Like graphite sticks and teenage hearts, rules are meant to be broken.

When the National Hockey League instituted a new rule that automatically deals a minor penalty to any player who removes his helmet prior to or during a fight — in addition to the five-minute major that comes as punishment for the fight itself — the rule-makers likely thought they had a way to curb the number of scraps and appease those who want to see the game become less violent.

Well, leave it to a couple of knuckle-chuckers to outsmart the suits.

The New York Islanders’ Brett Gallant and New Jersey Devils’ Krys Barch discovered a loophole around the new rule that allowed them to swing away without fear of smashing their clenched fists on each other’s helmet Thursday night.

During the third period of the Isles’ 5-3 preseason victory over the Devils, the willing combatants delicately removed each other’s bucket before engaging in the scrap.

We like to think Barch dreamed up the sneaky solution while eight OV deep and starting a bottle of port, trying to get one over the commish.

What’s the over/under on when the silly helmet-removing rule gets revisited? Seven days?

Sidebar: The rule-circumventing helmet trick occurred during the second of three fights waged between Barch and Gallant in the same game. Can’t recall the last time two players were tossed for the three-fight rule when all three fights involved the same two players.



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Round 3:

