Goalies duke it out in AHL

[ROCHitman]

Michael Leighton v. Jimmy Howard

Gotta love it.

[officeglenn]

*sigh* ... There's nothing that makes me feel that all is good and right with the world like a goalie fight does.

[floydnimrod]

I don't know why goalies do this, there's like no reason to fight, have they been talkin trash across the rink the whole game?

[ROCHitman]

Apparently, Howard was upset at the goal judge for allowing a goal that he obviusly thought was bogus. Sonn after, another fight broke out between skaters and Howard made his way to the bench where he started to taunt Leighton. I guess Jimmy wanted to go and Michael obliged.

I'm not sure what went through Leighton's head but the fact that he took Howard out of the game was super smart. GR was forced to insert Logan Koopmans who was making his first AHL appearnce just being called up from the ECHL. ROchester peppered him and went on to wint the game despite being whistled for 22 penalties and yielding 13 PP oppourtunities, 3 of which were 5 on 3's.

Edit:

From the Democrat & Chronicle today

By: Kevin O.

Michael Leighton says that when he picked a fight with Grand Rapids goalie Jimmy Howard late in the first period, he hadn't concocted any premeditated strategy to give the Rochester Americans a huge advantage for the rest of the game.

"Just a little frustration from this year," said Leighton, a perpetual fixture among AHL goalie leaders the previous four years until his troubles this season. "It just happened."

It just happened to be perhaps the biggest factor in the Amerks' 6-4 comeback victory on Sunday night over the Griffins, whose date for collection of the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as regular season AHL champions was put on hold by the loss.

The goalie fight ? which became the main event after a 10-player scrum had broken out at center ice ? completely changed the complexion of the game at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. Referee Harry Dumas ejected both goalies.

The Amerks turned to Jean-Marc Pelletier, who played very well in the emergency role.

The Griffins were forced to use untested rookie Logan Koopmans, a callup from the ECHL. Making his AHL debut, he was not good.

The Amerks scored five times on just 18 shots against Koopmans and overcame 3-1 and 4-3 deficits for an ego-soothing win.

"It's great to beat the best team in the league," said rookie winger Clarke MacArthur, whose goal with 5:22 remaining gave the Amerks their first lead.

Kamil Kreps then provided clinching insurance with a goal two minutes later, sweeping in a Michael Ryan pass as Koopmans tried to fight through traffic.

With a 35-39-2-2 record overall and a 9-18-1-1 mark the past two months, the Amerks haven't had much to feel good about.

But the smiles in the dressing room afterward were deserved.

"It was not a conventional win but certainly one we can remember," coach Randy Cunneyworth said. "Guys stuck together."

Griffins coach Greg Ireland said the same thing, though he didn't want Howard trading punches. With Joey MacDonald possibly out for the season with recurring back troubles, the Griffins have no capable backup for a Calder Cup run.

"But what's Jimmy supposed to do, the guy skated down the ice and challenged him," Ireland said. "Maybe that's why our guy's in the playoffs and he's (Leighton) not."

Because of injuries, the Amerks started the game with only five defensemen, then lost Martin Tuma to an ejection for fighting during the brawl.

Right winger Mark Mancari, a defenseman in junior, moved to the blue line and was superb.

"It brought back some memories," said Mancari, who scored his 18th goal as a winger just before the brawl, then shifted positions and wasn't on the ice for a Grand Rapids goal. "Instead of thinking about scoring a goal, I was only worried about preventing them."

[Shumway]

Good ol' Jimmy Howard, keeping the Red Wing tradition of goalie fighting alive. Well, I guess one fight with Patty Waaaah doesn't make it a tradition, but to see Patty get slammed by Shanny is a wonderful sight.

[STL FANATIC]

Good ol' Jimmy Howard, keeping the Red Wing tradition of goalie fighting alive. Well, I guess one fight with Patty Waaaah doesn't make it a tradition, but to see Patty get slammed by Shanny is a wonderful sight.

There was the Cujo-Tim Cheveldae (coulda been Vernon, but I don't think so) fight when Cujo was with the Blues.

