Last night, there was a lot of frustration. Even the coaches got out of hand. But that's hockey. At least my money would have been on Scotty Bowman. A decade ago, Kocur and Bruise Brother Bob Probert provided what little entertainment the Wings could provide a lot of nights by pummeling opponents into submission.
Fighting is way down in the league, but it's still going to happen.
It's one of those things that happens in team sports. Only in hockey is fighting is sanctioned by the rule book. You can settle a dispute with a fistfight and more often than not return to play after a five-minute breather in the penalty box. Traditionalists see fisticuffs as a safety valve for players moving at high speeds, up to 20 m.p.h., carrying sticks, where running out of bounds is not an option. It is an intense, emotional sport.