Mitchell Layton/NHLI via Getty ImagesJohn Tortorella continued his rants from the podium during playoff news conferences on the weekend. The New York Ranger coach took on the topic of Brandon Prust and his one-game suspension for an elbow to the head of New Jersey Devil defenseman Anton Volchenkov. Tortorella accused the New Jersey team of embellishing in order to draw attention and penalties in this round of the playoffs.
”We tell our players, ‘Don’t stay down on the ice. Get up” Tortorella said Sunday.
Tortorella also went on and added that he feels that New Jersey Devils set pick plays during power-play opportunities in order to prevent the Ranger defenders from getting into position to block shots.
The war of words
When asked about the elbow from Brandon Prust:
”Head hunting. Plain and simple”
- New Jersey Devils Coach Peter DeBoer
I am becoming a fan of the off ice “squabble” between these two coaches. It has been awhile since we have witnessed this type of great banter from two coaches. It adds to the entertainment value of a series that is shaping up to be a great series as I suspect the Rangers will begin the choking out of the Devils in the next two games.
Tortorella seems to be the type of coach the players enjoy playing for because he has their back through the stresses of an Eastern Conference Final. The amount of media pressure these players are under in the surrounding New York City area as they travel from the Big Apple to New Jersey can be overwhelming I am sure.
With Tortorella being the bull in the china shop or just standing at the press conference podium taking swings at the Devils alleviates some of that pressure from his players. Brilliant departure from the same old media routine most coaches put the media through on any given game day in any professional sport. I am sure every time the New York Ranger bench boss opens his mouth somewhere Gary Bettman is reaching for a bottle of Antacid.
Drop the puck already and get sixty minutes of hockey over with so I can hear what the coaches are going to launch at each other today!
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