This week, I’ve selected a hit that was a little bit different.  This one led to a fight, even though it was a clean hit.  The different part about it is that the guy who absorbed the hit, Alex Pietrangelo of the St. Louis Blues, got up and went back to work.  The next shift change saw Chris Stewart come off the St. Louis bench and skate right over to Detroit’s Brad Stuart and start throwing punches.

Now, you could argue that Stewart was just sticking up for his team mate, but the reality of it is Stewart’s actions were cowardly.  Number one, the hit was clean and Pietrangelo got right back up, with no penalties or injures incurred by anyone.  Second, Brad Stuart continued his shift and was obviously winded when Chris Stewart hit the ice.  Third, the well-rested Stewart is a fighter/enforcer and Stuart is not.

In my humble opinion, if Stewart really believed that retaliation was in order, he should have waited until later in the game when he and Stuart were playing on the same shift.  Then he would have at least shown some class.

Take a look for yourself and let me know what you think!

http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/109178