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There were four fights in one game last night.
Matt Stajan gets what was happening on the ice Monday night.
The Calgary Flames veteran understands that a number of the young Ottawa Senators were trying to prove themselves at Saskatoon’s Credit Union Centre. Some of their own young players were too.
However, following a 4-2 pre-season loss, which featured four (!) fights, including one of his own, too many penalties, and a lot of chippy play, Stajan made it clear that opponents should avoid taking liberties with their club — pre-season or not.
“Obviously everybody is trying to make a name for themselves and trying to get a job in the best league in the world,” Stajan said, left eye showing early signs of bruising after a first-period tussle with Senators journeyman Michael Sdao. “That’s hockey. It’s part of the game, you’re going to see that in scrimmages, you’re going to see that in exhibition games, and you’re going to see that during the season.
Vinny already
has the respect of his teammates.At 33, centre Vincent Lecavalier may have slowed down a tad from his all-star days, but he is still a very productive player.
He’s also one of the most respected in the NHL.
You can almost hear reverence in the Flyers’ voices when they talk about their new teammate and his impressive resume.
“What he has done,” captain Claude Giroux said, “speaks for itself.”
And the Toronto Sun has a preview of the OHL season.