Marcus Foligno Respectfully Pulverised Rookie Nikolai Knyzhov [Fight]

 

Minnesota Wild's Marcus Foligno beat San Jose Sharks' Nikolai Knyzhov face to a red smear during the final 2:00 of the first period Monday night.

Nikolai Knyzhov was playing in his 20th NHL game when he chose to dance with Marcus Foligno. This was the 45th career fight for Foligno and the 1st career fight for Knyzhov; the odds were not in his favor.

It was a mismatched fight from jump street. Foligno tied up Knyzhnov, waited for the perfect opening and landed a stiff right hand to the left eye of Knyzhnov splitting it wide open. Seeing he drew blood, and the kid had no intentions of backing down, Foligno continued to hammer that spot a few more times. But Foligno, realizing just how bad Knyzhnov's eye was cut, called for the linesmen to break up the fight. Knyzhnov, still refusing to quit, swatted Foligno's hand and tried to throw a punch; but Foligno stopped him and the linesmen stepped in.

Foligno could have went on drilling Knyzhnov in the face and Knyzhnov would have taken it unrelenting. But Foligno knew he wouldn't stop so he did the respectable act of stopping and calling in the linesmen. Foligno won the the fight but Knyzhnov won respect.  

Marcus Foligno wasn't done though, in fact, he was just getting started.

Since he already had a fight under his belt he decided to kick it up a notch and go for the Gordie Howe Hat Trick. At 16:42 left in the second period Foligno drew the secondary assist on Ian Cole's first goal of the year. Then with 9:12 left in the same period he hit a knuckle puck over Jones' glove and into the net giving him his goal for the game.

This was the third Gordie Howe Hat Trick for Marcus Foligno in his career.

The Minnesota Wild defeated the San Jose Sharks 6-2.

The two teams will not meet again until the end of March.