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Video: Leafs, Canes captains spar; Staal rockets empty-netter towards Phaneuf

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Carolina Hurricanes

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Carolina Hurricanes

Rick Madonik

Carolina’s Eric Staal took exception to a hit Leafs defenseman Dion Phaneuf delivered to Eric’s younger brother, Jordan Staal in the third period of the Hurricanes’ 4-1 victory tonight. The elder Staal was quick to challenge Phaneuf over it and the two team captains exchanged blows.

You can see that fight below:

That wasn’t the end of it though. With the game winding down, Eric Staal was given the opportunity to collect an empty-net goal with Phaneuf being the primary obstacle in his path. Staal rocketed the puck forward nearly hitting the Leafs blueliner in the process:

“I was ready,” Staal told PHT’s Dhiren Mahiban. “One of those plays where you just react and you’re into the emotion of the game, you’re into the energy and I knew I wanted to get it in so I made sure I got a hold of it.”

That was just Staal’s second NHL fight, per hockeyfights.com. By comparison, Phaneuf has dropped the gloves four times in the 2014-15 campaign alone.

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