I'm posting this goalie fight video for the same narrow-minded reason this goalie fight happened: because, common sense be damned, this is a goalie fight, and however ill-advised it might have been, you never break up a goalie fight.
Let's stop and consider all the reasons why this was a poorly-conceived event: first, Rick DiPietro is so prone to injury he makes Sami Salo look like a mutant blessed with regenerative abilities. Rumours are swirling that DiPietro has a broken orbital bone, maybe a concussion, and some other facial injuries. Maybe they're untrue and he's fine, but considering his injury history, it's a wonder that Johnson didn't collapse his face. It sounds like he's going to miss at least one game, and maybe more, for something that could have been avoided. For DiPietro, this was a terrible idea. This is a guy that perma-tore his groin at the All-Star Game. All activites outside of basic regular-season goaltending should be off-limits for him. Ill-advised.
Update: Today, the team announced that DiPietro will miss the next four to six weeks with facial fractures and knee swelling.
It was a poor life decision for Brent Johnson, too. His reward for cleanly winning this tilt? He was kicked out of the game, and the shutout that he pitched for fifty-nine minutes was awarded to the team. Ask Roberto Luongo how much shutouts mean to goalies. Ill-advised.
And why were these two goalies willing to risk it all? Because goalie fights are awesome. This is despite the fact that there's no reasonable explanation why two goalies ever fight. 200 feet from one another for the entire evening, they can't possibly have beef. In the long run, the issue seems to be that they're dressed alike, which makes it a Bride War. That's right. It's a fine line between a goalie fight and a girl fight.
That said, maybe this is why it had to happen. In the words of Barney Stinson: You never break up a girl fight. Never. Who were DiPietro and Johnson to commonsense away the NHL equivalent?
Yes, the sheer joy of watching two goalies fight is something that overrides every reason it's a bad idea. And, even if those reasons are readily apparent afterwards, at least we got to see a goalie fight.
Really, does any goalie fight even compare to the infamous Cloutier/Salo New York/New York showdown?
ReplyDeleteMan, that's the first time I've seen that Cloutier/Salo bit in a long time. In retrospect, it's kind of disgusting.
ReplyDeleteI typically don't like goalie fights. I loved Biron v Emery because both guys were into it and it was a bizarre and rare spectacle, but too often, you get one goalie who goes nuts on another goalie who doesn't want to fight and has never had to. I have no time for that.
As much as I loved Cloutier vs Salo for many reasons in no way can any goalie fight IMO compare to Roy VS Vernon and Roy VS Osgood in 96 and then 97. Those fights summed up the intense rivalry that makes hockey as entertaining as it is.
ReplyDeleteHow about the fact there is something wrong with a goalie wearing #1 when you are not the starting netminder.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'd commend Johnson for that fight, shutout be damned. He saw DiPietro hand out a cheap shot to Cooke and when he saw DiPietro getting away with it, he stepped up in style. Kudos to him.
ReplyDelete@Gordie T. If Johnson fought every goalie who took a cheapshot at Cooke, well... he'd fight a lot.
ReplyDeleteTouchè.
ReplyDeleteRick DiPietro is so prone to injury he makes Sami Salo look like a mutant blessed with regenerative abilities
ReplyDeletegreat line. and shutout be damned. johnson wont care about that, street cred beats shutouts
I KNEW there was a reason the opening line of this post sounded familiar!
ReplyDeletedipetrio just put himself out 4-6 weeks with that poor life decision
ReplyDelete