A hotly contested third period between the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers turned ugly in a heartbeat with back-to-back heated fights. The physicality had built up in stages, but it all came boiling over in front of an electrified crowd.
It all started when Flyers captain Sean Couturier checked Oilers goaltender Jeff Skinner into the boards behind the net. It looked like an accident, but Oilers defenseman Troy Stecher decided to take issue with it. No surprise, Stecher immediately went after Couturier, engaging in a fight that involved both teams in no time. You can see the play below.
Sean Couturier runs over Stuart Skinner
While working to separate Stecher and Couturier, the referees didn't dwindle the intensity one bit. A few moments later, another fight broke out, this time between Oilers veteran Corey Perry and Flyers forward Joel Farabee. As both players threw multiple punches, the Rogers Place crowd went into a frenzy of noise, really charged by then. You can see Perry's fight below.
These hits, however, were like sparks that ignited what had been a dead spark in the Oilers' game so far. The worst team to have started this season was suddenly united and fighting for a point while fighting for each other. The physicality suggested that they were starting to play as a unit and with an edge that was lacking in other games.
Maybe the fights were just what the Oilers needed to get them going. Immediately after the fights, the building was electric, carrying onto the ice. The team seemed to feed off that adrenaline surge that had taken place, and it felt like a turning point in the season with the fans behind them and the players totally invested.
POLL | ||
Was this fight the turning point in the Oilers season? | ||
Yes | 36 | 37.9 % |
No | 59 | 62.1 % |
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