Roy gets clobbered

Can't say I've seen many more punches land as cleanly as the one Philadelphia's Riley Cote landed on Andre Roy. Still, Roy apparently was upset that Cote decided to fight for a second time (Roy got the best of him in the first period) when he was at the end of a shift, though Cote insisted after the game he was at the end of his shift too.

Tell you what I thought at the time was that Roy was going to be mad because Cote took a shot at him while Roy was clearing his arm out of the sleeve of his jersey. Thought Roy was clear but was still distracted when Cote threw that left.

Either way it was a hell of a shot.

What will be more interesting is the fallout after Roy, who was benched after the second fight, jawed with Cote from the bench and made the throat slashing move with his hand. Roy was benched for three games in February after fighting and jawing from the bench with Florida's Bransislav Mezei.

I'm sure Torts, who always is on Roy to control his emotions, did not think much of the performance.

Comments

[Pepe]

Torts better look at himself before he preaches for control. Timing yes, control, I don't agree.

Toughest job in hockey for a reason, rest of the guys should either step up or shut up.

[GP]

Roy got the best of Cote the first time they fought tonight. However, I have never seen Roy get thumped like that in the second fight. You can't blame it on being tired because they were both at the end of shifts. Roy has to remember he lives and dies by the code ... sometimes you smash and sometimes you get smashed.

Torts said if Roy acted out again it was the end of his career with the Lightning. Does he even have the power/authority to do that? I would think Koules would keep a fan favorite over a coach who has abused his methods of motivation. Maybe Roy should have turned around and knocked Torts out and then walked to Feaster's office to take out the trash.

[Jeep (Since someone else is already Eric)]

Roy is not the best player on the ice, nor even the best player on our team.

However, Roy and (surprisingly) Halpern are two of the players I see bring their A game every night, win or lose. That seems to be a rare quality on this team.

Should Torts bench him, that's the last straw for me. I'll be first in line at the Administrative offices on Channelside Drive to call for his head.

This team has lost all respect and faith in the coach, and it seems like its going nowhere till it gets that back. If only we had a vet to rally around, someone like Brad...oh, wait. We traded him for "younger talent"!

God help this team. Because the conference certainly doesn't seem to be.

[GP]

We should all email Ron Campbell and demand administrative changes (Torts & Feaster) or else we will not renew our season tickets. Let the fans be heard!

I believe his email address is rcampbell@sptimesforum.com

[olin]

GP- You can try that email, I did it once last year about offering for no charge or grattis some great Swedish hockey arena music off a cd, if he cared to listen too to add to our forum music selection's, and it is really great hockey pumping up get ya going music...but never heard a word back, tried again and the mail was returned to me...send some me some lutefisk people...best thing, send him a letter in the mail
Another tough loss, what else is new. Soon this chapter of 2007-08 Lightning hockey will be in the book's....Amen.

[boltflasher]

Torts said it will be handled internally?...it may be the only thing he has a handle on...I am sick of Tortorella. With all of the problems this team has, e.g., 2 shots in the third period, 1 shot the whole game by Vinny, they decide to discipline Roy or even worse....truly then the coach and his pet peeves has become bigger than the team and the fan base which is usually not a good situation.

[Kipp]

I think Roy got mad because he got clobbered when he was messing with his sleeve. Kind of a cheap shot but I'm sure Cote wanted revenge after the first fight.

[Wow]

Tortorella has every right to bench Roy if he does do it. The idiot was going nuts on the bench. The Bolts were lucky not to get handed with a bench minor. Notice though, Tortorella wasn't freaking out and going crazy like so many people suggest. He was staying calm and just tried to talk him down. Even Jason Ward was trying to make him sit down and shut up. This isn't the time for Roy to get frustrated and pull some stupid stunt that will land him in trouble. The team's morale is already low enough. But even if Tortorella does bench Roy, would it really hurt the team? There are plenty of other players who have turned up their game recently and will likely have better seasons next year, one of which is Ouellet, who people are still griping at Feaster about even though he brought in a young player with the ability to score 30 a year. If you actually think firing Tortorella and Feaster will help the team, you're dead wrong. If they go, do you think Vinny's going to want to stick around long term?

[boltflasher]

Is Wow actually JF?

[boltflasher]

I do not think Tortorella is a bad coach. But there are obviously some problems on this team. Either players are not listening to their coach or they are not performing or unable to perform what the coach wants, or what the coach wants is not working...Its a bit of all of that I think and time for a fresh approach....Vinny is really struggling and its due to Tortorella

[Patricia]

I think Vinny is just drained after going through this mess yet again.

Anyone really think he's back next year? Why??

Roy is just a plugger who picks his spots ..no more and no less. Sure picked the wrong one last night.

Who can tell me why he makes a million?

[tundo]

Torts needs to calm down. I am all for Roy going hog wild on the ice, we have nothing to play for, except LOSING the game to improve draft status. If we fall to dead last in the NHL the worst we can draft is 2nd. Roy is showing a lot of energy, which is more than I can say about most other people on this team. Let him play. Let him fight...

