Jan 29, 2013; Ottawa, ON, CAN; Montreal Canadiens centre Ryan White fights with Ottawa Senators centre Zack Smith (15) in the first period at Scotiabank Place. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

While there were a couple of hits that questionable, there were also responses.  I am not sure the right people responded, but those are the types of situations that bring a team together.  Kaspars Daugavins stepped in and fought Zac Rinaldo after Harry Zolnierczyk‘s charging major on Mike Lundin.  He didn’t win the fight, but the fact that he stepped up and fought way out of his class made a statement.

Daniel Alfredsson‘s cross-check to the face of Rinaldo after the Flyers pest had a questionable hit on Chris Phillips was another answer, and I am not sure he really meant to cross-check him.  It was a reaction to the hit, and after one shove, then came the cross-check.  Either way, it was an appropriate response from the captain, that probably wasn’t enough to earn him a major and a game, but that is what happened.

The Senators are tied for the third fewest major penalties, and the have had only 5 fighting majors all season, and Daugavins’ was the first since Jan 30, when both Zack Smith and Chris Neil fought against Ryan White and Brandon Prust respectively. Smith and Neil each have 2 scraps on their fight cards this season.

In the long run, games like this are relatively few and far between, and the Senators should be more concerned with putting the puck in the net on a consistent basis than with winning the games in the back alleys.  I would rather see a skill player in the lineup that might score a goal rather than a plug who can only play 5 minutes a game and is on the bench “just in case” things get out of hand.  If the Senators were at full strength with all hands on deck, my opinion might change, but as of right now, toughness is outweighed by scoring.

If the Senators had won the game 3-2 instead of losing 2-1, I don’t think you would have the same calls for toughness today.

Dec 14, 2011; Ottawa, ON, CAN; Boston Bruins left wing Milan Licic (17) fights with Ottawa Senators defenseman Matt Carkner (39) in the first period at Scotiabank Place. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-US PRESSWIRE

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, New York Rangers Brian Boyle punching the Senators superstar Erik Karlsson in the head time and time again showing how the Rangers would beat Karlsson out of the series, until Matt Carkner had something to say about it. Love it or hate it fighting still has a very important place in hockey and the Senators watched their biggest fists in Zenon Konopka (Minnesota) and Carkner (Islanders) walk away on July 1 without any attempt or plan to replace their roles.

While Bryan Murray and the Senators decided on going down a different path then the fist fuelled season which led them to the playoffs, the rest of the Northeast division did not. Toronto added size in James Van Riemsdyk, Montreal brought in the leagues leader in fights Brandon Prust as well as Colby Armstrong, Buffalo toughened up through trade acquiring Steve Ott and Free Agency with John Scott and the Boston Bruins are well, the Boston Bruins, who hit the ice every game with beating their opponents up in mind.

Of course fighting isn’t everything in the sport, but it is important to have that ace up your sleeve who can do what needs to be done when it comes to protecting the likes of Erik Karlsson and Jason Spezza. Unfortunately at this time Ottawa does not have a power like Carkner who will go toe to toe with the likes of Milan Lucic or  a guy like Zenon Konopka who is not afraid to sacrifice ice time in order to help out his team.  Perhaps Bryan Murray isn’t done his shopping, but if he is there will be a few Senators players who may want to take boxing lessons this summer to keep up with the rest of the Northeast division.