The end of the 2015-16 regular season is quickly approaching. As teams continue to jockey for playoff positioning or for a better chance at a top draft pick, the gloves are still going flying. Are any of these worth talking about as one of the best fights of the year?
5. Brad Malone (CAR) vs Nick Foligno (CBJ) – Mar. 24th
Foligno puts on a clinic on how to tie up an opponent in a fight and that’s bad news for Malone. If that final punch from Foligno found its mark, that’s one hell of a blow.
4. Brendan Smith (DET) vs J.T. Brown (TB) – Mar. 22nd
Smith isn’t a large hockey player (6’1″, 170 pounds), but he makes the smaller Brown look pretty undersized in this fight. Size isn’t an indicator of skill in hockey, but it certainly helps in a fight as Smith shows.
3. Darnell Nurse (EDM) vs Micheal Haley (SJ) – Mar. 24th
Nurse may eventually be considered one of the best fighters in the NHL. That time hasn’t arrived quite yet, as shown in the scrap against Haley. Don’t judge Nurse’s capabilities solely on this fight.
2. Josh Manson (ANA) vs Michael McCarron (MON) – Mar. 22nd
Manson is able to pop McCarron’s helmet off, but he’s unable to deal any damage before the fight concludes. McCarron looks like he had a score to settle and by all accounts that’s exactly what he did.
1. Clayton Stoner (ANA) vs Chris Neil (OTT) – Mar. 26th
Maybe think twice before dropping the gloves with Stoner. Neil successfully brings down Stoner and has a couple of decent punches at the end, but that’s only after the Ducks forward catches him with some powerful rights. Brutal fight with Stoner emerging the winner.
Previous Installments
Week 24
Week 23
Week 22
Week 21
Week 20
Week 18 & 19
Week 17
Week 16
Week 15
Week 14
Week 13
Week 12
Week 11
Week 10
Week 9
Week 8
Week 7
Week 6
Week 5
Week 4
Week 3
Week 2
Week 1
A big “thank you” to HockeyFights.com for making this column possible.
