Thomas after the fight/By S. Bradley
BOSTON — It was even more humorous than those fake sumo matches some arenas stage between two average-sized people wearing inflated fat suits.
In the midst of a Bruins line brawl with the Montreal Canadiens in the second period of Boston’s 8-6 win at TD Garden tonight, Tim Thomas skated the length of the ice and challenged his opposite goaltender Carey Price to a fight.
It didn’t last very long. And unlike the Rick DiPietro-Brent Johnson fight from earlier this month, there were no injuries (because “Glass Jaw” DiPietro wasn’t involved). Here’s a look at the melee:
“He was more than willing to fight. And I had this big old plan,” said Thomas, who knows Price personally from a goalie camp they attended a couple years ago and from last week’s All-Star festivities. “I was going to grab his right and I was going to throw lefts because I know he’s bigger and taller and has a reach on me. And I thought I could do a better job throwing lefts at him and when I went to grab him he got a good hold on my right arm and I got nothing.
“So then I was like, ‘oh now what do I do?’ Because I know he’s got a big right cocked and ready to come, so I tried to switch arms and get my right free and I grabbed him by the back of the shirt and when he threw the right I pulled on … I was trying to pull him off-balance and his shirt came off his head and then I fell and … actually as I was falling my left arm came free and but then it was over. He fought with the fighter’s manners as far as not hitting when you’re down.”
Thomas said he hadn’t fought since his junior hockey days and even then it was against a forward. He had never fought another goalie.
Price had this to say about the so-called bout:
“I think we were just out there play fighting more than anything. Neither one of us really wanted to get hurt, but we are out there doing whatever we had to do, I guess.”
Neither goaltender was much good at doing his first job of stopping the puck tonight. So at least they both have another highlight to look back on.
Was it me, or did it ook like Timmy was smiling the whole time during the fight?
I hear Krecji and Kulemin are going to rumble next Leafs/Bruins tilt.
That was hilarious when Price said they were play fighting. I was a teenager in Florida in the seventies and met some local girls. They soon found out we were Canucks and one of them asked me if hockey fights were real. I couldn’t stop laughing and she asked what was so funny.
Campbell might be on to something. Whip the guy with your elbow pad while your feeding him uppercuts. Ouch.
I think it was McGratton or Neil. Ray would rather take on contenders. Biron was an appetizer in L’affair du Buffalo. He really wanted Peters. Yeah your right about Price being a divisional player. There’s only a few people on this planet that could play that position in Montreal.
Bang on about Price being a class act…Well, regarding last night at least. He’s having a hell of a season too and is young to boot! We’re going to be seeing him for a while yet.
Yeah, who was it that Emery fought in practice when with the Sens?
For all that’s been said about him/what he’s done & said, I do wish him well w/ the Ducks org. He can be a great netminder.
Carey Price is not only a good goalie but a class act. His size and reach would have been trouble for a willing Timmy. Neither guy could be classified as a mean person. I’d put Price against any goalie in the league if I was a betting man. Sugar ‘Ray” Emery is making a comeback though.Did you know he uses Russian trainers as sparring partners. True story.
Ya know, I always expected to see Timmy involved in one of these things, but I hafta say that I was holding my breath the entire time. I’m guessing that pretty much the same can be said for everyone who is a fan of the Black and Gold as well as a fan of goaltending as a whole.
For what it’s worth, Price gets involved in the western Canada rodeos in the off season, I think riding the bucking broncos. Now, I’m no fan of rodeos, but those are some tough dudes, for sure. There’s a quote in Don Cherry’s latest book from the Dr. @ MSG, who said that while hockey players are the toughest team sport players, cowboys/rodeo participants are by far the toughest athletes as a whole. Don’t know if Carey falls into that catagory, but you have to give him credit for doing it and don’t think that by any means would he have been a push over for TT. In short, I’m very happy it ended the way it did.