Since his call-up from Adirondack, Oliver Lauridsen has
largely been able to hold his own through seven games in the NHL. That statement was put to the
test on Saturday when the rookie defenseman found himself in his first
big-league fight with universally reviled Buffalo Sabre Patrick Kaleta.
Lauridsen landed a healthy blow on Kaleta behind
Philadelphia’s net, and after little prodding, the veteran agitator was ready
to go. Despite owning a distinct size advantage – 6’6” to 6’1” – Lauridsen was
not ready for what happened next, as Kaleta unloaded a dozen or so straight lefts.
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Somewhere in that video is an analogy for the Flyers' season.
To his credit, the beatdown didn’t cause Lauridsen to shrink.
The 24 year old continued to mix it up physically with the Sabres all day long after
the fight.
As for the game itself, the Flyers dropped their fourth in a
row on Saturday, a thrilling 1-0 final in Buffalo. Steve Mason made his second
start in net for the Orange & Black, stopping 20 of 21 shots – the lone
goal coming from a fluky bounce off the back boards.
>> BOX SCORE [Flyers.com]
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