The New York Rangers have participated in five “fights” this year, each as meaningless as the one before it. Simply put, fighting has become obsolete, and that’s a good thing. Fighting does not belong in hockey.
Simply take a look at J.T. Miller’s fight with Andrew Shaw on Saturday night. Shaw’s flying elbow knocked Jesper Fast out of the game temporarily, so Miller defended his teammate by fighting Shaw.
The fight was a snoozefest, and the Rangers lost a top scorer for five minutes. New York lost the game, and everyone forgot about the fight.
It meant nothing to the game, and fighting is part of the reason players like Andrew Shaw have jobs in today’s NHL.