Our number one question going into tonight's games was whether or not the Blackhawks would retaliate against Raffi Torres for the hit that knocked Marian Hossa out of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Blackhawks vs. Coyotes: Torres and Mayers fight on first shift
The Blackhawks seek their revenge on Raffi Torres early in their game against the Phoenix Coyotes
Christian Petersen
It didn’t take very long for us to get our answer.
Chicago tough-guy Jamal Mayers challenged Torres to a fight just seconds after Torres stepped out on to the ice for his first shift of the game. Both players got in some good punches, though the slight edge in the bout looked to go to Mayers.
This wasn’t a fight about heat-of-the-moment emotion -- this was about message-sending, and old-time NHL justice. “Staged fights” like this have their detractors, and are frequently pointed out as an example of the kind of fighting that has no place in the game -- but it’s though to say that in this case. The Blackhawks wanted to make Torres pay for injuring Hossa in the playoffs, and a fair fight like this was a far better way to do it than a cheap head-shot.
The best part? After the fight, the two acknowledged each other with (very) slight head nods. NHL justice.
