i love the willmack of it all but i do think mack would fight back for any of his teammates
and you would be right! mack has been pretty consistent about the fact that he always joins scrums with his teammates even if he doesn’t know what happened/who started it. it’s one of my favorite parts about him as a player: how good he is at every passionate aspect of the game, always giving it his all, even when it comes to the grittier, harder parts that others shy away from.
mack has even said in interviews before that it doesn’t matter the circumstance, he’ll never let a teammate fight alone. (he literally jumped a player for shoving eky once, and got into it with logan cooley in front of the net when he checked asky one too many times.) for a star player, a franchise player, that’s honestly so special and rare.
however, i do think this particular fight still hit him harder because it was will, just like if the situation were reversed, will would get most emotional if macklin were the one injured on the ice. it’s only natural to feel things deeper when it’s someone you’re closer to, and they’re best friends. pretty much inseparable. i’d go nuts if it were my partner, too.
mack is just so much smarter and more levelheaded than people give him credit for, channeling that intensity into literally firing up his team into an unforgettable comeback win. not everyone can do that, and it’s not just because of mack’s skill. it’s the amount of trust his teammates have in his ability, too.
