Ex-Bruins D-Man Left Bloody Mess After Vicious Oilers-Predators Fight

There’s been no shortage of physicality across the NHL this week, with the Boston Bruins — past and present — being no exception.

Former Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon answered the bell Thursday night late in the Nashville Predators’ ugly 5-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Lauzon got tangled up with Edmonton winger Vasily Podkolzin early in the third period, and the two dropped the gloves.

That turned out to be a bad decision for Lauzon, who was on the receiving end of a vicious right hand from Podkolzin that dropped Lauzon to the ice and left the 27-year-old bloodied.

Credit to Lauzon for taking the dance, but he’s not exactly a pugilist. He racked up just one fighting major last season for the Predators, and he dropped the gloves just twice during his three seasons with the Black and Gold. Podkolzin, a former top-10 pick, doesn’t have much of a reputation for fighting, either. Coincidentally, his only other NHL fighting major came almost two years to the day, dropping the gloves with then-Bruins winger A.J. Greer at TD Garden in Boston when he was still with Vancouver.

The fight added injury to insult for Lauzon, who was on the ice for two of the Oilers’ five goals, with the Preds getting outshot 11-5 in the blueliner’s 15:04 for the night.

Credit to Lauzon, though: Despite being cut during the fight, he stayed in the game and skated three shifts before the merciful final horn.