Hockey is a tough game. The speed, the body checks, the battles in front of the net. It is like rugby on ice, with blades of steel on the players' feet and sticks in their hands.
But what is going on with the goaltenders? They are suddenly fighting again, like the ghosts of Billy Smith and Ron Hextall caught in a two-fisted time warp.
Most notably, Brent Johnson, the Pittsburgh backup goalie, skated the length of the ice a couple of weeks ago to answer the challenge of Rick DiPietro, the New York Islanders starter. And answer the challenge he did, one-punching DiPietro to the ice.
The Isles stopper, who told reporters after the game that Johnson had "long arms", suffered facial fractures and knee swelling.
Less than a week later, in a game between Boston and Montreal, things got a little nutty toward the end of the first period between Carey Price, the Canadiens goalie, and Tim Thomas, the Bruins netminder.
The two players, All-Star Game buddies a few short weeks ago, skated to centre ice while the Boston fans bounced around in frenzied anticipation.
In the end, it was more of a grappling match as Price swung a haymaker and then wrestled Thomas to the ice.
Seconds later, as they held on to each other while a referee tried to split them up, both goalies were chuckling with each other at their knuckle-chucking antics, and Thomas later told reporters that he had said to Price: "I just don't want to end up like DiPietro."
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m