LOS ANGELES – It was fight night at Staples Center on Thursday night as the sold out crowd in attendance got a free hockey match to go with their boxing card on the evening.
Brandon Dubinsky had a goal and an assist as the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in a physical affair that provided more action than the game itself.
The two teams combined for 20 penalties, six fights, and countless post whistle scrums that equated to 52 minutes in the box for both teams. At one point in the second period, the Kings had three players in the penalty box and the Blue Jackets had two.
What happens when there are more @LAKings in the penalty box than on the bench? pic.twitter.com/6L0K5aVTmn — Kevin Ryder (@thekevinryder) November 6, 2015
Columbus got on the board first at 6:22 in the first period when Cam Atkinson was able to get his stick on Dubinsky's pass in front of the net that redirected past Quick for the game's first goal.
Five minutes later, the game's first fight broke out when Kyle Clifford went toe-to-toe with Nick Foligno.
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"Our emotions got the best of us," Foligno said. "Some heated play was going on, but we got our focus back on the game."
Alec Martinez tied the game on the power play after his slap shot blasted past Sergei Bobrovosky who made 31 saves for the Blue Jackets on the night.
Later in the first period, things got testy when Columbus forward Scott Hartnell poked at Jonathan Quick's glove after the puck had been covered for a few seconds. Quick took offense and immediately tackled Hartnell as both players were booked for slashing.
"We haven't had one of those games in a while and it felt good," Hartnell said after. "It was like back in the 80's when everyone was chirping after the whistle and there were a couple big fights."
Gregory Campbell and rookie Andy Anreoff kept the cage match going 3:15 into the second period as they dropped gloves and partook in fisticuffs for three minutes before the referee's broke it up without either of the two players hitting the ice.
Columbus had more penalties (10), than shots (8) after two periods, but still clung to a 2-1 lead over the two-time Stanley Cup Champions. The Kings outshot the Blue Jackets 33-25 in the game, but were disrupted offensively by the amount of penalties and physical play.
"I like the spirit of this team," Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella said. "They fought for one another. If someone was in trouble they jumped in. We battled."
It's clear that both teams dislike each other which should make for an entertaining rematch when the Kings travel to Ohio on Dec. 8th.
