LA Kings (wrathful) vs. Ottawa Senators (37-24-7, 5th in East)

7:30 EST, FSN West

The Kings and the Senators last played in 2005. The game was chippy. Chris Neil got a 5-minute boarding penalty at the expense of Dustin Brown, and then Sean Avery ran into Dominic Hasek and fought Brian McGratton. Later in the game, Jeff Cowan fought Chris Kelly and won (I swear to God), although Chris Kelly is not much of a fighter. Even though Kelly dropped the gloves first and is the same size as Cowan, the Senators thought Cowan should have fought someone who was more of a fighter.*

In response, with his team up 4 goals, Zdeno Chara left his position to fight Tim Gleason. Although Tim Gleason was the biggest guy on the ice for the Kings**, Jim Fox took exception to the idea that the 6'9" Chara would instigate a fight with a 21 year-old and said so on air. He implicated Bryan Murray in the affair, implying that it was a common tactic utilized by Murray in his coaching career. Murray got pissed about that and yelled at Jim Fox after the game.




Now, I don't necessarily think Murray told Zdeno Chara to go fight Tim Gleason. I'm pretty sure Chara knew the game was out of reach and that he wouldn't get suspended (he's the best player on the team, it's not unusual for him to be out there) so he went ahead and sent a message. If a Senator wants to say that Avery intentionally took a run at Hasek and Jeff Cowan is a pussy, you will get absolutely no argument from me. However, nobody yells at Jim Fox. He's Jim Fox! That's like yelling at Kermit the Frog. A person who yells at Jim Fox is a person that kicks dogs. Fuck you, Bryan Murray, you dog kicker. I hope a Kings player takes a shot at your face tonight.


Prediction: Kings win, 5-4. Goals by Frolov (x2), Cammy, Handzus and Kopitar. After the game, Senators fans complain about the reffing, the ice quality, the travel, the food served before the game...

*I feel so confused writing this in 2008. Jeff Cowan, a fighter? When was he good at fighting? I remember him winning this one fight and that's it.

**This doesn't make Zdeno Chara tough, in my opinion. Say I go into an 8th grade classroom and fight the biggest kid in class: does that make me tough? I had hoped so, but apparently it just makes me a felon.