Americans traditionally love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle.

Hockey playoffs ... you won't see very much of this in the playoffs, so here's some hockey fisticuffs to tide you over.

Okay, one could make a case that this one might have got out of hand: Senators vs Flyers.


Dallas Stars' Aaron Downey in one of the shortest hockey fights.


Go STARS!

Get that lumber in his teeth. Let 'em know you're there!

Tonight the NHL playoffs begin, the "Second Season."

We'll see just how far they can go toward bringing Lord Stanley's cup back to Dallas, but they've had some disappointing playoff experiences as of late.

I sure wouldn't mind seeing THIS again.

Wouldn't it be sweet to see the most prolific US born NHL player, Mike Modano, hoisting THE Cup above his head? I'm in.

"By the age of 18, the average American has witnessed 200,000 acts of violence on television, most of them occurring during Game 1 of the NHL playoff series."
-Steve Rushin

Game 1: The Dallas Stars face off in Vacouver against the Canucks of Canada. G'Day, mate!

Some more hockey related quotes to get you motivated ...

Bobby Clarke: "We take the shortest route to the puck and arrive in ill humor."

Jim McKenny: "Half the game is mental; the other half is being mental."

Jacques Plante: "How would you like a job where, every time you make a mistake, a big red light goes on and 18,000 people boo?"

Brett Hull: "I'm not dumb enough to be a goalie."

Doug Larson: "Ice hockey is a form of disorderly conduct in which the score is kept."

Wayne Gretzky: "You miss 100% of the shots you never take."

Gordie Howe: "American professional athletes are bilingual; they speak English and profanity."

Jim Murray: "Hockey is murder on ice."

Barclay Plager: "It's not who wins the fight that's important, it's being willing to fight. If you get challenged and renege, everyone wants to take a shot at you."

Unknown: "Street hockey is great for kids. It's energetic, competitive, and skilful. And best of all it keeps them off the street."

Rodney Dangerfield: "I went to a fight the other night and a hockey game broke out."

Paul Coffey: "When we've got the puck, they can't score."

Brad Park: "We get nose jobs all the time in the NHL, and we don't even have to go to the hospital."

Milan Gajic: "I honestly believe some would have given up their left leg to stop a shot in the third period."

Ken Dryden: "There are two types of forwards. Scorers and bangers. Scorers score and bangers bang."

Stu Grimson, Chicago Blackhawks left wing, explaining why he keeps a color photo of himself above his locker: "That's so when I forget how to spell my name, I can still find my (expletive) clothes."

Al Michaels, describing Americans' knowledge of hockey prior to the "Miracle on Ice": "People didn't know the difference between a blue line and a clothes line."

Jimmy Cannon: "A puck is a hard rubber disc that hockey players strike when they can't hit one another."
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This is the time of year where I really miss Derrian Hatcher and I'm still tender the Stars let him go. But somebody needs to step up, to get that lumber in his teeth. C'mon, Stars, let 'em know you're there!

Go Stars!

P.S. What a way to start the playoffs ... losing with just a few minutes left in the FOURTH 20 minute overtime period. I LOVE overtime playoff hockey, but that was a brutal loss tonight/this morning.

"The Stars have lost five straight playoff overtime games."

I'd say they're due!