Justin Abdelkader

Brian Boyle's chicken dance taunt adds to the hatred of a tense series

Published Apr. 18, 2016 1:03 p.m. ET

foxsports

The NHL raised its taunting game over the weekend, and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brian Boyle took the lead for the best "chirp" of the postseason so far with this chicken dance.

'?'- Boyle
(via @PeteBlackburn)pic.twitter.com/9W1btzfkzU
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) April 18, 2016

The move came after Boyle attempted to fight Justin Abdelkader at the end of the Detroit Red Wings' 2-0 win over the Lightning in Game 3 of the series Sunday. Abdelkader is an unpopular player with the Lightning after holding Mike Blunden down and repeatedly punching him during a brawl in Game 2. Abdelkader was assessed a five-minute major for fighting and a game misconduct for his actions.

The winger had an injury to his hands and had to tape them up for Sunday's game. An NHL rule stipulates that any player wearing tape on his hands who cuts or injures anyone else in a altercation will receive a match penalty for his actions, so if Abdelkader fought in Sunday's game, he could have been in serious trouble.

That meant Abdelkader refrained from fighting Boyle, and Boyle did not take kindly to that gesture.

Via the Detroit Free Press:

But Abdelkader was not happy about Boyle's actions. As he told the Detroit Free Press:

The moment will provide even more fuel for an already contentious series between the Red Wings and Lightning. Game 4 of the series is scheduled for Tuesday night. Tampa Bay leads, two games to one.

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