Wanted to see how many fights fans can point to as ones that shifted the momentum of a playoff series from one team to another. My favorite example of this would have to be when Marty McSorley took on Wendel Clark after leveling Doug Gilmour with an open ice hit.
The Leafs dominated the Kings every which way possible and Gilmour was having his way against them. That is until McSorley stepped in and delivered what appeared to be an elbow at Gilmour's head. Clark responded by going after McSorley, but the fight sent a message that the Kings were going to put up a fight and that they did when they won the series in seven games.
There is another incident that took place a few years ago involving Georges Laraque. I can't recall the exact details aside from the fact that he appeared to mock his opponent after the fight or did some celebration, which inspired the opposing team to mount a comeback. Anyone else remember this?
This mainly concerns post season fights, but if you could point to examples from regular season games as well, then by all means, do so.
How did McSorley getting his faced punched in change the momentum to LA's side?
Oh let's see, the Leafs smoked the Kings 4-1 in that game and Gilmour was dominant with 2 goals and 2 assists. The Kings would then go on to win the next two games then lost two close ones before winning Game 6 and 7 while facing elimination.
I'm sure as a Leafs fan you'd hate to admit it, but McSorley checking Gilmour and taking on Clark (and no, he didn't get his face punched in) turned the tide of the series. The Kings weren't going to let the Leafs walk all over them, which is the message that was sent when McSorley did what he did.
Gretzky and Barry Melrose have both said that the McSorley hit/fight was really the turning point of the series.
Oh let's see, the Leafs smoked the Kings 4-1 in that game and Gilmour was dominant with 2 goals and 2 assists. The Kings would then go on to win the next two games then lost two close ones before winning Game 6 and 7 while facing elimination.
I'm sure as a Leafs fan you'd hate to admit it, but McSorley checking Gilmour and taking on Clark (and no, he didn't get his face punched in) turned the tide of the series. The Kings weren't going to let the Leafs walk all over them, which is the message that was sent when McSorley did what he did.
Gretzky and Barry Melrose have both said that the McSorley hit/fight was really the turning point of the series.
Have you seen McSorley's face the day after that fight? Yes he did indeed get his faced punched in by Clark. The hit may have changed momentum, but still not really. The Leafs would have won game 6 after all...
Have you seen McSorley's face the day after that fight? Yes he did indeed get his faced punched in by Clark. The hit may have changed momentum, but still not really. The Leafs would have won game 6 after all...
Edit: Found it for you...
I clearly do remember that front page cover (as well as the shot of McSorley walking off the ice to the locker room after the fight and putting his hand over a camera), but that fight was a battle and a draw in my eyes. Clark connected with some bombs, but McSorley never blinked and kept on going and was gaining the edge in the scrap in the late stages (which is a McSorley trait).
Prust vs. Neil game 6 of ECQF 2012. Prust lost the fight, but I think this stemmed the tide of Neil bulldozing NYR--showing that NYR was going to stick up for their teammates, after his hit on Boyle, post whistle shove to Richards, and general domination of the NYR. NYR comes from behind to win the game and the series. Thought momentum in that game shifted right after.
I know the b's were suppose to win this series and they had won game 1 and we're winning easily in this game but this fight was so unexpected and no one really thought a bergeron fight would A) happen B) would end like that. I think it just totally shut the door on the habs and gave them little to no hope. Or this could be the musings of a bitter bruins fan who didn't wanna see the bruins get another early round defeat to the habs.
Wanted to see how many fights fans can point to as ones that shifted the momentum of a playoff series from one team to another. My favorite example of this would have to be when Marty McSorley took on Wendel Clark after leveling Doug Gilmour with an open ice hit.
The Leafs dominated the Kings every which way possible and Gilmour was having his way against them. That is until McSorley stepped in and delivered what appeared to be an elbow at Gilmour's head. Clark responded by going after McSorley, but the fight sent a message that the Kings were going to put up a fight and that they did when they won the series in seven games.
There is another incident that took place a few years ago involving Georges Laraque. I can't recall the exact details aside from the fact that he appeared to mock his opponent after the fight or did some celebration, which inspired the opposing team to mount a comeback. Anyone else remember this?
This mainly concerns post season fights, but if you could point to examples from regular season games as well, then by all means, do so.
I know the b's were suppose to win this series and they had won game 1 and we're winning easily in this game but this fight was so unexpected and no one really thought a bergeron fight would A) happen B) would end like that. I think it just totally shut the door on the habs and gave them little to no hope. Or this could be the musings of a bitter bruins fan who didn't wanna see the bruins get another early round defeat to the habs.
Total momentum changer there...Bergeron dosn't throw that punch and the Habs go on to comeback from a 5-1 defecit and win the next 4 games. Never change B's fans.
Total momentum changer there...Bergeron dosn't throw that punch and the Habs go on to comeback from a 5-1 defecit and win the next 4 games. Never change B's fans.
As i said during the post.. its not the best example of a fight that changed momentum.. but it sure as **** buried the habs. Or should i have put up the lucic drubbing komisarek in that series
What the hell was Talbot doing? He got demolished.
He was firing up his teammates. It worked brilliantly.
Carcillo screwed up for obliging him and taking that fight. Quite a few Flyers fans thought that was the wrong time and place, and that turned out to be correct.
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Yes, we still lost the series... But the 8th Seeded team took #1 to 7 games.
So this might be a dumb question but when the ref calls the penalty and is just standing there while Boyle is getting jumped, why does he not try to stop Carkner?
So this might be a dumb question but when the ref calls the penalty and is just standing there while Boyle is getting jumped, why does he not try to stop Carkner?
It's not their job to break up fights. That is the linesmen's job.
Did it? How can you tell? It seems like something totally unmeasurable except by anecdotal evidence.
There's no way to know that any swing in momentum was caused by a fight or that the outcome came about as a result of the fight.
I think you had to be there. The Pens were down 3-0 in the game. Fleury had let in a couple of soft goals. I don't think the Pens wanted to have to go back home for a Game 7. So Talbot dropped the mitts and Carcillo being the type who reacts first and then thinks later worked right into Talbot's plan. Almost immediately after the fight the game changed in the Pens' favour. They seemed more upbeat and forced the play better. They started to look like the 2009 champs after all. The game went totally the other way to the point where Crosby netted an empty netter to seal it. The momentum shifted right after that fight. This was the first fight I was going to post when seeing this thread.
Another one. It didn't result in a win for the Islanders (almost) but in 1975 when the young Gillies kicked the tar out of Schultz it sort of laid the groundwork that the Flyers could be beaten at their own game. In 1976 Robinson tamed the Broad Street Bullies as well. The Gillies victory was the first crack in the armour for the Flyers.
I also think the bloodbath in March of 1997 between the Red Wings and Avs set a precedent. The Wings were not a rough and tumble team per se, they weren't wimps but they didn't intimidate much. But that night they all rocked the Avs. Every Wing on the ice won their fight. McCarty bloodied Claude. Larionov of all people bloodied Forsberg and Vernon beat Roy. Not to mention Shanahan tackling Roy at center ice. Shanny wasn't there in 1996 when Lemieux hit Draper from behind but he became part of that rivalry very quickly. After that, I had a new found respect for Detroit. The Avs won the Cup in 1996 and looked like they might do it again in 1997 but Detroit just looked like a different and more cohesive team in the playoffs.
