Forsberg on Fight: ‘Started Out Decently, then (Seider) Took Over’

Nashville Predators leading scorer Filip Forsberg delivered a knockout punch to the Detroit Red Wings by scoring a late third-period goal in a 1-0 victory.

That was more his style than the second period occurrence when he found himself trading haymakers with Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider. Neither player woke up that day believing they were going to drop their gloves. Seider had never had an NHL fight, and Forsberg had two fights in an NHL career that spanned 687 games over 12 seasons. His fight card included  Jake Virtanen in 2016 and Bryden Schenn in 2020. He clearly wasn’t looking for another bout.

“Sometimes you gotta do that, too,” Forsberg said. “I pick my times for sure.”

The fight was born out of an evenly played, highly competitive game during which both teams were trying to find an edge.

Neither player would have been their team’s first choice to fight.  Forsberg is on his way to his second 40+ goal season in three years. The Predators don’t want him sitting in the penalty box for five minutes. Since rough-and-tumble Seider arrived in the NHL, it was presumed he could fight. He plays a physical game. But he leads the Red Wings in minutes most nights, and plays in all situations.  Undoubtedly, he understands he has to stay on the ice.

Seider Clear Winner

This is how Forsberg explained the fight:

“It was nothing, really. Just battling with the guy for a couple of times. He’s a good player, obviously, so we’re playing hard against each other. Heat of the moment thing.”

Hockeyfights.com allows its readers and viewers to declare a winner for NHL fights. By 11:15 a.m. Sunday, 37 votes were cast. Thirty-four had Seider winning the fight. One person went with Forsberg as the winner and one voter called it a draw.

Seider is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds and Forsberg is 6-foot-1, 205 pounds.

When Forsberg was asked after the game to score his fight, he said:  “I started out decently, then he took over. He’s a big boy. I should try to pick somebody in my weight class.”