NASH MANAGES TO FIND TROUBLE
BLUES WINGER FIGHTS RANGERS ENFORCER
Norm Sanders
© Belleville News-Democrat, The (IL)
December 22, 2000
ST. LOUIS --- Tyson Nash wasn't exactly minding his own business,
but the pesky St. Louis Blues winger found himself in the middle of
another scrap Wednesday in New York.
Nash hit Rangers tough guy Brad Brown along the boards, which
apparently didn't go over too well with a minute and 26 seconds
remaining in the Blues' 6-3 win.
Brown chased Nash down behind the net, cross-checked him in the
back of the head and then began pounding him with punches before a
pileup slowed things down.
Brown picked up a minor penalty, a major for fighting and a game
misconduct. He also got another poke in the face from Nash while
they were being separated.
Nash was assessed a roughing minor and a fighting major.
"In all honesty, I really didn't mean to punch him in the face,"
Nash said Thursday when asked how it all started. "I hit him pretty
good on the button and he was pretty upset and wanted to get back at
me.
"I don't know how I ended up getting so many penalties, but they
wanted to get us both out of the game and into our dressing rooms
before anything else heated up."
Earlier in the game, Brown (6-4, 218) had bloodied the eye of
Blues enforcer Reed Low during a fight. Knowing that, Nash insisted
he wasn't looking to rile the angry Ranger.
"I'd be punching the wrong guy if I meant to," Nash said. "He's
definitely out of my league. He cross-checked me in the back of the
neck and then he just started throwing punches.
"I got a little mark over the eye, but nothing to write home
about."
Low's eye was nearly swollen shut Thursday.
"Sixteen fighting majors, you're bound to get one black eye,"
Nash said. "Even after (Brown) got him he still kept punching, so
you've got to respect the guy."
Injury Report
Blues defenseman Sean Hill has missed seven games after
aggravating an abdominal injury that required off-season surgery.
Hill, who signed a four-year, $9 million contract to join the Blues
last summer, has visited the doctor in Montreal that performed the
surgery.
Inflamed scar tissue was the main culprit, according to Blues
General Manager Larry Pleau. Pleau said Hill --- who hasn't played
since Nov. 30 also is working with a physical therapist in Vancouver
that specializes in exercises for this type of injury.
"It's going to take time," said Pleau, who expects Hill to miss
at least three more weeks. "He played injured for three or four
weeks from what he told us.
"I think he made it clear that it was bothering him, but he
didn't want to say anything being a new guy around here."
Winger Lubos Bartecko has been out six games after suffering an
ankle injury Dec. 2 against Florida.
BlueNotes
Defenseman Todd Reirden is expected to be recalled for the game
Saturday after spending two weeks in the minors on a conditioning
assignment.
Reirden has two goals and six points in five games. His return
could signal the end of veteran defenseman Marc Bergevin's tenure
with the team.
Bergevin has been a healthy scratch the past 10 games while the
Blues continue using Russian Vladimir Chebaturkin on the No. 3
defense pairing with Alexander Khavanov.
"I think we're a different defense than we were before," Pleau
said. "We're younger and it's up to use to prove that we're better."
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