Hockey in the NHL is a far different game than it was 45 years ago, when the Broad Street Bullies ruled the ice with their fists. In the 1970s, the Philadelphia Flyers had guys like Dave ''The Hammer'' Schultz, Bob ''The Hound'' Kelly and Andre ''Moose'' Dupont to not just beat opponents but beat them up, too. The current Flyers may still carry the ''Bullies'' nickname but they are hardly bullying anyone: They are one of only two teams in the NHL that has not been assessed a fighting major a quarter of the way through the season.
Brady Tkachuk takes exception to a Justin Abdelkader hit and goes right after the Red Wings veteran. The rookie lands a few good shots in a quick scrap, his first NHL fight.
Anthony Beauvillier scored his first NHL hat trick and had an assist to help the New York Islanders to a 7-5 win against the New York Rangers at Barclays Center on Thursday.
Auston Matthews skated with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday for the first time since he injured his left shoulder against the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 27.
Zdeno Chara has left the Boston Bruins' road trip to have his leg injury evaluated by doctors in Boston.The 41-year-old defenseman was injured in the second period of a 6-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. His left leg appeared to buckle when he collided with Avalanche forward Carl Soderberg.