Not that it ever needed to be more official, but Sean Avery is the most hated man in the NHL – and #16 certainly lived up to his title Saturday night in Beantown.
As the Struggling Stars of Dallas entered the TD Banknorth Garden for a bout with the Bruins, Avery was feisty enough to manage a Gordie Howe Hat Trick – except for the “assist” part. He got the goal (the only one scored by his club) and compensated for the lack of a helper with an unhealthy dosage of fighting in what became a wild and crazy contest.
First Period
It all began just like any other hockey game. Following Marco Strum’s early tally to give the B’s the early lead, Avery – playing alongside Brad Richards and Steve Ott – forged a nice individual effort on his third shift, breaking up a Boston pass play in the defensive zone and rushing the puck the length of the ice. When he reached the top of the circle, the Great Gabbo launched a wrister directly over the right shoulder of a surprised Tim Thomas to tie the game. The unassisted goal, booed loudly by the Boston fans upon its announcement, was just Avery’s second of the season.
On his next shift, Avery’s line started off the Stars power play. Showing that he can do more than simply score, Avery got over-aggressive on one of Thomas’ frozen pucks. Fearless Sean was mauled by the imposing presence of Zdeno Chara, highlighting a serious size difference.
The rest of the period was fairly uneventful for everyone’s favorite player, disregarding the fact that Avery did time for hooking in the offensive zone. It would be the first of many trips to the sin bin.
Second Period
The second frame began the Saga of Steve Ott, as Avery’s linemate would be involved with several altercations, namely with Bruins-tough-guy Shawn Thornton. On the line’s third shift of the period, Ott’s attempt to fight Shane Hnidy was unsuccessful. However, the end result of Avery and Ott’s need to “keep it real” with their opponents was unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for both players. Is Avery’s apparent lack of discipline upsetting the Stars yet? Maybe four years at $15.5 million was a bit much after all…
On his first shift out of the box, Avery didn’t seem to have learned his lesson. A friendly “talk” with Shawn Thornton soon ensued, much to the chagrin of Thornton, who complained to the nearest official.
Toward the end of the period, the Avery line looked sharp, generating a fair amount of offense and cycling the puck well in the attacking zone – but alas, no goals. When the period ended, the game was still 2-1 – very much in reach for the Struggling Stars. However, all that was about to change.
Third Period – Where Everything Went Downright Haywire
During his first shift, Avery kept on jawing with Thornton. After all, even though his team was down a goal, there were important discussions to be had!
Just about four minutes into the period, Phil Kessel’s strike significantly brought down the Stars’ confidence. The team – led by the likes of Avery – decided to abandon any rational game plan and to begin playing Slapshot style.
In the minute following Kessel’s goal, Andrew Ference leveled popular target Steve Ott at center ice. The crowd exploded, and so did Avery, who decided he hadn’t seen enough of the Garden penalty box yet, picking a fight with Ference. Upon arrival at the box once again, Avery showed his fun-loving side, smiling, laughing, and pointing at taunting fans. [Yes folks, he’s a class act and a half.]
But let’s not fault Avery too much for his fisticuffs. After all, there was still a great deal of time left, and fighting often rallies the troops, right?
Wrong. There’s an old saying that goes “I went to the fights and a hockey game broke out.” It may as well have been written after the third period of this game, as the matchup deteriorated into a virtually glorified street brawl.
The score was now 4-1 – most definitely out of reach for our Struggling Stars. It was Avery – yet again – who started it all, collaborating with teammate Matt Niskanen off a late faceoff to sucker Milan Lucic from behind in the boards. In the chaos that resulted, Marc Savard began punching Avery to the ground. All on the ice followed, even the two goaltenders – who desperately wanted to get in on the action but were restrained.
The refs had seen enough. This time, Avery wasn’t going to the penalty box. He was going to the dressing room for good. The long night – which consisted of a goal and 21 total penalty minutes – nearly a third of the 67 PIM assessed to the Stars in total – was mercifully over.
Post Game
We couldn’t get Sean’s thoughts on the rollercoaster of a night, as #16, according a Stars PR guy, won’t address the media “on a night like this.” Despite pleas of multiple reporters, in a purely unprofessional display, Sean proved yet again that he can walk the walk but not talk the talk.
It’s after games like these when one realizes why Glen Sather and the Rangers weren’t in such a hurry to ink Avery to a long-term deal. Granted – he’s exciting to watch, and always involved in every play. He’s also a multifaceted threat every night who’s got finesse with a [generous] dose of toughness.
But in spite of all that – lies that not-so-lucky number 21 – if we wanted to milk the Blackjack analogy for all it’s worth, it’s as if Avery took a few too many gambles Saturday night. In this case, “21” translates as undisciplined, immature, and, at times, downright stupid. Yes, to an extent a player should stick up for his teammates, but to say Avery has a tendency to go too far would be the understatement of the century.
And the icing on the cake – he couldn’t even explain his actions after the game!
