AHL game features 248 PIMs; coaches ejected for fighting (Video)
Fighting in the NHL has reached an all time low since 1968. As for the league’s little brother, the AHL, they continue to bring the blood.
In Saturday night’s affair between the Albany Devils and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the two teams accumulated a total of 248 penalty minutes with most of the damage coming within a 19 second period of game time.
The game had been chippy; however, it wasn’t until there were 43.4 seconds left on the clock in the second when everything exploded.
Listen as the play-by-play guy continues to try to introduce Blaze (who we assume is a mascot, not an American Gladiator) to the booth. Players continue to exchange words before Marc-Andre Cliche and Paul Thompson finally decide to drop the gloves.
That sets everyone off to begin the line brawl.
Unfortunately for the officials, it was a night where there was only a three man crew. They were woefully outgunned, on and off the ice, as Albany coach Rick Kowalski and Bridgeport coach Brent Thompson attempt to fight around the curved pane of glass separating the two benches.
Naturally, the coaches get kicked out of the game for their dust up.
The decision was made to end the period with time left on the clock, and give the boys a chance to cool off in the locker room during intermission.
You’re never going to guess what happened next… They played the rest of the game without incident.
JUST KIDDING. This is the AHL!
Since the officials ended the second period with time on the clock, they had to finish the period before switching ends for the third.
Just 19 seconds after the puck dropped, Albany’s Blake Pietila sends a rocket on net near the faceoff dot. He does nothing to correct his course, and destroys goaltender Stephon Williams. This sets off another line brawl.
Once again, Isles Enforcers has the video:
The best commentary of the game comes from the Albany Devils’ Twitter account. They noted the change in manpower following all the ejections.
And followed it up with the tweet of the night a few minutes later.
The Devils went on to win the game, 3-0. Bridgeport edged them in the penalty minute race, 126 PIMs to 122.
Here’s a list of all the penalties from the tilt:
Stick-tap Marina Molnar
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Jen Neale is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter! Follow @MsJenNeale_PD.
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