Ivan Provorov’s return to the Wells Fargo Center was briefly interrupted by some extracurriculars. Nicolas Deslauriers of the Philadelphia Flyers and Mathieu Olivier of the Columbus Blue Jackets dropped the mitts at center ice. It went about as well as you’d expect for Olivier.
Deslauriers managed to connect on nearly all of his right hooks, and while Olivier got a few in, the Philadelphia Flyers’ enforcer was no worse for wear. Olivier, however, left this tilt with a few battle scars around his mouth.
Deslauriers has now engaged in four fights for the Flyers this season. His last was on Nov. 7 against the San Jose Sharks, where his beatdown of Givani Smith gave the Sharks winger a fight he rather forget.
In a bit of comedic relief, Olivier and Deslauriers embraced and gave each other pats on the helmet. The Philadelphia Flyers forward made his way down the tunnel shortly thereafter, giving a few fans fist bumps along his journey.
The fight gave the Flyers the juice they needed heading into the second period, as they’d add a power play goal and a shorthanded goal less than eight minutes into the middle frame.
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