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Fights between NHL players have spawned plenty of wild moments over the decades. That was certainly the case with a tilt between Simon Benoit and Michael Kesserling on Monday night that saw the former channel his inner UFC fighter by deploying a type of punch you rarely see on the rink.
It’s objectively strange hockey is the only major sport where you’re essentially allowed to settle your differences with an opponent by trying to punch them in the face knowing the only major repercussion you’ll usually face is a five-minute timeout in the penalty box.
There are plenty of people who would tell you it’s an archaic relic of the past that should be eliminated from the game, and while there are legitimate player safety concerns that can be used to support that argument, you’d be hard-pressed to find many NHL fans who are pushing to enter an era free of fisticuffs between two willing combatants.
That brings us to what transpired toward the start of the second period of Monday night’s game between Utah Hockey Club and the Toronto Maple Leafs, which featured a very spirited showdown involving Simon Benoit and Michael Kesserling.
Benoit gave Toronto a 3-0 lead by scoring his first goal of the season around five minutes into the second frame, and it didn’t take long for him to leap into the spotlight yet again after Kesserling decided to drop the gloves after ending up on the receiving end of a crosscheck from the Maple Leafs defenseman.
The two men spent a few seconds circling each other at center ice before Benoit kicked things off with a bang by leaping off of the ice and attempting to drill Kesserling with a Superman punch. Unfortunately, the execution left a bit to be desired, as Kesserling responded to what was ultimately a glancing blow by connecting with a series of rights before dragging his foe down.
Kevin Bieksa was known for harnessing a slightly less dramatic version of the Superman punch during some of the dozens of fights he got into during his career, and it tended to work out better for him than it did for Benoit.
Both men were banged up in the wake of the donnybrook, as Kesselring headed to the locker room after he was seemingly banged up by the crosscheck that sparked the brawl and Benoit was seen putting his dislocated left thumb back in place after heading to the penalty box.
Utah was able to tie things up to force overtime, but Toronto prevailed in the shootout to earn the win and come within two points of the Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division.