If you haven’t been watching the Stanley Cup playoffs series between the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames, you’re missing one of this season’s most intense series.
The Canucks and Flames have a bitter rivalry that’s escalated in recent years, and with the NHL’s new playoff seeding system, it was just a matter of time before they met in the playoffs. Thank goodness we didn’t have to wait long.
It took all of two games for things to get really fired up between the two teams. Late in the Canucks’ Game 2 win Friday night, a line brawl broke out late in what was a chippy affair.
The two teams behaved themselves for much of Sunday night’s Game 3 in Calgary but tempers started to flare again late in the game.
Vancouver’s Alex Burrows — who’s no stranger to postseason shenanigans — started things by boarding Calgary forward Johnny Gaudreau. After the hit, Burrows apparently decided he wanted more, as he basically jumped Calgary’s Kris Russell.
Burress was hit with a boarding penalty for the hit on Gaudreau, in addition to an instigator penalty and a fighting major for going after Russell. To top it off, Burrows also was handed a game misconduct.
That wasn’t even the end of it, though. With just over a minute to play, the gloves started to fly again when Kevin Bieksa and Michael Ferland fought after a tussel in the corner.
Oh, and by the way: Calgary won the game 4-2 to give the Flames a 2-1 series lead.
Thumbnail photo via Sergei Belski/USA TODAY Sports Images
