Paul Stewart: Dinosaurs, Giants, and the Vancouver Pillow Fight

My thoughts exactly, Paul.

Compare this brawl with the Ottawa/Montreal line brawl in last year's playoffs.

This one was staged, and the players had to step-up because the coaches hate each other from their days in NY and Atlanta.

Calgary is a bad team and Vancouver, a good one. There is no 'rivalry' there right now. The hired goons on both teams have been there for a couple years.. hardly from a time that there was a genuine rivalry between these two teams.

As you said, the players had no problem separating, and most of the fights actually ended on their own (without the need for refs).

Compare that with the Ottawa/Montreal brawl in the playoffs. Those fights ended with one guy on top of the other (and stopping out of respect for his fellow human being), or because a ref jumped in.

Paul Stewart: Dinosaurs, Giants, and the Vancouver Pillow Fight
- Paul Stewart

Hartley should be fined and Torts suspended. Hartley knew what he as doing and Torts was dumb enough to take the bait.

It wasn't the worst thing we've seen but totally unnecessary.

I'm very interested in your take on the screw up in the Kings-Red Wings game. I thought there was enough gray area in the wording of what's reviewable to handle the off the netting situation. And in the replay, the back referee was clearly not looking at the play.

Remember Buffalo vs Toronto ... Scott vs Kessel ? Do you really take a risk as a coach ? It's a no-win situation for Torts. "Pick your poison", that's what he's done.

They're better served with the Sedins (even with the reputation of being soft) than without !

Love your blogs!

I think torts shouldn't have risked laying the sedins but should have put his second or third line out there. Win win for him.

Guess I'm a dinosaur right along with you, Paul! Great stuff!

Remember Buffalo vs Toronto ... Scott vs Kessel ? Do you really take a risk as a coach ? It's a no-win situation for Torts. "Pick your poison", that's what he's done.

They're better served with the Sedins (even with the reputation of being soft) than without !
- chrislieng

exactly.

Remember Buffalo vs Toronto ... Scott vs Kessel ? Do you really take a risk as a coach ? It's a no-win situation for Torts. "Pick your poison", that's what he's done.

They're better served with the Sedins (even with the reputation of being soft) than without !
- chrislieng

Henrik Sedin is playing with a broken finger and likely has bruised or cracked ribs thanks to a cross-check from Hanzal in their last game.

Burrows is wearing a full face mask because of a broken jaw.

Daniel's self-defense skills are well-noted.

But Tortorella's wrong for not putting his first line out there to diffuse the situation? Why not put out the second line or third line and just let those guys get injured or receive game misconducts instead?

It wasn't much of a 'brawl' but this was pre-meditated by Hartley to bait the Canucks and Vancouver didn't have much of choice in how it could deal with it.
I guess if Devorski had been reffing they could have all turtled ('pulled a Nolan') and then enjoyed a 5 on 3 power play for 14 minutes.

I enjoyed it and had no problem with Torts countering with his 4th line as well.

I'm very interested in your take on the screw up in the Kings-Red Wings game. I thought there was enough gray area in the wording of what's reviewable to handle the off the netting situation. And in the replay, the back referee was clearly not looking at the play.
- scottak

Yes, please comment on this.

I would also like to know if there is punishment to the referees for this pathetic display of referees. If so, how do the meetings go.
This is just as bad of call than the never called 10' offside on Colorado to start the year.

I'm very interested in your take on the screw up in the Kings-Red Wings game. I thought there was enough gray area in the wording of what's reviewable to handle the off the netting situation. And in the replay, the back referee was clearly not looking at the play.
- scottak

It's a hole in the rules. Puck out of play isn't reviewable but should be in this type of case. I will blog about it tomorrow.

HOLD IT..... "That risk is non-existent?"

Try telling Phil Kessel that. Did you miss the preseason? Buffalo... Scott???? Anyone.... anyone...

EDIT: I had not yet read the other responses. Glad to see that MOST of your responders held for feet to the fire on this one.

HOLD IT..... "That risk is non-existent?"

Try telling Phil Kessel that. Did you miss the preseason? Buffalo... Scott???? Anyone.... anyone...

EDIT: I had not yet read the other responses. Glad to see that MOST of your responders held for feet to the fire on this one.
- Beatle_john

HOLD IT..... "That risk is non-existent?"

Try telling Phil Kessel that. Did you miss the preseason? Buffalo... Scott???? Anyone.... anyone...

EDIT: I had not yet read the other responses. Glad to see that MOST of your responders held for feet to the fire on this one.
- Beatle_john

Hold on. What exactly happened between Scott and Kessel?...... Not a fight. Kessel used his stick to protect himself, (at first) Scott never even threw a punch. Kessel was suspended for the second stick swing after other Leafs teammates had got in the way. The idea of a heavy-weight grabbing your skilled guys and actually injuring them is non existant. If it actually happens nowadays please give me a real example of it. The Canucks, after having 3 of them called in consecutive games, should be very familiar with the instigator rule

I enjoyed it and had no problem with Torts countering with his 4th line as well.
- Nucker101

There was nothing wrong with what Torts did until he went into the corridor of the Flames room. In other words he stood up for his team, there was a line brawl, fine but there's no need for the circus afterward

Henrik Sedin is playing with a broken finger and likely has bruised or cracked ribs thanks to a cross-check from Hanzal in their last game.

Burrows is wearing a full face mask because of a broken jaw.

Daniel's self-defense skills are well-noted.

But Tortorella's wrong for not putting his first line out there to diffuse the situation? Why not put out the second line or third line and just let those guys get injured or receive game misconducts instead?

It wasn't much of a 'brawl' but this was pre-meditated by Hartley to bait the Canucks and Vancouver didn't have much of choice in how it could deal with it.
I guess if Devorski had been reffing they could have all turtled ('pulled a Nolan') and then enjoyed a 5 on 3 power play for 14 minutes.
- YeOldTimer

Or pulled a Vancouver and cross checked the goalies head, taken a dump on themselves, burned their city down, then whined to the media for a week about luongo being run (even though ALL video shows the guy being pushed into luongo).