The Blackhawks And Ducks Are Brawling Like They're Not Completely Out Of Playoff Contention

One of my favorite things about hockey is that, with few exceptions — *cough*Nikita Kucherov at the Skills Competition*cough* — the words "phone it in" don't seem to be in most NHLers' vocabulary.

Take the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks for instance. The Blackhawks have been mathematically eliminated from the postseason already, while the Ducks are still technically in contention, but would need at least three other teams to spontaneously combust like a Spinal Tap drummer if they want a real chance of making the playoffs.

However, you wouldn't know that by watching Tuesday night's game because these two squads were going at it like it was Game 7.

It started just about halfway through the final stanza with the Ducks trailing 6-2. Obviously, they weren't particularly jazzed about the worst team in the league dropping a touchdown on them, and tensions flared behind the Chicago net.

Ducks D-man and absolute bruiser Radko Gudas — a man affectionately known as "The Butcher" — broke free from the scrum and laid a beating on Blackhawks forward MacKenzie Entwistle.

Then things got interesting when Chicago netminder Peter Mrazek jumped in to help Entwistle deal with Gudas.

Of course, that meant the Ducks were outnumbered, and if you don't think Anaheim goalie John Gibson would be more than willing to make the 200-foot trek to help out the boys, you'd be mistaken.

Unfortunately for all of us, the linesman did their job well and broke things up before we could see Mrazek and Gibson square up for a fight.

We were all robbed.

This incident led to a laundry list of penalties with both Gibson and Mrazek being dealt minors for leaving the crease, as well as 10-minute misconducts.

The Blackhawks ended up winning that one and even added a tally after all of this for a 7-2 win.

It was also an impressive night for Chicago's top line of Connor Bedard, Nick Foligno, and Philipp Kurashev. Bedard had a goal and four assists, Foligno had four helpers, and Kurashev had two goals and two assists.