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Fri Dec 30 10:44pm EST

Video: Jason Chimera shows Ryan Miller he’s No. 1; Ehrhoff injured

By Greg Wyshynski

WASHINGTON, DC — In the first period of their 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres, Jason Chimera of the Washington Capitals was hit from behind by defenseman Mike Weber 27 seconds into the game. About 12 minutes later, they were reacquainted in front of Ryan Miller's crease. Then they danced for a bit. Then Miller said something to Chimera. And then Chimera flipped him off after the fight.

Check out the screen grab here from Mike Holden. I asked Chimera about his reaction to Miller; he replied, "I don't recall that." (For the record, nothing should come of this; heat of the moment, and it was to another player and not the fans like the Fickle Finger of Ference last postseason.)

Chimera said he was upset that Weber didn't receive a major penalty on the boarding call.  "It's one of those hits that they're suspending [for], right? From the numbers," he said. "If I stay down he gets a 5-minute penalty. If I pretend that I'm hurt. But I'm not the kind of player that stays down."

The second fight in the first period of the game "wasn't exactly a fight" according to Troy Brouwer, one of its combatants. The aftermath wasn't exactly good news for the Sabres when it came to defenseman Christian Ehrhoff:

"I battled against him for years when he was in Vancouver," said Brouwer. "I know that he's not a fighter, and that's why it kind of caught me by surprise."

Ehrhoff didn't return to the game after the fight, and Coach Lindy Ruff shared the bad news after the game: an "upper body injury" and a recovery time that will "probably be weeks." As you see in the clip, Brouwer catches the back of his head a few times with punches, and Ehrhoff's head hit the ice rather hard; but again, "upper body" injury.

Ehrhoff is leading the team in ice time (23:35 per game) and all Sabres defensemen in scoring (17 points).

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