Nostalgic hockey fans longing for the days of the Big Bad Bruins and Broad Street Bullies were treated to an epic 70s-style brawl between two of their successors on Saturday in Philadelphia.
Boston’s Tanner Jeannot and the Flyers’ Nicolas Deslauriers dropped gloves midway through the first period, but only after ESPN cameras caught the two appearing to arrange the fight during warmups.
‘Now it will be the main event,’ ESPN’s Bob Wischusen told broadcast partner Kevin Weekes as Jeannot and Deslauriers began circling each other at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. ‘And we are under way. Early advantage Deslauriers.’
In what Wischusen described as a ‘heavyweight tilt,’ Jeannot battled back for what could favorably be called a draw. Fans were left split without a clear knockdown, but the hardest shots may have been landed by Jeannot.
‘Bruins guy landed more meaningful punches,’ one fan wrote on X.
The exhausted combatants were applauded by fans and teammates as they were dragged to the penalty box.
Boston’s Tanner Jeannot and the Flyers’ Nicolas Deslauriers dropped gloves in the first
Tanner Jannot is seen smiling as he continues to pummel Flyers rival Nicolas Deslauriers
Tanner Jeannot comes away smiling after scrapping with Nicolas Deslauriers
For Jeannot, Saturday marked his seventh fight of the season, according to HockeyFights.com.
Deslauriers, meanwhile, has been in five scraps this season, including his vicious takedown of Tampa Bay’s Curtis Douglas back in November.
As for Sunday’s game, the Bruins didn’t have nearly as much fight as the rival Flyers, who came away with a 3-1 win.
Deslauriers got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for tripping Boston star and Team USA defenseman Charlie McAvoy in the second. McAvoy would go on to score the Bruins’ lone goal in the third.
Meanwhile Travis Konecny scored twice for the Flyers as defenseman Jamie Drysdale added a goal of his own.
The Flyers currently trail the Bruins by eight points in the wildcard standings.