A small scrap in the first period of the Capitals-Lightning Game 7 sent Tampa’s Braydon Coburn and Washington’s Tom Wilson to the box for two minutes each. When that time was up, Wilson wanted to escalate the violence, and Coburn foolishly decided to try and stand his ground in an old-fashioned hockey fight.
There was no way that Wilson, a veteran of shall we say aggressive play, was going to lose this match, even against a somewhat experienced brawler like Coburn. Even with the Lightning man’s helmet on, Wilson still did more damage, flailing away with his right hand until the protection came off. By the end, it’s clear that Coburn wants to escape, but Wilson’s grip denies those efforts, and the Capitals enforcer ends up on top of his opponent.
Normally, this is barbaric. Tonight, this is Game 7.