Abdelkader takes high road after helping shut down Tampa’s top guns

 

By @StefanKubus –

DETROIT – Like the game before it, the animosity between the Red Wings and Lightning took over at the end of Game 3 Sunday night.

Thirty-two penalty minutes were dished out at the final buzzer after another brawl occurred, this time following a 2-0 Red Wings win at Joe Louis Arena, which pulled Detroit to within one game of the Bolts in the series.

Muskegon native Justin Abdelkader was right in the middle of it once again, as Tampa Bay’s Brian Boyle tried pulling him into a fight. But with his hands taped up from fighting at the end of Game 2 and having received a misconduct at the end of that game, Abdelkader wisely declined.

Under NHL Rule 46.15, “any player wearing tape or any other material on his hands (below the wrist) who cuts or injures an opponent during an altercation will receive a match penalty in addition to any other penalties imposed including for fighting under this rule.”

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“I would’ve liked to fight him, not 100-percent, had my hand taped up from last game, from previous games,” Abdelkader said. “I know that – I asked the ref – if I cut him, it’s a misconduct, I’ve already got one so I’ve got to be careful. Obviously want to stand up for myself, too, but this time of year, when you’ve got injuries and you’re banged up, you’ve gotta be smart, too, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Boyle left the ice after the game making a chicken gesture, but Abdelkader dismissed that.

“I don’t need to really comment on that,” Abdelkader said. “If he wants to do that, good for him.”

“He can do or say whatever he wants to say, but I’m just gonna continue to play my hockey, play hard, be physical and hopefully win some games.”

Boyle’s chicken gesture. #RedWings #TBLightning pic.twitter.com/YjMTxBBT69

— Stefan Kubus(@StefanKubus) April 18, 2016

That moment is another reflection of how Abdelkader has gotten under the skin of the Lightning.

Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill said he didn’t want Abdelkader fighting at any point in the game because he is “too valuable” to have in the box.

That point proved to be true, as the line of Luke Glendening, Riley Sheahan and Abdelkader shut down the Lightning’s top guns in Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn. After carrying the offense in the first two games, the Tampa trio was held to zero shots and spent eighteen minutes in the penalty box.

“I told him going into the game I didn’t want him to, first of all through the 60 minutes because he’s too valuable of a player for us,” Blashill said. “That was my instruction to him. Obviously there are other reasons why, too, but obviously Abby’s an extremely valuable player on our hockey team, want to make sure he’s on the ice playing for us as much as possible.”

Abdelkader credited Glendening’s work down the middle and said he and Sheahan just try to make life difficult on the Bolts’ line.

“Glenny did a terrific job last year on that line when we matched them, I think he makes it really hard,” Abdelkader said. “He wins a lot of face-offs, is good defensively. I think me and Sheahan just try to fill the void there on the walls and fill the spaces and make sure when we get pucks, we skate, we get pucks in. We’re not trying to make too many plays, just keep it simple, keep the plays in front of us. I think we’re a line that, once we get in the offensive line, can hang onto pucks, be heavy, be hard on those guys and I think we need to continue that. We’re at home again, we get the matchups we want, it can really be a good thing for us.”