Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best NHL fight, with the help of HockeyFights.com.
With a full week of games, we're back to having some great bouts to choose from. While the best fight this week might not have been the best fight, you're not going to hear one called any better by any television broadcaster this season.
Chico Resch's line highlighted a top fight of the week, but we also have some good middleweight bouts on the card. Meanwhile, one of Anaheim's top skill guys has clearly spent too much time watching George Parros.
We don't see many 8-5 final scores in the NHL these days, but Nashville and San Jose provided us with one on Thursday night thanks in large part to a third period that saw the two teams combine for seven goals, including six from San Jose.
U.S. Olympian Joe Pavelski was leading the charge for the Sharks as he recorded four points in the third period explosion, including this spin-o-rama game-winning goal -- while falling down -- with just over five minutes to play in regulation.
SAN JOSE -- Frequent travelers on Virgin America's early-morning Boston-San Francisco route relax: Jamie McGinn appears to be in San Jose for the rest of the season, thanks to roster expansion. You're all safe.
McGinn, a 21-year-old left wing, compiled as many miles this year as just about anyone in hockey. The Sharks, cognizant of keeping costs down under the NHL's salary cap, make liberal use of their Worcester (Mass.) affiliate, recording more than 100 transactions with the AHL team this season.
That's a 3,000 mile journey each way, 6,000 total for a round-tripped player, when the Sharks are at home. So McGinn spent a lot of time on airplanes: he was recalled and then reassigned 11 times, 22 total transactions. A Worcester TV station told him that he'd flown the equivalent of three trips to Australia (from the East Coast of the U.S.) and back, and that was before McGinn's most recent recall.
A pity, then, that McGinn doesn't sleep on planes, and for a specific reason: fellow passenger safety, and of course, a desire to avoid embarrassment.
The NHL's "real" trade deadline is Wednesday at 3 P.M. Eastern. Before the deadline, take a look at where each team in the Western Conference stands. Approximations of cap room are taken from nhlnumbers.com.
In the West, there are a number of teams that think they're still alive in the playoff chase, and the teams who look to be selling probably don't have a whole lot to sell.
Those barely outside the top eight could find it hard to find trade partners, depending on how other teams perceive themselves.
Evgeni Nabokov couldn't wait to get back on the ice and practice with the Sharks the past two days. He wants to get Russia's bummer of an Olympics behind him, along with those six goals that Canada scored against him last week.
"I had two days off and rested, then practice has been good," San Jose's goaltender told FanHouse by phone after his team's workout Monday. "I was anxious to get back and practice with the guys."
Yep, just that fast it's back to normal all over the NHL, and the Sharks jump into action with Tuesday night's game against New Jersey and the Devils' band of Olympians, including their goaltender, Canada's Martin Brodeur. But does Nabokov worry there might be any hangover effect, as there occasionally is for goalies who get peppered in all-star games?
"I hope not," Nabokov said. "I always try to put a bad game behind me. I never look past. I look forward."
Every Friday, FanHouse sifts through the rubble and picks the best 
SAN JOSE -- Frequent travelers on Virgin America's early-morning Boston-San Francisco route relax: Jamie McGinn appears to be in San Jose for the rest of the season, thanks to roster expansion. You're all safe. 
The 
Evgeni Nabokov couldn't wait to get back on the ice and practice with the Sharks the past two days. He wants to get Russia's bummer of an Olympics behind him, along with those six goals that Canada scored against him last week.
