.png)
11 months ago
53
New York Islanders captain Anders Lee was left with blood all over his helmet and visor after a fight with New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith.
Smith and Lee dropped the gloves late in the third period of the matchup between two teams in the NHL's Metropolitan Division after the two collided near both team's benches.
It appears the first punch thrown of the fight, a left hook that connected flush from Smith, gashed Lee around his nose.
The combatants then grabbed hold of one another's jerseys and traded blows before the fight was stopped after about 25 seconds.
After the officials stopped the fight, the crimson mask around Lee's face and blood splatters also on his jersey were plainly obvious.
New York Islanders captain Anders Lee fought through having blood on his helmet and visor
Lee and New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith each received five-minute penalties
Lee didn't play for the rest of the game after the fight with Smith left him bloodied
The fight actually may have backfired for Lee and the Islanders, who lost the game 5-4 in regulation after the Devils scored the game-winning goal with 23 seconds left, after New York held a 4-2 lead into the third period.
New Jersey head coach Lindy Ruff said the bout fired up his team, scoring the deciding goal 101 seconds after the fight.
Smith is the more common fighter between the two, having fought a dozen times since the start of the 2020-21 season. In that same span, Lee has only dropped the gloves on three occasions.
Unlike in other sports, fighting in professional hockey doesn't lead to an immediate ejection, like in recent weeks with NBA's Draymond Green.
The Devils and Islanders will play twice more in the regular season, but won't face each other again until March 24.
English (US)