You COULD say they have that tradition, but that'd still be a stretch.

[ROCHitman]

Here's anoteh clip although it's short

[winters in buffalo]

Know what's cool about goalies fighting? With all that gear on, they look like Rock 'em, Sock 'em robots.

[redsfan39]

That clip made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

[Nick 1733]

Good ol' Jimmy Howard, keeping the Red Wing tradition of goalie fighting alive. Well, I guess one fight with Patty Waaaah doesn't make it a tradition, but to see Patty get slammed by Shanny is a wonderful sight.

There was the Cujo-Tim Cheveldae (coulda been Vernon, but I don't think so) fight when Cujo was with the Blues.

You COULD say they have that tradition, but that'd still be a stretch.

You failed to mention the Roy follow-up brawl with then Red Wings netminder Vernon.

[ryguy3285]

Know what's cool about goalies fighting? With all that gear on, they look like Rock 'em, Sock 'em robots.

Just hope that one of their heads doesnt become dislocated

[HatCityEnforcer]

Ain't nothin wrong with a goalie fight ...it's one of the few things I've never seen...I've seen goalies get involved with skaters a few times in Hartford, in Danbury, and even at MSG (saw Mike Richter get run into by Alexander Selivanov when he was with Edmonton, leading the normally docile Richter to start pummelling the bejeezus out of Espo's son-in-law ), but I've never seen two goalies start trading bombs other than on TV or on video clips.

[bosox]

Almost as good as the almost brawl at Islanders/Rangers. It was the 21st or 22nd (maybe a little later than that?) in September 2001, and it was a pre-season game. I wish i could find some pictures, but there were at least 3 to 5 fights going on at the same time, with everyone dropping their gloves at center ice.

Wish I could remember more, but hey, thats almost 5 years ago.

Goalie fighting though...man...there aren't any fights better. (in hockey)

[PSUCub]

Want another AHL goalie fight? Here's a clip from the Philadelphia Phantoms/Norfolk Admirals game over the weekend where Martin Houle and Scott Munro faced off.

[HatCityEnforcer]

A couple other ones I just thought of....

--Olie Kolzig & Byron Dafoe going at it a few months after one of them had been the best man at the other's wedding

--Dan Cloutier just absolutely beating the tar out of Tommy Salo

--An AHL one I remember...Neil Little of the Phantoms taking on Binghamton's Ray Emery (was part of one big rolling brawl that ended up seeing the game called early b/c both teams lacked enough players after it )

[spyboy1]

A couple other ones I just thought of....

--Dan Cloutier just absolutely beating the tar out of Tommy Salo

You mean...

THIS ONE!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6737794296176513650

I love the way he challenges the Islanders bench afterwards. What a cocky buttwipe.

[BCBoy]

A couple other ones I just thought of....

--Dan Cloutier just absolutely beating the tar out of Tommy Salo

You mean...

THIS ONE!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6737794296176513650

I love the way he challenges the Islanders bench afterwards. What a cocky buttwipe.

Dan the man, too bad he can't play goal as well as he fights...nah, he isn't that bad, but that was one heck of a fight.

[Stan the Caddy]

http://www.zen36114.zen.co.uk/

[redsfan39]

A couple other ones I just thought of....

--Dan Cloutier just absolutely beating the tar out of Tommy Salo

You mean...

THIS ONE!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6737794296176513650

I love the way he challenges the Islanders bench afterwards. What a cocky buttwipe.

Holy crap! Instant classic.

[HatCityEnforcer]

A couple other ones I just thought of....

--Dan Cloutier just absolutely beating the tar out of Tommy Salo

You mean...

THIS ONE!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6737794296176513650

I love the way he challenges the Islanders bench afterwards. What a cocky buttwipe.

What always stuck with me about this fight was afterwords, MSG interviewed PJ Stock (aka "The Human Quote Machine" when he was on the Rangers...God I miss him not being in the NHL ) with his take on it....

"All of I sudden I saw this blue streak just go past me...I looked over and it was Danny. There must have been something wrong with his arm because it kept going up and down on Salo."