Hockey Day In Canada

[ravens_creed]

And Torts attacking the Flames dressing room at intermission!

[cygnusx1]

Tortorella (and by association, the Canucks) has gone berserk. I don't know what they've been trying to do this past week, but they're embarrassing themselves. I understand trying to win with strength, but maybe lay back on the stupid penalties and try to focus somewhat on the scoring.

Oh well. Can't stand Vancouver anyways.

[TheBoxBreaker]

Right, my friend the big Habs fan would have to put up the Maple Leafs emblem as his profile pic for a week.

And the Leafs win! Did he do it? Please tell me he did it, haha.

[ravens_creed]

And the Leafs win! Did he do it? Please tell me he did it, haha.

He did it, and his other unsuspecting friends started giving him the gears immediately. It was beautiful, lol.

As for the Canucks-Flames drama, I actually side with Torts without reading too many details first. It clearly seemed like Hartley dressed his goons with instructions to lay a beat down as soon as the puck was dropped to start the game. So, what, Vancouver's non-goons were supposed to stand there and get pummeled? I still can't figure out why 8 guys were thrown out like that. Seemed to me like the Canuck guys were just defending themselves, but what do I know. Pretty funny that the two guy who weren't kicked out were the goons. Just a bizarre situation altogether. Torts attacking the dressing room... nothing good was going to come of that, no matter how upset he was with the attack on his players. Just good Torts drama at its best. Honestly, I could see where he was coming from this time for a change.

[ravens_creed]

I will have to retract some of my feelings on the brawling... Tortorella had the last line change option and started his goons too. It was also his choice to charge the Flames dressing room like that. I get that he was standing up for his players and what had happened, but I can't really point the finger at just Bob Hartley over this. Pretty funny that Tom Sestito, who leads the league in fights and PIMs referred to Calgary's starting lineup as the "goon squad". Apparently he doesn't own a mirror. :)

[the_nange]

I will have to retract some of my feelings on the brawling... Tortorella had the last line change option and started his goons too. It was also his choice to charge the Flames dressing room like that. I get that he was standing up for his players and what had happened, but I can't really point the finger at just Bob Hartley over this. Pretty funny that Tom Sestito, who leads the league in fights and PIMs referred to Calgary's starting lineup as the "goon squad". Apparently he doesn't own a mirror. :)

Let's look at Torts' options...

March 1st line of Sedin-Sedin-Burrows out there: Henrik playing injured, Burrows with chin guard out there, against guys that he heavily suspects is there just to fight? Not a good idea.

March 2nd line centered by Kesler out there: You're going to have your one healthy and skill center out there for a (suspected) brawl that might injure him. Not a good idea seeing Van line up is decimated with injuries already.

March 3rd line out there: Richardson and company you know would get beaten down if a fight did occur (which he suspected is close to 99.9%)

History between Torts and line brawls: If you start your fighters against him, he will answer with his own. See Deboer-Torts in NYR (at MSG) as an example. He will also raise hell and give the opposing coach an earful on the bench for "forcing his hand". I'm pretty sure players were not ejected for the game in the situation. Point is, Torts is consistent in how he handles this situation. Start your goons in his house, and he will answer with his own. He will not risk the chance that his skilled players gets jumped.

Some history into Torts vs Hartley: Hartley once hunted Torts down, in Torts' (away team) office, post game in Atlanta. Hartley's player (Boulton) elbowed Paul Ranger in the head, and Torts ripped Boulton in his post-game presser. Boulton was later suspended 6 games for his actions.

Hartley's initial refusal to answer Torts: Roy/Boudreau , Deboer/Torts... we've seen coaches jaw and verbally spar with each other on the bench before. Nothing ever happened behind the scenes (that fans know) once they vent their anger and finger pointing at each other. Hartley starts his fighters and doesn't answer when Torts calls him out on the bench until very late into the brawls - and when several Flames players were at the end of the bench jawing with the Canucks players.

The players themselves: Westgarth had 0 intentions to play. Watching the replays, you see Westgarth doesn't even bother playing the puck - but instead lunges at Bieksa once the puck hits the ice. Bieksa played the puck. Bieksa had already moved Lain (the rookie) out of the face-off anticipating this to happen.

Torts deserves to be suspended: As I've discussed with my friends, Torts is absolutely going to get fined and suspended for going to "visit" Hartley during intermission. Torts brought it on himself, those are suspendable things. That said, with everything that happened in game, Hartley's actions during the brawl/in the hallway (jawing at Torts while already in the locker room, knowing his goalie coach was still tied up with Torts) and knowing that Hartley once pulled the same thing post game... I don't have any respect for Hartley either.

I'm obviously a big supporter of Torts. I even chipped in to the fund to support him after he got fined for his Winter Classic comments. I however would not chip into a fund to support his actions in the hallway. I get why he did it, and I might have blown my lid the same way, but it's definitely not an effective way of handling the situation.

[Wickabee]

I was fully on Torts' side until his trip down the hall. That's when he sank to Hartley levels. Hartley is this kind of coach and forced Torts to play the 4th line.

I really hope the absolute worst coach in the NHL, Bob Hartley, is proud of disgracing the game of hockey for a single point. Torts needs a time out to sit and think about what he did.

[centrehice]

Torts should have spoken to the referees before the puck drop. Calgary summits this line-up 15 minutes before puck drop, so Tortorella has an obligation should he choose to take the moral highroad.

He declines that and sends out a similar line. He should avoid all mirrors.

[the_nange]

Torts should have spoken to the referees before the puck drop. Calgary summits this line-up 15 minutes before puck drop, so Tortorella has an obligation should he choose to take the moral highroad.

He declines that and sends out a similar line. He should avoid all mirrors.

"Excuse Mr.referee, can you ask my opponent - who seems to have the intent to goon it up - to change his opening line up? I believe my request will seriously influence him and out of the goodness of his heart, he will comply with my request."

Yeah.Right.

Kelly Fraser wrote an article this morning saying what the refs could have done to make sure brawls like this didn't happen. Fraser recommended that it was the REFS who should have stepped in and told Hartley to change his line up.

[Wickabee]

Torts should have spoken to the referees before the puck drop. Calgary summits this line-up 15 minutes before puck drop, so Tortorella has an obligation should he choose to take the moral highroad.

He declines that and sends out a similar line. He should avoid all mirrors.

You only gave the retaliator a penalty when you reffed, didn't you?