Today Is The 42nd Anniversary Of This Classic Fight

It's not too often we got a skater and a goalie square off like this, even in the Wild West that was the 1970s NHL. But then, Billy Smith was no ordinary goalie. Armed with a fiery temper and a stick that he wielded like a scythe, Smith was never afraid to mix it up with anybody. In this case, it was All-Star Maple Leaf and future HHOFer Lanny McDonald, a guy known more for scoring than scrapping but could certainly answer the bell when challenged. Both players explain how it all went down in this clip...

My favorite part of the fight is Smith telling his defenseman Pat Price to beat it because it was his beef. And Smith's proclamation that "if you're gonna start something, you should at least stand up and follow through" are words that should be painted in every NHL locker room today.

Just fantastic stuff. Thanks to our guy @MikeCommito for the heads-up. If you're a fan of NHL history, you should already be following him on Twitter. 

Here's a clip about the fight from a Long Island broadcast. Man, I miss the days when the local news used to show hockey fights and cheer on the local guy.

Nice to see the Leafs win something.