NHL veteran Corey Perry's spirited fight may have just saved the Oilers' season

Corey Perry of the Edmonton Oilers engaged in an unexpected fight against Joel Farabee of the Flyers, and that may have just saved the team's season.

The hate between the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers boiled over into consecutive fights, sending the arena electric with the game tied heading into the final period. Close game, palpable tension, then things got physical, and the entire season shifted for the Edmonton Oilers.

The first fight came when Flyers captain Sean Couturier hit Oilers goaltender Jeff Skinner into the backside of Edmonton's net. It seemed more of an accidental play, but one that elicited an immediate response as Edmonton defenseman Troy Stecher quickly came to the defense of his goaltender, charging at Couturier and engaging in an intense fight that saw both benches fired up. That was just the start. You can see the fight below.

Troy Stetcher drops the gloves after Skinner gets rammed

The action didn't stop there. Just a few seconds after that, another altercation unfolded. At that moment, Oilers veteran Corey Perry faced off against Flyers forward Joel Farabee, roaring with each flying punch, pouring even more fuel into an already intense matchup. This fight by the near 40-year-old NHL veteran likely changed the course of the Oilers' season, saving them from yet another absolutely abysmal start. You can watch the sequence below.

Corey Perry fights and saves the season

These back-to-back fights seemed to spur something inside these Oilers that hadn't found a rhythm as of yet on the season. For the first time this year, they acted like a team that was fighting not only for the scoreboard but for one another. Physicality brought some real energy into this hockey game that the Oilers had been lacking, and the fans loved every minute of it.

That gutsy performance may well be the spark that this Oilers team is looking for. It was not about fights; rather, it was about coming out and playing with some passion and with a purpose, just about two things this team has been looking for.

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