Laviolette is an idiot

By Jeff

The title says it all. The Philadelphia Flyers coach Peter Laviolette called Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma "gutless" after Sunday's 6-4 Flyers win over the Pens.

Laviolette did so because Bylsma put his fourth line on the ice in the final 90 seconds of a 6-3 game. Pens Joey Vitale ended up crushing Danny Briere because Briere forgot there was still time on the clock and he probably shouldn't skate up the ice with his head down. It was a clean hit and Briere was said to be injured on the play.

First, the game is over, why is Laviolette playing a scoring line in the closing seconds? If he cares about their health so much, put a checking line out there to grind out the rest of the game.

Second, the hit was completely clean. Briere had the puck, Vitale hit him in the chest and Briere crumbled while the Flyers players and bench went nuts as if he was cracked in the skull from behind with a stick.

Third, with the way the Flyers were targeting Sidney Crosby, why wouldn't Bylsma put out a checking line? Not to mention, he probably wanted to deliver a little pay back for the cheap shot Brayden Schenn gave Crosby earlier in the period.

It was hilarious listening to some of the Flyers fans call in and saying their team needed to avenge themselves by taking out Crosby in Saturday's season finale. They scream at the top of their lungs that Crosby is a cry baby and a bitch, yet here they are, crying and bitching about a legal hit.

What a joke.

This speaks to a bigger problem occurring in the NHL more and more often. Players take offense to completely legal hits. I understand the desire to drop the gloves and defend your teammates when they are hit with cheap shots. Hockey has always been allowed to police itself. Yet recently teams are dropping the gloves because they take exception to their players being hit cleanly. And Crosby is considered a cry baby.

Now I am pretty sure this was all an act by Laviolette. If he thought it was gutless to play hockey the way everyone is taught to play hockey, then he's an idiot that needs to shut up.  Maybe win a Cup?

He probably acted the way he did (A tantrum-throwing child) because the Flyers respond to that. They are team that agitates and talks a lot. He was just leading by example.

Johnny Cash - Cry Cry Cry