Pierre McGuire said that he needed to mute his microphone when John Tortorella and Peter DeBoer exchanged words during Game 4. That’s probably the most context we’re going to receive regarding the New Jersey Devils’and New York Rangers head coaches’ exchange - at least for a while - as both bench bosses went the “no comment” route during press conferences tonight.
Here’s another look at that brief argument, if you’re a fantastic lip reader.
Since the two coaches aren’t expressing themselves, let’s take a quick look back at a rapidly building rivalry.
When the teams engaged in a steady stream of fights during the regular season, DeBoer bashed Tortorella for putting his ruffians on the ice while Torts critiqued DeBoer’s memory. Things were (relatively) quiet in the series until Game 3, when Torts complained about Devils players “staying down” on the ice to get calls. DeBoer called Tortorella’s comments “comical,” which provided plenty of comedy for hockey fans waiting in between contests.
Tonight’s antics provide the highlight clip of the rivalry, yet it’s not exactly the first time they’ve “expressed pleasantries.” The odds seem high that this won’t be the last time, either.
