Epic Showdown: Nedeljkovic and Bobrovsky Clash in Rare Goalie Brawl, Shocking Sharks-Panthers Fans
Monday night wasn’t just another tick on the NHL calendar — oh no, it was something much juicier. Picture this: nestled about 30 miles from the raging national championship college football chaos in Miami, a showdown unfolded in Sunrise, Florida, unlike any other. The San Jose Sharks didn’t just notch a 4-1 win over last year’s Stanley Cup kings, the Florida Panthers — the highlight was an old-school goalie brawl that shattered the usual calm behind the net. Alex Nedeljkovic and Sergei Bobrovsky, two netminders with vastly different fight resumes, dropped their gloves and settled some serious beef in the third period, reminding us why hockey’s intensity runs deep, even from the crease. You could almost feel the tension drip off the ice as teammates rallied around Vincent Desharnais, returning from injury and taking a questionable hit that lit the fuse. The rarity of this goalie fight — a spectacle not seen in the NHL since 2020 — only amps up the story’s wow factor. Trust me, this is one for the books.
The San Jose Sharks defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Monday, 4-1. However, the final score is an afterthought from a game that featured both teams’ goaltenders dropping the gloves and fighting.
Yeah, that’s right. There is a national championship college football game in Miami, but there was also a goalie fight approximately 30 miles away at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
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The Sharks’ Alex Nedeljkovic and Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky threw hands at the 14:00 mark of the third period. The confrontation was the culmination of a melee that began when Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues hit Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais hard behind the net.
Desharnais was playing in his first game since November, missing time due to an elbow injury that required surgery. So his teammates may have been particularly uneasy about him taking a big hit. Especially one that appeared to come after the play was whistled dead. Demonstrating that heightened concern, Nedeljkovic quickly responded by shoving Rodrigues.
As several players tussled at the boards, Bobrovsky skated from his side of the ice, dropped his gloves and zeroed in on Nedeljkovic.
For a player who had never gotten into a fight during his 16-year NHL career, Bobrovsky didn’t hesitate to take on Nedeljkovic. This was also the first NHL fight for the Sharks’ goaltender, but he had previously tussled with fellow goalie Ryan Massa when he played in the ECHL, according to The Athletic (via HockeyFights.com).
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Bobrovsky versus Nedeljkovic was also the first fight between goalies in an NHL game since 2020, according to SportsNet.
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