You received’t like John Tortorella when he’s indignant.
The Flyers head coach was thrust into the forefront on Thursday night time after ahead Garnet Hathaway was the sufferer of a blindside hit from the Penguins’ Bokondji Imama that left Hathaway shaken up on the ice earlier than getting help and exiting the sport.
“It’s probably one of the dirtiest hits I’ve seen in quite a while,” Tortorella informed reporters postgame. “That’s a dangerous, cheap hit.”
Hathaway’s head slammed on the ice.
Tortorella’s frustration mounted when the referees reviewed the interference penalty and, after initially calling the play a significant penalty and giving Imama 5 minutes within the penalty field, the decision was decreased to a two-minute minor penalty.
Tortorella screamed on the officers because the Pittsburgh crowd received riled up whereas its group was within the midst of a comeback.
Tortorella spoke on his disagreement with the reasoning behind the penalty’s downgrade.
“The explanation was it was not a hit to the head on the hit, that he hit his head on the ice,” Tortorella mentioned. “[The hit’s] why he hits his head on the ice. I believe we should be thinking about what really happened on the hit, and not get glued on a hit to head originally.”
Previous to the hit, Imama and Hathaway had been going at it all through the sport. Imama mentioned he had even challenged Hathaway to struggle quite a few occasions.
Regardless of the jawing and physicality, Imama says he by no means meant to put a unclean hit.
“My intention was never to be dirty or to hurt anyone,” he mentioned “It’s a physical game. Unfortunately, things like this can happen … I had the right intention. I just wanted to bump him.”
The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reported Friday that testing on Hathaway got here again unfavourable and “the worst was avoided.”
Hathaway has tallied eight objectives, 10 assists and has not but missed a recreation this season for Philadelphia.
