Semin looked weak (and fairly scrawny once his pads were off), but he won the fight. He took the other guy down and was punching him when the refs pulled him off. We can make fun of his fighting style, but he won.

Crosby’s wasn’t a fight; it was a mugging while the other guy wasn’t looking. And amazingly, he almost lost.

Semin’s fight looked like something out of the UFC, Crosby’s looked like an internet bum fight.

I thought it was cheap of Staal to start a fight with Semin after Ovechkin had been the one bouncing him around all night, and seeing Staal on the bottom and turtled up was the ultimate retribution.

I’m just glad Semin stuck up for himself, and ridiculous or not, it worked. How Staal got the third star I don’t know.

Sure le lapin got in there an fought, but jeez. (Would love to have Staal as a Cap!)

Le Lapin can throw down, he just felt like playing the bongos on Staal’s head.

Staal = not worthy of true rabbit punches.

he threw the type of punches you want a finesse player to throw— make contact with the side of your fist, not straight-on.

i’m sure i’m not the only one who doesn’t want him out with a broken hand!

“I dig that cat. He’s got rhythm, man.”

here’s an interesting take from some players on both fights:

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=261932&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_nhl

I was behind the Caps bench last night and if anyone missed it, Mike Green was clearly laughing as he escorted Semin’s pads and jersey back to the bench after the fight. In the video it appears Steckel was having a pretty good laugh as well.

This guy’s in for some fun in the locker room. Too bad he can’t speak English…

I like Crosby’s picture in the TSN.ca feed. Looks like he’s holding his hand crying.

Someone might want to make this their screensaver: http://hockeyrodent.com/bird.big/semin.gif

I went to the hockeyrodent.com site you linked, Uncle C… and it’s amazing to me how thick some fans’ rose-colored glasses can be.

Ranger fans will remember this game if for no other reason than Marc Staal’s emergence as the franchise’s go-to defender for the next decade. It’s official. He has come of age.

"Staal is the über nemesis to Alex Ovechkin that Brendan Witt was to Jaromir Jagr – if only JJ had fought back as AO does when provoked. Staal didn’t merely track the sport’s best player. Marc punished his check at every opportunity.

Staal so angered Ovechkin’s linemates that Alexandre Semin picked a fight with the Blueshirt blueliner three minutes after the second intermission, causing MSG’s Sam Rosen to giggle. "

SEMIN PICKED A FIGHT WITH STAAL? WHAT? What fucking game was this idiot watching? Semin got shoved into the goal and Staal came over, totally unprovoked and started shoving Semin around. Picked a fight? Kiss my dick, random internet blogger.

Hey, you know that graphic that they show on the big screen when someone scores a goal? I believe that we need to re-think the Semin one. Yeah, yeah, sure he bursts out of his sweater with bulging green biceps, but also with a pink tee underneath and five gold necklaces dangling.

C’mon, who’s our resident photoshoper?

…but Semin actually gave Staal a wicked elbow/forearm to the head on his way down. It’s what knocked his helmet off and caused him to turtle. I’m not saying Semin did it intentionally (it’s pretty clear that he didn’t), but Semin did, amazingly, win this “fight.”