Maybe Rangers coach John Tortorella is right. Maybe he didn’t sit forward Brad Richards — who signed a nine-year, $60 million deal before last season — to make a statement going into Game 4 of New York’s second-round series with the Bruins.
Maybe he made Richards a healthy scratch just so he could get someone to ask him about it at the after-game news conference, and then use it as an excuse for a Tortorella classic.
Tortorella got all over a reporter who dared to ask Thursday why Richards and his beaucoup salary were out for Game 4. While Tortorella usually revels in the art of brevity, he gave a full speech to defend Richards.
Tortorella went on about how great a player Richards is, saying he’s won a Conn Smythe trophy and that he just wants to help Richards figure out how to get back to form.
“So none of ya’s — don’t put words in my mouth,” he said. “It’s not blaming Brad Richards. I’ve already heard enough of that crap already, as far as this is concerned. … Kiss my [expletive] if you want to write something different.”
Tortorella mixed his share of salty language into the diatribe. Check it out in the video below.
