I Believe We've Already Met

On this week's episode of Hang Up and Listen, the dudes mention the fact that there's much less fighting in the NHL playoffs than there is during the regular season.  This surprises the dudes in part because, in the playoffs, the refs call fewer penalties, meaning there should be more occasion for the players to self-police/get revenge.

This is what's known as a "teachable moment".

I don't know shit about hockey, but my ignorance has never kept me from piping up, and I've never been punished for popping off, so here's my theory:  the fighting during the regular season is used to send a message, that your team is not to be fucked with; its like shanking a guy on the first day of prison, which establishes your bonafides as a bad-ass, so that the other inmates won't mess with you.  By the time the playoffs roll around, your reputation should already be known, so you shouldn't have to show and prove; further, there are fewer games remaining, so adding to your rep will only pay dividends for a very short while, making it a poor investment.  In a way, fighting in the playoffs is like shanking a guy on the last day of prison, its just not worth it, unless the guy's really got it coming.