Matt Martin destroys his opponent in fight off opening draw

At the start of yesterday's game between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins, both teams were clearly looking to set a physical tone early on. Off the opening draw, two heavyweights in Matt Martin of the Islanders and John Ludvig of the Penguins squared up for a fight.

The pair drifted past center ice as they sized each other up, and then Matt Martin initiated the fight with some hard and fast right hooks. Martin continued to lay a beating, and Ludvig couldn't defend himself at all. In moments, the pair fell to the ice and the referees stepped in.


It was a classic, good old fashioned hockey fight involving one of the most underrated fighters in recent history with Matt Martin. Now 34 years old and with 914 career games played, Martin has clearly found ways, like fighting, to remain in the NHL without much offensive talent at all.