#249: Pots and Kettles

---SSL Broadcast #88---



In the NHL, it's all over but the whining.

I'm not talking about the fact that both the Eastern and Western Conference playoff seedings could break a number of different ways with only one more day left in the regular season, although that should make for interesting watching (I almost hope Phoenix loses to Minnesota in overtime tonight so that the the Los Angeles/San Jose game has immense implications).

Two of the previous three Pittsburgh Penguins' opponents have gone and given "irony" a fresh new look and sound.

First, Philadelphia Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette accused Pens head coach Dan Bylsma as being "gutless" sending the fourth line out on the ice to send a message in a game already decided. This after throwing a tantrum on his bench, then pseudo-threatening to cross over to the Penguin bench to accomplish...what? A prima donna production? You betcha. Pretty gutless in his own right.

Then, on Thursday night, New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella, rightfully cheesed about a knee-on-knee hit levelled by Pens defenseman Brooks Orpik on Derek Stepan, decided to call out star forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as "whiners," instead. What are you really complaining about, John, when you bring up two players not involved? That you have a hard time beating a fully-tooled Pens team? Yup.

And then he doubles down by calling the entire organization "arrogant." All while sporting the snootiest look I couldn't even duplicate. The cold irony is so thick, you could skate on it.

Crosby's completely frank reaction interview, devoid of "innocence," referring to the comments by Tortorella and others as "garbage" was the perfect response. No whining. Just facts. The implicit message - finish it on the ice. The Flyers did. The Rangers did not.

Now all three teams have a chance to claim the Stanley Cup, and no amount of whining is going to put a puck in the back of the net.



On the latest episode:

- How does the Stanley Cup playoff picture look? And the Pens/Flyers?

- Pirates offense looks spookily familiar.

- Power loses three in a row.

- Steelers cut ties with one more high-ish profile player.






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