As for the fight, it was a cheap shot, but you have to be ready at all times during a fight. Andre should have never kept himself open, especially against one of the better fighters in the league. Earned him a star in last nights game...

[David]

For once I have no problem with Torts, except that Roy is his kind of player so I'm not sure why he is upset. In my opinion Roy always picks the wrong spots and his penalty minutes outweigh whatever minimal good he brings in other areas. He's not the kind of player I want on a team I cheer for. There's too much of a short circuit upstairs.

I think Torts knows he's done, this is an interesting study in self-destruction. A coach with class would meet with Feaster and admit he's lost the locker room and submit a resignation and ask if there was another position in the organization, or for permission to look for a job elsewhere.

[Dave]

Kipp, Cote's punch was not a cheap shot. I rewound the fight like three times and Roy had clearly removed his arm from his sleeve before Cote threw that left. You could see that Roy relaxed for a split second after removing his arm and by then it was too late. If you fight Cote, you'd damn well better be ready for some quick lefts; he doesn't waste much time. If Roy didn't want to fight, then he should have turned him down. Mad at Cote for wanting to fight when Roy was at the end of a shift...what a ridiculous excuse for being irate and losing a fight. He's just pissed that he almost got knocked out. Even though I'm defending Cote, I am a big Roy fan. He's willing to get his head knocked in game-in-and-game-out, he hardly ever loses fights (Cote and Laroque is all I recall), is a great locker room presence, all the guys love and respect him...Patricia, why WOULDN'T you want to pay him a million bucks?

[Voice of the Turtle]

Andre, as a specialized role-player, ought to have learned by now that invitations to battle are best not accepted at the end of a shift. Of course, he also should know by now that failure to manage his emotions usually leads to disadvantage for his team and himself. If he thinks about it, he might consider that his most extreme behavior poses a threat to the officials who, though used to the fighting as part of the game, cannot tolerate loss of control of the contest and incidents that make their work too problematic, albeit that it stirs the crowd. Frequently, lop-sided penalty time accrues against the Lightning and refs start expecting to see Roy as "the" troublemaker or the element that produces chaos on the ice. Too often, that expectation governs their perceptions of reality, and they will deal with him harshly.

Realizing this, Tortorella has tried to influence and correct the emotional rages of the likable winger who, many have observed, actually brings more than his physicality to the rink (like his blistering slap shot).

Roy's fan appeal and his relationships with his teammates have made him an integral part of this team, but to date he has demonstrated that he can be his own worst enemy and, sometimes, a Lightning liability.

It is fairly well-known and understandable that his puck-handling skills, his hockey IQ, his passing abilities, and his skating speed are all below par at the NHL level. Although given more ice time this year, one does not see a marked improvement in these vital areas.

Owing to these hard times for the team, Andre's future as a Bolt may now be in serious question. In the "new" NHL, the accent will progressively rest on team toughness rather than on "designated" tough guys. One would think that even the experience-poverished Lightning GM could get that through his flabby skull.

[Tackleberry]

Respect the CODE.

Everyone knows if you fight you get 5 min in the box. If it gets the Bolts fired up, go for it - FIGHT.

Whatever was said or done on the ice between Cote and Roy it is between them two. They handled it. Its a 1-1 tie.

I will say that, Roy will QUICKLY get into a fight. He seems to have the same temper as Torts. Both their fuzes are about 1/4 inch long.

With all this being said, I would not blame any coach for benching Roy the rest of the game. There would nothing gained if he fought again. I think that Roy would have jeopardized the game for the bolts by getting into more fights. Especially in the last 5 min of a game. I could have seen the Flyers taunting Roy into starting a fight.

[rileys left fist]

cheap shot? he had to chase him around to square up! its a fight! once two people square off, there are NO cheap shots. dont they have fights in tampa? stop being a bunch of cry babies. your enforcer got knocked out. deal with it. all enforcers get knocked out. roy just doesnt know how to handle it. and apparently neither do lightning fans. and dont tell me about the scoreboard showing it over and over, theres not enough time to explain hockey to you people. roy got CRACKED, and pouted like a little girl who skinned her knee, and wasnt it GREAT?

[ajax]

Roy makes a million, but we only pay half. He is a sideshow not a hockey player. I hear they want to keep him. He is at best a minimum wage player. Sure he fights but he averages 3 minutes a game. If they pencil him in for the 20th spot, sure keep him, but we need players. More than anything we need a couple of 225-235 Dmen. Have to get some toughness and anger in front of our goalie.

[olin]

..your right ajax, a couple 6'3-6'5" guy's like the big team's alway's look for as the first requirement to have.

[Coach Bill]

Ajax- I couldn't agree with you more. I've said that for years that Roy is really not helping us at all. I admit,the kids got alot of heart and enthusiasm,but he takes too many stupid penalties. ( He almost took us out of the Stanley Cup with a late interference penalty ( in the offensive zone while we were up 1 goal late in the game). What's he thinking??? I really like to read your blogs( and Casper and Tundo). I'll be in the clubhouse behind 201 at the Panthers game. Check in with the hostess if you're interested. Anyone seen Ashley?