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Ott’s huge hit prompted a fight; should it earn a suspension?

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After a hard hit from Red Wings' Steve Ott, Bryan Boyle dropped his gloves and started fighting in the middle of the second period causing penalties for both teams.

It’s no secret that the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning often get nasty ... surprisingly so for two franchises that aren’t exactly the quickest to drop their gloves.

Tuesday presented the latest moments of violence in the increasingly bitter rivalry, and it’s probably not TOO surprising that Steve Ott was in the thick of things.

As you can see in the video above, Ott delivered a huge hit on fellow pest Cedric Paquette. Brian Boyle took exception to that check, challenging Ott to a boisterous fight.

The question both in-game and perhaps to the Department of Player Safety, is whether it’s a dirty hit or not. Specifically, does Ott leave his feet and is there direct contact to the head?

One thing that benefits both teams - the Red Wings for avoiding a suspension, the Lightning with Steven Stamkos and others getting bruised tonight - is that Paquette did return to the game.

*Phew*

That’s a lot to digest. Ultimately, the Lightning remain up 2-1 despite all the fireworks.