Columbus Blue Jackets’ head coach John Tortorella went on an epic post-game rant in which he took aim at the NHL and referees following a 3-2 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.
During the overtime period, the Blackhawks were called for having too many men on the ice with about 19 seconds remaining in the period. The clock ran down 1.1 seconds after the play was whistled dead, however the time lost was not put back on the clock, which proved to cost the Blue Jackets the game as Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski was able to score on the ensuing power play, but the buzzer had already went off. Had the time been added, the goal would have counted and would have likely ended the game.
“So the whistle is blown at 19.2 on the clock. For some reason, the clock is run down a second and a tenth to 18.1. Whatever reason, I have no goddamn idea. So instead of resetting the clock, [they] tell our captain, ‘We’re not going to do it.’ [The league office in] Toronto doesn’t step in, refs don’t do their freaking job and now we lose the game, and we lose our goalie,” Tortorella said, according to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski.
“So the chain of events, if it was done right,” Tortorella said in an animated and emotionally charged rant. “Is that we don’t lose our goalie and we win the hockey game. So all the goddamn technology, right? The technology and getting things right … the stubbornness tonight, by the officials and by the league and Toronto, however it’s supposed to goddamn work, screws us.”
“It’s ridiculous. I’m not taking any goddamn questions,” Tortorella concluded as he ended his new conference.
Columbus has more to be frustrated about with the game, as they blew a 2-0 lead to Chicago during regulation.