![\"How](\"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/NHL-New-York-Rangers-at-Columbus-Blue-Jackets-27600056-scaled-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Older fans of the New York Rangers remember enforcers like Nick Fotiu and Colton Orr, players who drew cheers from the crowds at Madison Square Garden and often sparked their teammates at the same time. More recently, forward Matt Rempe quickly became a fan favorite because of his willingness to drop the gloves.<\/p>\n
However, the average number of fights in the NHL dropped from about one per game 40 years ago to one every 4-5 games today. Speed and skill are the key attributes teams look for in today\u2019s players, and physicality generally means hits rather than fights. The Rangers had 19 fighting majors last season; in 1996-97, Rangers forward Darren Langdon had 23 by himself \u2013 and that was 16 behind the NHL leader, Florida Panthers defenseman Paul Laus.<\/p>\n
But as Rangers center\u00a0Sam Carrick\u00a0showed Saturday night, a willingness to stand up for your teammates still counts plenty.<\/p>\n
Carrick squared off against one of the League\u2019s premier pugilists, Mathieu Olivier, during the second period of the\u00a0Rangers\u2019 2-1 shootout win\u00a0over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Captain\u00a0J.T. Miller,\u00a0who scored the shootout winner, said the fight at 15:57 of the second period,\u00a037 seconds after the Blue Jackets tied the game on a power-play goal by Dmitri Voronkov, helped energize the Rangers.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Carrick] sticking up for the team like that and fighting one of the toughest guys in the League and doing very well \u2026 it drags us into the fight and we had a good third (period),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old center has three of New York\u2019s five fighting majors this season to go along with five points (one goal, four assists) in 19 games. He\u2019s taken two of their three fighting majors since Rempe was sidelined following a\u00a0scrap with ex-Rangers enforcer Ryan Reaves\u00a0against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 23 (rookie Jaroslav Chmelar, now back with AHL Hartford, had the other).<\/p>\n
Miller agreed when asked if Carrick squaring off with Olivier, who\u2019s\u00a0tops in the NHL with six fights\u00a0this season after\u00a0leading the League in 2024-25 with 15,\u00a0jacked up the Rangers.<\/p>\n
\u201c100 percent,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s no slouch over there. That\u2019s one of the toughest guys, obviously, and Sam\u2019s showing he\u2019s right in that group of fighters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carrick explained that the Rangers needed to regain some momentum Saturday after the Blue Jackets tied the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they were having a good pushback there, trying to stir things up,\u201d he explained postgame, wearing a significant gash across the bridge of his nose from the fight. \u201cI know Olivier, I\u2019ve fought him a couple of times, and you know he\u2019s an honest player. I like his game a lot, and he was doing what he could to spark his team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there were a few plays that maybe were borderline penalties. They\u2019re toeing the line a little bit, starting some scrums. That\u2019s part of the game \u2013 teams are going to do that, especially at home, to try to get their crowd into it, create some energy in the building. It\u2019s something we have to match any time that happens and stick up for each other. So far, we\u2019ve done a great job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coach Mike Sullivan identified Igor Shesterkin\u2019s save on a first-period penalty shot by Miles Wood and Carrick\u2019s fight as plays that sparked the victory.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got a great save from [Shesterkin], and I think our team gained life from it. I thought Sam Carrick\u2019s fight was another one,\u201d Sullivan said postgame. \u201cSam is a courageous guy. He sticks up for our team against one of the toughest guys in the League.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there are instances in every game [that] can potentially change outcomes. When teams respond the right way to those kind of situations, it goes a long way for setting your group up for success.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rempe handles most of the fighting since his NHL arrival late in the 2023-24 season. He led the Rangers with five fights last season, one more than Carrick.<\/p>\n
Sullivan said Carrick\u2019s stepped up and stood up for his teammates even more since Rempe\u2019s injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has since [Rempe] went out,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cSam is as tough as nails. He\u2019s a good fighter. He\u2019s brave and he plays the game hard, he plays an honest game. I think that\u2019s a thankless job. I know he commands a lot of respect from his teammates, his coaching staff \u2014 all of us that are a part of this group have a ton of respect for the courage he shows and how he stands up for his teammates.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe does a great job; he does it well. It\u2019s an element he adds to his game that makes him that much more valuable to the group.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier generations of Rangers teams drew criticism from Garden fans for their unwillingness to stand up for teammates. Carrick said that\u2019s not the case with this group.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019ve done a good job as a team here sticking up for each other,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s part of what it takes to be a good team.\u201d<\/p>\n
“We didn\u2019t play our best tonight, and it\u2019s frustrating. The injuries are piling up, but we can\u2019t let that be an excuse. We\u2019ve got to fight through it, especially when we have a chance to take control. We\u2019ll need to learn from this and be ready for the road trip.”<\/p>\n\n