Jeffrey Viel switched hands mid-tilt and got the better of Simon Benoit tonight, adding more heat to a Lightning-Flyers game that already had plenty.
The switch was the difference. Benoit wasn't ready for it, and Viel won the exchange clearly.
It came in the same game where Brandon Hagel took a two-minute minor for an elbow that caught Porter Martone up high. Tempers had every reason to run hot.
Benoit has been in the middle of everything early this season. Nick Robertson hit him hard in Philadelphia's home opener, sparking a scrum that pulled in Sidney Crosby.
He's 28, carries a $1,350,000 cap hit and keeps finding trouble. The Flyers need his edge, but not every night ending in a tilt.
In the clip, Viel switches hands mid-tilt, and the change catches Benoit off guard as the exchange swings Tampa's way.
-
Jon Cooper's Lightning get a tough answer from Jeffrey Viel
Viel, 29, carries a $2,500,000 cap hit and hasn't found the scoresheet yet this season. That's not why he's in the lineup.
Every team needs someone who'll stand up when a game turns physical. On nights like this, he earns his paycheque without touching the puck.
This is exactly why Tampa keeps Viel around. Skill wins games, but a team that answers back early in the season sets a tone opponents remember.
It's like a pitcher switching to the changeup after a steady diet of fastballs. The hitter never sees it coming.
Rick Tocchet's Flyers came into the night 0-1-2 and visit Ottawa on Thursday. The Lightning host Minnesota the same night.
Player Safety may still look at the Hagel elbow. For Benoit, the bigger question is how many more of these nights his team can afford.
Did Jeffrey Viel send the right message for the Lightning?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Connor Hellebuyck trade near finalization with a team we did not expect
