Fights Come Early, But Not Often

This may not have lived up to the hype. But it was in the building.

The Mighty Ducks and Calgary Flames racked up 309 penalty minutes, which resulted in suspensions and fines, when they played Dec. 8. They managed only 48 in their rematch Saturday.

“I coached Washington for many years and when we played Philadelphia, it was like that all the time,” Duck Coach Bryan Murray said. “You’d have one of those games and the next game the first 10 minutes was a rat race, with everybody punching everybody. Then you have to play to get two points.

“We could have ruined [Calgary] and done some things. We don’t want to do that.”

The two teams seemed on that road in the first period.

It was obvious that there was unfinished business from the Dec. 8 clash. Denny Lambert and Craig Berube went at it right after a faceoff just 2:47 into the game.

Kevin Sawyer and Jamie Allison wrestled six minutes later.

Jeff Friesen and David Lowry jawed before, during and after a faceoff midway through the period. Friesen had called Lowry “gutless” after the last game.

Ruslan Salei exchanged hacks with several Flame players near their bench and even accidentally shoved linesman Troy Sartison.

Salei later knocked Flame left wing Ronald Petrovicky into the net. Petrovicky slashed at goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere as he tried to get out of the net.

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Chris Foster