""We were kind of expecting [the fights] at the start of the game, and [our players] did a great job. They gave us momentum. On the next shift that we actually started playing hockey, Vinnie (Lettieri) and I went out there and just fed off the energy that the boys gave us, and we got one early.""
""From what happened in the last game, I didn't know what to expect, but I thought our guys handled it. No one got hurt, so that's a good thing. I think it kind of motivated our group. It was a big kill after that, and it created some momentum for us. Credit to the guys for dealing with it and then winning a hockey game.""
"Pure chaos for our affiliate friends up north between the Toronto Marlies and Springfield Thunderbirds! 3 fights in the first 15 seconds of the game Rifai, Thrun and Smith all drop the mitts. pic.twitter.com/oSvylVxQsK - Cincinnati Clones Zone (@ClonesZone) February 7, 2026"
Three fights broke out within the first 15 seconds of the AHL matchup between the Toronto Marlies and Springfield Thunderbirds as Springfield pursued revenge for a prior incident that left Simon Robertson sidelined. Springfield sent Kale Kessy to the opening faceoff to ignite early aggression, and Marshall Rifai, Dylan Peterson, Henry Thrun, and Blake Smith all engaged in bouts. Rifai attempted a Superman punch and had faced a one-game suspension from the earlier meeting. The Marlies absorbed the chaos, executed a major penalty kill, used the energy to generate momentum, and scored early on that momentum.
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