting major penalties in the playoffs. No team wants to instigate fights and serve big penalty minutes in the playoffs.
This is a subject worthy of debate – the trends of late in the NHL speak pretty clearly right now. Fighting is down in the NHL.
Team toughness matters. Read this one. Thank you.
I would have far less of a problem with fighting if it were genuine. Too often, it’s a case of two brawlers dropping the gloves for the sake of providing the team with a “spark” or someone reacting to a play involving a teammate. Call the instigator penalties when appropriate and teams will start far fewer fights because instead of two fourth line players who typically generate more PIMs than minutes played sitting out, one team will have a power play. Also, call the roughing penalties for the post-whistle scrums and put an end to that nonsense as well.
Having played hockey, I understand and support fighting in the game. Sometimes a player needs his punishment and just due right then and there, and needs it from the opposing team, not the league, whatever it may decide. I like that the NHL permits fighting, providing an in-game adjudication when the line gets crossed. Dirty play, especially stick work, would go way, way up otherwise.
With a couple of exceptions, Caps do NOT do a good job of protecting their teammates’ backs.