This Fight Between Ryan Reaves and Mathieu Olivier Was A Masterpiece of Violence
Rock 'em. Sock 'em. Hockey.
My god what a fight. Ryan Reaves and Mathieu Olivier are two of the top dogs in the NHL. 2 guys who quite literally everybody else in the league has to be worried about when they step foot onto the ice. There are maybe 2 or 3 other guys you could put into their category, but there's nobody in a weight class above either of them. So every time we get a chance to see two of the top guys go at it, it's a beautiful thing.
Reavo took the early lead in this fight getting in a couple of shots as they were starting to grip up. Obviously Olivier overtook that lead with the takedown early in this fight. But he just couldn't finish off the job. He tried to throw a couple more kill shots there while Reaves was on the ropes, but credit to Reaves for being able to pop right back up. And then from there? Haymakers galore. Back and forth we went. Both helmets eventually popping off. Both of them getting a few good shots in with that left hand gripped up on the shoulder pad. That's probably the one aspect of hockey fights that non-hockey fans won't appreciate as much. Those subtle lefts they're able to get in there still have to hurt like a bitch.
No real clear winner in this one, but that's what makes it so great. You know there will have to be a round 2 eventually to settle the score. Great fight, great night. And even better night for the Columbus Blue Jackets who won 5-1 thanks to an Adam Fantilli hat trick.