Penguins can payback or pardon Myers

Tyler Myers is a mammoth on ice.

Standing at 6’8” Myers towers over teammates and opponents, and only one player in the league, Zdeno Chara, is taller at 6’9”.

Myers also has a squeaky clean record; the 21-year old Sabres defenseman has not fought in 145 career games.

He might get his first fight tonight, because one month ago Myers collided awkwardly with Penguins superstar center Evgeni Malkin, leaving Malkin   laid out for the season.

The hit initially appeared innocent, but Myers lost his footing and fell into the back of Malkin’s legs near the boards.

Malkin tore his MCL and ACL and was placed on injured reserve just days after the collision.

The play itself does not warrant retribution, but the end result might not go unnoticed by Pittsburgh when they host Buffalo tonight.

When a superstar goes down teammates usually keep in mind who caused it.

Three players on the Penguins roster would be candidates to dance with Myers if they felt it was necessary: Enforcer Eric Godard and forwards Mike Rupp and Eric Tangradi.

Tangradi has not played in an NHL game in almost a month, so he is out of the equation.

And Godard has not played since Tangradi last saw ice time, leaving Rupp as the last Penguin standing with any chance of winning a fight with Myers.

Rupp, at 6’5”, only gives up three inches in height to Myers, while the rest of Pittsburgh’s roster gives up at least a half-foot.

Rupp is also accustomed to dropping the gloves. He has fought 12 times this season, tied for fourteenth in the NHL, and is on pace for 15 scraps this season.

If Rupp does instigate Myers’ first fight I will take the experienced southpaw over the green, passive-aggressive giant.

But, if I had bet, I do not believe Myers will get his first NHL fight tonight.

Myers will just be the Penguins’ favorite checking target.

Mammoths are hard to miss.