Even though Chris Neil received no supplemental discipline for his check on Brian Boyle in Game 5 between the Ottawa Senators and the New York Rangers, you had to know that wasn't going to be the end of it. Someone was going to challenge him in Game 6.
And after Neil took a run at Brad Richards early in the game in response to Brandon Prust taking a run at Erik Karlsson, a scrap seemed even more likely. Sure enough, Prust and Neil dropped the gloves with 5 minutes remaining in the opening frame.
Here are 3 reasons I'm declaring Neil the winner of this fight:
1. Just after he and Prust come together, Neil tries to remove Prust's helmet. It won't go. So he punches it off. That's badass.
2. Midway through the fight, while struggling with Prust, Neil has the sack to give the crowd a wave. That's badass.
3. Home ice advantage. And I'm not just talking about the crowd chanting Neil's name after the fight. I'm talking about the dude in the Neil jersey by the glass, who seems to think that he's controlling Neil via robotics, like in that Hugh Jackman movie (or that Futurama episode). If that guy's on your side, you win.
Follow Harrison Mooney on Twitter at @HarrisonMooney