PHILADELPHIA -- An already testy rivalry boiled over in the first period of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
At the 12:02 mark of the period, two fights broke out between some of the biggest stars from each team.
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who took two whacks at the glove of Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who was covering the puck in his crease, to start the fireworks. Flyers center Claude Giroux took exception to it that and he and Crosby began pushing and shoving behind the net.
When that appeared to be broken up, Crosby then pushed away the glove of forward Jakub Voracek as the Flyer forward tried to pick it up. Giroux caught up with Crosby and the pair dropped the gloves and squared off in a short fight. Further up the ice, Timonen and Penguins defenseman Kris Letang squared off in a short fight.
The end result was Timonen and Letang each being assessed major penalties for fighting as well as game misconducts. Crosby and Giroux each were penalized for fighting. Flyers forward Jakub Voracek and Penguins forward Steve Sullivan each were also sent off for roughing as part of the scrum.
Timonen also was given an extra slashing minor, giving the Penguins a power play.
Moments later, at 14:15, another scrum broke out after Flyers forward Brayden Schenn put a hard hit on Penguins defenseman Paul Martin. Pittsburgh forward Arron Asham responded by cross-checking Schenn in the face, and then punching him in the back of the head as Schenn laid on the ice.
Asham was given a match penalty after the hit, which includes an automatic ejection.
Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.