It was only Podkolzin's second career fight, but he decisively won it in only a matter of seconds. In front of the Predators net, Podkolzin landed the first punch on Jeremy Lauzon's forehead which sent him buckling to the ice. Lauzon was left bloodied, and had to leave the game for repairs.
Click here to watch the video of the fight between Vasili Podkolzin and Jeremy Lauzon.
Immediately fans were shocked at the level of domination Podkolzin showed in the fight. It's incredibly rare now to see a one-punch-knockout in NHL fights, and this is was as hardcore as it gets. Podkolzin isn't known for a fighter across the league, but he will be after tonight.
Vasili Podkolzin was billed to be one of the Oilers most physical players when they acquired him from the Canucks this offseason, and if he continues to play like he has, he's living up to the hype. Podkolzin should even lead the Oilers in hits with Evander Kane absent for most of the season.
Funny enough too, tonight will continue Edmonton's record of being totally undefeated when they fight in a game. Their record improves to a perfect 5-0, and if that bizarre trend keeps up, they'll be wanting a lot more physicality from the roster.
The Oilers pulled off a convincing team win in their first game missing Connor McDavid with injury. The team needs to rally without their leader to keep themselves competitive, and if they continue tonight's effort, they'll be shooting back up to the top of the standings.
POLL | ||
Do you think Podkolzin can stay in the top six? | ||