METERwith a wild fight right at the start of the game in the North American professional league nhl The professionals of the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils (4-3) caused a stir and numerous penalties. Two seconds after the faceoff in the first third, all ten players, except for the two goalkeepers, dueled.
The tough start to the local derby was caused by Rangers forward Matt Rempe and New Jersey player Kurtis MacDermid, whose fight in the middle of the ice lasted the longest. Both still had unfinished business from the previous match on March 11.
“I understand that”
When the teams met almost a month ago, Rempe did not accept MacDermid's offer for a fistfight. As the game progressed, he hit Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler so hard with an elbow that he had to end the game early. The league subsequently suspended the perpetrator for four games.
“I had no idea this was going to happen. “It was spontaneous,” MacDermid, 30, said of the five simultaneous fights. But “it was great the way they governed and defended each other.” He has a lot of respect for his direct rival Rempe (21): “He is a young boy who tries to do his thing. I understand that.”
Rangers coach Peter Laviolette also seemed mellow afterward. “I think the guys fought hard for each other,” he explained. However, the sanctions were commensurate: four players from each team received a penalty for misconduct in the game; Two seconds after the start the game was over for them.
Travis Green, the Devils' interim coach, wasn't surprised when the fight broke out. The Rangers players had already agreed before the game to make a statement, he said. “We all know,” he added, “why this happened.”