Reports from the Washington Post detail that on Monday, Alex Ovechkin had his first fight since 2010 and fourth of his career, resulting in him knocking out 19-year-old rookie Andrei Svechnikov in the first period.
The tension between the two players had been escalating over the first two games of the series, culminating in the physical altercation on Monday night. Svechnikov had to be assisted off the ice and was unable to continue playing.
According to Business Insider, Ovechkin expressed concern for Svechnikov’s well-being and revealed that it was the rookie who initiated the fight by asking Ovechkin to engage. Ovechkin remarked, “I’m not known for fighting, and he’s the same. He challenged me, and I accepted.”
