Familar narrative arises after Canucks/Flames brawl

In case you missed it, things got wild between the Flames and Canucks on Saturday night:

Then during intermission, Torts went nuts…

It was ugly, and it happens from time to time. The NHL, like any sports league, has its issues. Should an incident like this give the league a black-eye? Come on. No.

Queue up the overreaction narrative. 

This wasn't an incident that the NHL will celebrate. In fact John Tortorella will most likely get a lengthy suspension. The only thing that is unfortunate is that there were tons of great games last night, and this game will garner the most attention. Case and point, famed baseball writer Peter Gammons had this to say:

 

 

Wow. Gammons must of missed when Pedro Martiniez tried to kill Don Zimmer. Or when two NFL coaches got into it. Or this seven minute video of College Football brawls , or when Ron Artest tried to kill a guy, or when the NHL out-sold the NBA.

This is a familiar thought that fans of the NHL have to deal with from people who don't watch the NHL. NHL fans always come out looking bad when engaging in this argument. But it isn't about " oh you just don't know the NHL."

In the theater of sports, tensions rise. Sometimes it gets ugly. The NHL is no different from any other sport in that respect. It just the people that don't watch it, don't remember that.

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