This fight is a contender for the title Battle of the Year in NHL hockey. At least that’s what the renowned AP agency writes about the fist exchange between Brandon Hagel and Ivan Barbashev.
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Battle between Brandon Hagel and Ivan Barbashev | Video: Associated Press
In the 13th minute of the match between home Tampa and Vegas, with the score 2:1 for the visitors, Ivan Barbashev knocked down Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli in the corner of the rink.
The star Steven Stamkos immediately started for the Russian raider, but Brandon Hagel quickly took over the role of the avenger instead of the team captain.
He dropped his gloves, grabbed Barbasheva’s jersey, but then waited in a gentlemanly manner until his opponent got rid of his gloves as well.
Only when the 28-year-old native of Moscow finally succeeded did the hard blows begin to fall.
None of the roosters managed to get the opponent on the ice, the referees separated them even before someone managed to gain a clear advantage.
Of course, the fans especially appreciated Hagel with a roar. Both saps received a penalty for five minutes, the Tampa striker added two more minutes on top of that, but they could have finished the match.
But the home team got a good kick out of the home team, and by the end of the third period, Vegas scored three goals and turned the score around to 4:2. In the end, Lightning took the victory 5:4.
The AP agency named the fight between Hagel and Barbašev as a candidate for the fight of the year, but the Czech forward Jakub Lauko, who used his fists skillfully this week during the game against Minnesota, could certainly apply for this title.
