The Capitals, without superstar forward Alexander Ovechkin, went into Philadelphia on Friday night and opened up a 7-0 lead on their new Metropolitan Division rival.
With the Flyers struggling to do anything right at both ends of the ice, their frustration level got to a point where an enormous line brawl broke out during the third period.
The highlight of it all was a goalie fight between Ray Emery and Braden Holtby. Emery, of course, is no stranger to fights. He was part of one of the NHL’s most famous goaltender bouts during his time with the Ottawa Senators. As for Holtby, it was his first fight as an NHL player, and he was soundly beaten.
Check out the crazy action in the video below.
Emery’s bout — if you can call it that — apparently was the most impressive thing the Flyers did on Friday. He was named the No. 3 star of the game. It certainly wasn’t for his goaltending. Emery allowed four scores on 15 shots before he was ejected for going looking for a fight.
"As a group, I think it's a frustrating night," Emery said. "Fans are frustrated, and we don't accept that. I think frustration sometimes shows that way."
During the fight, he knocked Holtby off his feet and landed several hits before an official broke it up.
"He didn't want to fight, but I basically said, 'Protect yourself,'" Emery said.
Though his pugilism may have impressed the Philadelphia media, not everyone was inclined to praise Emery. There was this tweet from Sportsnet’s Daren Millard:
I hope @NHLPlayerSafety calls emery in and slaps a suspension on him, brawl doesn't happen w/o his act. ÷ holtby didn't want to scrap
— Daren Millard (@darenmillard) November 2, 2013
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
