Should Wayne Simmonds Have Fought Tom Wilson?
Tom Bogert, CBS Local Sports
With seven minutes left in game one of the NHL playoffs matchup between the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals, the Flyers were seconds away from being on a power play. After an egregious hit by Washington's Tom Wilson, the referee signaled an impending penalty, then Flyers' top scorer Wayne Simmonds defended his teammate and threw fists with Wilson.
Taking those facts in a vacuum, his actions are defensible. Sticking up for a teammate is important in all sports, especially hockey. But, with the context of it being a playoff game with seven minutes left as your team is down one goal and you're the team's best player, well, not so great.
Anyway, here's the full sequence, do with it what you will.
The Capitals held the league's best record this season and the Flyers are heavy underdogs, but found themselves within reach after game one of the seven game series.
When Barstool's Feitelberg held a view that it was borderline idiotic for Simmonds to do what he did, Feitelberg received huge flak for it.
Simmonds will hope that Wilson and the Caps received that message loud and clear. Game two is Saturday April 16 at 7 p.m. in Washington before the series heads to Philadelphia for game three on Monday April 18.
As a fan of repetitive disappointment and frustration, Tom holds Liverpool FC, the New York Knicks and New York Red Bulls near and dear to his heart with occasional joy coming from the New York Giants and New York Yankees.
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