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The Villain: Darius Kasparaitis

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Frankie
October 7, 2022 (9:10 PM)

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He is known to be one of the biggest agitators in the game. Also known to probably be one of the dirtiest. A player who was a thorn in the Flyers side for years and one who is responsible for a dirty hit on former Flyers captain Eric Lindros.

Kasparaitis played the game in the mold of a hard-hitting stay-at-home defenseman, a playing style which in Kasparaitis's case also included a substantial amount of agitation

During the 1997�98 season, while a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kasparaitis decked Philadelphia Flyers captain Eric Lindros along the boards with a hard and straight hit to the chest, a hit which left Lindros with a concussion and held him out of the game for over a month. People say this was a dirty hit, what do you think? In the meantime, the Pittsburgh cameras caught Kasparaitis and Alexei Morozov laughing at the Penguins bench.

You can see the shoulder go into the face of Eric Lindros

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A quote from Former Penguins winger Robby Brown that was told to PHN.

The cameras caught �Kasper' and Alexei laughing. Philadelphia saw it. Everyone saw it, it wasn't a good look. The Flyers took that to heart.

Ironically, the two players later became teammates and friends when Kasparaitis signed with the New York Rangers for the 2002�03 season, with Lindros himself helping to pitch Rangers as the right destination for Kasparaitis by calling him at midnight on July 1, 2002. Kinda funny how things work out.