Goalie fights in the NHL are extremely rare, but when they happen, they can be the most exciting part of the entire game. On Monday night in the game between the San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers, there was a goalie flight between Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers and Alex Nedeljkovic of the San Jose Sharks.
How did the fight start?
The fight took place six minutes into the third period. There was a scrum along the side boards behind the Sharks net, as Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais of Laval, Quebec went down awkwardly. It did not take long before Nedeljkovic got involved, and the Sharks goaltender did not hesitate to throw punches. When Nedeljkovic did connect with dominant blows, Bobrovsky sprinted down the ice, and engaged in a fight with Nedeljkovic. In all, Bobrovsky of Novokuznetsk, Russia and Nedeljkovic of Parma, Ohio were assessed seven minutes of penalties each. Bobrovsky and Nedeljkovic were both given five minutes for fighting and two minutes for goaltender interference.
Who won the game?
The Sharks won 4-1. There were notable games offensively for Sharks forwards Igor Chernyshov of Penza, Russia and second overall pick Michael Misa of Oakville, Ontario. Chernyshov and Misa both had two assists. The four Sharks goal scorers were Desharnais, defenseman Mario Ferraro of Toronto, Ontario, Barclay Goodrow of Toronto, Ontario and Will Smith of Boston, Massachusetts.
When was the last goalie fight?
The last time we saw a goalie fight was on February 1, 2020 according to Rogers Sportsnet. That fight was part of the Battle of Alberta between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames on February 1, 2020. The goalies involved in the fight were Mike Smith of the Oilers and Cam Talbot of the Flames. What was ironic about the fight was the fact that Smith of Kingston, Ontario had previously played for the Flames, and that Talbot, of Caledonia, Ontario, had previously played for the Oilers. The Oilers came out on top 8-3 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Sharks in a playoff spot
San Jose has now moved into third place in the Pacific Division. They have a record of 25 wins. 20 regulation losses and three losses in extra time for 53 points. The win over the Panthers came on the same day the Sharks got even more physical. That is because they acquired hit machine Kiefer Sherwood in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks.
