Gotta See It: If the Philadelphia Flyers — now just two points out of a playoff spot — are to fight their way back into contention, they might have to literally fight their way back into contention.
Taking exception to a massive (clean) open-ice hit on his captain, Claude Giroux, Flyers leading scorer Jakub Voracek grabbed the culprit, Washington Capitals defenceman Steve Oleksy, yanked the jersey over his head and began chucking rights at his blinded opponent.
Even though it was the first career NHL regular-season fight for the offensively gifted Voracek, Oleksy would need stitches to close a wound over his left eye afterward.
“To be honest, I didn’t see the hit,” said Voracek, whose previous NHL fighting experience was limited to just one bout, in a 2010-11 preseason game while with the Blue Jackets. (He fought only twice as a junior.) “I just kind of went after him. He turned around, and I had no choice after.”
According to hockeyfights.com, Voracek got the win easily over Oleksy, a proven scrapper who has already dropped the mitts 14 times this year (thrice in the NHL, 11 times in the AHL).
Voracek’s uncharacteristic third-period anger perhaps kick-started the Flyers, who scored three unanswered goals for a come-from-behind 5-4 overtime victory.
“I’m proud of him,” veteran teammate Kimo Timmonen told reporters. “You don’t hit guys like Giroux like that and not pay the price.”
Frequent fighter Zac Rinaldo was also asked about the Voracek fight.
“I loved it. I was glad he did,” Rinaldo said. “I was ready to jump over the boards myself.”
Voracek, who kept his visor on during the bout, was dealt four penalties on the play, including 10 minutes for gross misconduct, but his actions were greeted only positively by his bench.
Voracek on his first regular-season fight: