Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
For starters - define neutral.
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Ya that bit is a fairy tale for oilers fans.
I haven’t heard Marchand or Wilson saying man that’s too far. Also haven’t heard actual fighters weigh in and say they expected skilled players to fight them. Guys like Big Ern would have been flattered at the attention.
Instead there are Al Bundys like Ferraro and Kesler living in imaginary pasts.
Ray Ferraro was a kinda skilled, pretty determined, very chippy player who drifted toward the tops of his team in PIMs and probably fought twice a year. In the 80s and 90s. 5 guys on each team ate knuckles on his behalf regularly. He sure as hell never fought a legit tough guy but I guarantee he carved a few with his stick when he could.
Kesler is worse. Maybe the dirtiest player of his era and again almost never fought. When he did it was at a time that suited, against a fellow chippy non fighter like Domi (woops) or gasp, Tkachuk (think Kesler forgot Tkachuk beat him at his own game when he commented? Me either) The dirtiest MF on the planet one playoff finally fought noted tough guy Ryan Johansen only after being called out plenty and (surprise) losing big and trying to turn his team around. Before it suited him his comments were an awful lot like ‘stay off the tracks’. He sure as F never answered to Austin Watson because hey he should fight.
When Tkachuk pulls someone’s hair, bites them or licks them we can talk moral right and wrong. This is all just sour grapes from those who’s guy lost.