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Eight ejected in brawl to open NHL Rangers win over Devils

AFP
·1-min read
<a class="link " href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/new-jersey/" data-i13n="sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link" data-ylk="slk:New Jersey;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0">New Jersey</a>'s <a class="link " href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/5904/" data-i13n="sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link" data-ylk="slk:Kurtis MacDermid;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0">Kurtis MacDermid</a>, right, fights with <a class="link " href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/ny-rangers/" data-i13n="sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link" data-ylk="slk:New York;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0">New York</a>'s <a class="link " href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/8804/" data-i13n="sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link" data-ylk="slk:Matt Rempe;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0">Matt Rempe</a>, left, in an opening line brawl two seconds into the <a class="link " href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/ny-rangers/" data-i13n="sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link" data-ylk="slk:Rangers;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0">Rangers</a>' 4-3 NHL triumph (BRUCE BENNETT)

A line brawl sparked the start of the NHL-best New York Rangers' home game against the rival New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, with 10 skaters fighting and eight of them ejected.

The Rangers would win the contest 4-3 at Madison Square Garden, rallying thanks to unanswered third-period goals by Kaapo Kakko and Chris Kreider.

But the memorable moment came just after the first puck drop.

The opening melee saw Jacob Trouba, Matt Rempe, Barclay Goodrow and K'Andre Miller ejected for the Rangers for dropping the gloves and immediately trading punches.

New Jersey's Chris Tierney, Kevin Bahl, John Marino and Kurtis MacDermid were also issued game misconducts and fighting major penalties at the two-second mark.

Rempe, ejected in all three of his appearances against the Devils, squared off with MacDermid while Bahl faced Goodrow, Marino paired off against Miller and Tierney took on Trouba.

The other fight was between New York's Jimmy Vesey and New Jersey's Curtis Lazar, but because it was considered the first fight in the sequence, they were given only fighting penalties and allowed to return after serving their time.

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