Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best NHL fight, with the help of HockeyFights.com.
A light week on the card, but there was a relatively surprising bout and some pretty good ones to choose from. Highlighting it is our favorite former Princeton player, a gentleman who has made a name for himself by being a really good fighter. Of course, the big news of the week involved a team captain dropping the gloves with a random defenseman.
Most teams will play their eighth game this week, meaning that we're hitting the halfway mark. Already, there's talk of 16-0 teams and teams that have played themselves out of serious contention.
We previewed this weekend's big games, got your predictions, and found out who you think has the better shot of running the table among the remaining unbeatens. Read all about it after the jump.
Stubbornness sometimes pays off. The Carolina Panthers found this out on Sunday.
One week after giving up on the run way too easily in a loss to Buffalo, the Panthers mercilessly pounded Arizona's run defense into the ground, and their reward was an easy win. Of course, it doesn't mean Jake Delhomme has magically turned his season around. It just means the Panthers have found a way to hide him, while keeping him on the field. Delhomme is off our magical list for now, but other shaky starters aren't so lucky.
Undoubtedly, one of the best stories early in the NHL season is being written in Denver. The Colorado Avalanche have survived a stretch of 11 road games over their first 15 with a stunning 10-3-2 overall record, and they have an early lead in the Northwest Division.
To find out what has clicked with the Avalanche so far, we turned to someone who follows them. David Driscoll-Carignan writes for the wonderful site Mile High Hockey, and he joins us on the podcast. Listen after the jump.
Every Tuesday, FanHouse discusses the top NHL prospects found in college hockey.
It's been a pretty good start to the season for Michigan. The Wolverines took care of business on the road last weekend, sweeping Lake Superior State (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) to open their Central Collegiate Hockey Association schedule.
Even though junior star Louie Caporusso (NHL rights: Ottawa) has just one goal in the Wolverines' first six games, Michigan has gotten early contributions from a highly-touted freshman.
Editor's Note: Bruce Ciskie, a lifelong Packers fan, opines about the state of his beloved team.
High expectations greeted the Green Bay Packers in August, as the team arrived at training camp. Practices -- held across the street from Lambeau Field -- were very physical, as the Packers tried to show they wouldn't be bullied around like they were far too often in 2008.
That 6-10 season, we all were told, was a memory. It was a fluke. It wasn't how things would be conducted in Green Bay. Bad tackling, soft defense, poor special teams play, and stupid penalties were going to be a thing of the past.
While fighting isn't at all legal in hockey, there is an understanding with players. Some employ enforcer-type guys whose job is to mix it up with those who try to mess with a team's skill players.
You'll see captains and other team leaders sometimes willing to mix it up, too, even if that's not their reputation. Last year, Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby made waves by starting a fight off a faceoff in a game. On Saturday, Crosby was back dropping the gloves, this time with an even more unlikely opponent.
Outside of Sunday being a day many Packer fans have dreaded for months, it's just another football Sunday in Green Bay.
The hype surrounding this regular-season battle of NFC North rivals surpasses anything most fans will see in their lifetimes. The reality is that football fans in Wisconsin are stuck in the middle of the tension that developed between Brett Favre and the Packers. It was this way in August of 2008, when the whole thing blew up, and it isn't going to change for some time.
Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best NHL fight, with the help of HockeyFights.com.
It's no secret what we're looking for in a good fight. It needs to have intensity, some good back-and-forth action, and there is some longevity needed. If two guys trade a flurry of punches for seven seconds, it's not nearly as impressive as a high-quality 30-second fight.
This week's top fight has a little bit of everything.
He's back, and it's stealing all of the headlines. It's going to be a highly emotional Sunday for many NFL fans, as former Detroit Lions defensive lineman James Hall makes his return to the Motor City as a member of the St. Louis Rams.
Oh, and Brett Favre is back in Green Bay. Not sure if you've heard about that one.
Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best NHL fight, with the help of HockeyFights.com.
It's often said that a team with two quarterbacks really doesn't have any. With that spirit in mind, FanHouse will keep you updated weekly on NFL teams facing potential quarterback controversies.
Undoubtedly, one of the best stories early in the NHL season is being written in Denver. The Colorado Avalanche have survived a stretch of 11 road games over their first 15 with a stunning 10-3-2 overall record, and they have an early lead in the Northwest Division.
Every Tuesday, FanHouse discusses the top NHL prospects found in college hockey.
Editor's Note: Bruce Ciskie, a lifelong Packers fan, opines about the state of his beloved team.
While fighting isn't at all legal in hockey, there is an understanding with players. Some employ enforcer-type guys whose job is to mix it up with those who try to mess with a team's skill players.
Outside of Sunday being a day many Packer fans have dreaded for months, it's just another football Sunday in Green Bay.
Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best NHL fight, with the help of HockeyFights.com.
