There will be blood!

DANIEL DAY LEWIS WILL NOT BE IN CALGARY TONIGHT…
BUT ODDS ARE GOOD…THERE WILL BE BLOOD…
ACCORDING TO HOCKEY FIGHTS.COM…SO FAR THIS SEASON…THE FLAMES ARE SECOND IN NHL WITH 67 FIGHTS…
THE CANUCKS ARE THIRD WITH 63…
THIS IS NO ACCIDENT…
LAST YEAR THE ANAHEIM DUCKS LED THE LEAGUE WITH 71 FIGHTING MAJORS AND OVER 14 HUNDRED MINUTES IN PENALTIES…
THE DUCKS ALSO WON THE CUP…
CALL IT PARITY…OR MEDIOCRITY…
BUT THE NHL NO LONGER HAS GREAT TEAMS…
IN THE TWO PLAYOFFS SINCE THE LOCK OUT IN 2004…NO TEAM IN EITHER FINAL HAS MANAGED TO WIN A SINGLE ROUND SINCE…
AND TWO OF THE 4 TEAMS MISSED THE PLAYOFFS THE FOLLOWING YEAR…
THANKS TO THE NEW CBA…THE STANLEY CUP NOW GOES TO A TEAM FILLED WITH PLAYERS HEADED TO THE HALL OF FAME…
IT MEANS COACHES ARE LOOKING FOR OTHER INTANGIBLES TO GIVE THEIR TEAM AN EDGE…
LAST YEAR THE ANAHEIM SEEMED TO HAVE FOUND IT…
THE FRANCHISE DUMPED ITS TEAL UNIFORMS AND ITS DUCK LOGO…
ITS NEW IMAGE WAS CAST IN BLACK AND GOLD…AND FIGHTING BECAME THE CORNER STONE OF ITS NEW STYLE…
GENERAL MANAGER BRIAN BURKE MAKES NO APOLOGIES FOR IT…
IN FACT ANAHEIM’S TOP GOON…GEORGE PARROS NOW TAKES BOXING LESSONS IN THE SUMMER…
IT ALL MAY SEEM LIKE A SCENE OUT OF SLAP SHOT…BUT LAST SEASON IT PAID OFF BIG TIME FOR THE DUCKS…
LIKE IT OR NOT…THIS IS A COPY CAT LEAGUE…
AS A RESULT THIS SEASON FIGHTING IN THE NHL HAS DRAMATICLY INCREASED…
NO WHERE IS THAT MORE NOTICABLE THAN IN VANCOUVER AND CALGARY…
WITH JUST A HAND FULL OF GAME LEFT…THE CANUCKS AND THE FLAMES CAN WIN THEIR DIVISION…OR MISS THE PLAYOFFS COMPETELY…
TONIGHT IS THE FIRST OF 3 MEETINGS BETWEEN THESE TWO TEAMS…AND THE FATE OF BOTH OF THEIR SEASONS COULD BE SEALED IN THOSE GAMES…
ONLY ONE THING IS ABSOLUTELY GUARENTEED…NEITHER TEAM PLANS TO GO WITHOUT A FIGHT…