It’s a battle of two teams in an early fight for the Central Division, so naturally it’s going to be physical. Just ask James Neal.
Neal, the Nashville Predators forward, was sent into the Chicago bench by Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw in the first period of Saturday’s game. Shaw isn’t the biggest guy, listed at only 5'11 tall. Meanwhile, Neal stands about 6'2" tall. The hit sparked a brief melee near the bench.