Rangers coach wants Smith suspended

Since we are having some problem getting my story on the web site, I figured I'd at least get the information on here.

Rangers coach Tom Renney said after Thursday's 5-2 victory over the Lightning that he believes Tampa Bay goalie Mike Smith should be suspended for the altercation he had with New York agitator Aaron Voros. The two fought with 1:41 left in the third period. Smith also got high-sticking and slashing penalties.

"You usually don't get hurt fighting but you might get hurt with a spear or slash to the back of the leg," Renney said. "It was completely unprovoked and I think Smith should be suspended."

Smith said his emotions got the better of him. Voros was in front of Smith almost the entire game and the two continually jousted.

Lightning coach Barry Melrose had no problem with Smith.

"If the referees don't protect you, you have to protect yourself," Melrose said. "It's jungle rules out there. It's Sing-Sing rules out there in the third period."    

Comments

mostly because they can Leo, should be easy to police but the powers to be can't seem to be bothered..

[léo]

What the heck?
All these last posts are copy/pasted of the comments of the sportsnet page that PD posted.
What gives?
It's just one person copying them obviously using other TB names.
Why?
P.

[vickie]

Hey Renney Back Off You IDiot!! Voros had it coming. He kept messing with Smith and fell on him on occasions where nobody even touched Voros.. I think Smitty had the right and i wish the linesman didn't get involved cus Smitty would have kicked his butt. But myopinion fo rthe rest of the team is that the Rangers were mopping their faces up and down the ice. Come on BOYS, You guys have to be MORE physical and challenging. Way to go Bugsy for kicking Voros's stupid butt.

[casper]

I couldn't agree more, Koules and Barrie are clowns! This team is NOT underachieving. They belong in the bottom third of the conference.

[lightning rod]

Ownership will saw this franchise in two...Oren Koules and Len Barrie should have stuck to fantasy hockey. This is what happens when ownership confuses their passion for the game, previous playing experience and status for the skills required in managing, coaching, operating and making player personnel decisions.

[Herb]

The Lightning Ownership group is an example of one of (if not the)worst ownership groups in professional sports. They have always used the team to promote their "Hollywood" image and the game has come second. From having Brooke Hogan (Hulk Hogan's daughter) singing the anthem (more like squealing it but looking good doing it) to shamlessly having their goaltenders promoting their movies there is nothing that this ownership group won't do to promote their other business interests. Anything but building a competitive hockey team.

[Hockey Chic]

Oren Koules is one of the dumbest people to talk hockey with. Listening to him respond to hockey questions makes you wonder if he actually understands what the game is about.

[Boltflasher]

The ownership group in Tampa Bay is a joke and will always be a joke. These guys pretend to know anything about hockey and continue to make classless moves. This is just one in a long line of BS. The hockey mask is basically the only thing the NHL allows with any kind of self-expression, and since its inception it has personalized by goaltenders.

Im tired of the Cowboy routine from these guys. They think outside the box. I get it. sometimes the box is there for a reason. Douche-bags.

[Craig]

I agree with the above. I don't see how anyone can bash Mike Smith. He's carried this team on his back since the opener. He's allowed a bad game every once in a while, it happens to even the greatest goalies.

Having said that, I still don't think he should go back-to-back on consecutive nights on a long roadtrip.

[léo]

Sorry noname.
By "40", I meant "62". In fact, I SHOULDA said 62.
By "40-year-old", I meant OLD VETERAN.
38?
Same as 40. Same as 62. Same thing.
Old.
I know that in Florida, the use of humor is different but up north, we sometimes use "exaggerated reality" to identify a situation. Well, I do. Calling 21, 22 and 23-year-olds "kids", for example. "Obliterating" an opponent. Firing a "rocket". When a butterfly goaltender gets a shutout, we can say that he "stood tall in the crease"; figure THAT one out! Gimme a break; I can call Olllie a 40-year-old if I wanna.
But of course, nitpicking wasn't the point of my post. It was on Smitty.
I suppose next you'll say "I met Smitty, Leo, and he is NOT a "bastich" as you describe!"
P.

[ajax]

What is everyone complaining about? We have undisputed position of 11th place!!!!!

[PD]

Good article on the image of garbage rapidly being associated with Lightning ownership
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/blogs/2008/11/04/mccormick_blog/

[coach bill]

I am organizing the fan reunion as you speak, oh fat one. And, speaking of enforcers, I am appointing myself as the cop that will ensure everyone leaves a healthy tip. It's one thing to lead a bunch of crybabies but I won't stand being the high priest of skinflints too.

ok i really dont know why people are bashing smith at all here, hes done an amazing job this year. he has the second best save percentage. he had one bad game and everyone just goes nuts

[Bob]

Maybe now Lawton will rethink the idea that the Lightning have no need for an enforcer.I see Tarnasty and O'Brien got into it in their game last night.Yeah Brian we dont need no stinking enforcer.What a moron.

[Bob]

Hey Billy,spoken like someone that knows nothing about hockey.Smith has played pretty good to this point.Considering the lack of goal support and D in front of him.

The previous post by Fat Jay was the fake imposter. The real Fat Jay is leaving his tips on ESPN.

[Craig]

Smith apparently played last night because he insisted, at least according to reports. He wasn't happy about giving up those two shootout goals against the Devils and wanted to redeem himself.

He probably should've sat. He may not have been physically tired but his focus and maybe his seeing was just a little off. But give the Rangers some credit, they rush were they had three guys coming down and Gomez(I think) hit the 2nd trailer rather then the 1st was a great move. One of the goals, Smitty was blocked by 1 Ranger and 2-3 of our own guys and never saw the shot from the point. The breakaway shortie was all on Smith though. He gambled and lost with the Ranger going opposite side off the fake.

I was expecting Ollie on the back half of a back-to-back and he should've gotten the call. He's proven to be a fully capable goalie and probably knows the Rangers better than Smitty having played against them more(w/ the Caps).

Smitty getting suspended is a joke. Goalies have done far worse with little/no consequence. I think he took exception to Voros piling on him in the crease earlier in the game. Like Melrose said, if the refs aren't gonna protect them, then the players are gonna police themselves. And the game was over at that point anyway.

The outcome wasn't good, the Rangers ARE good but the Lightning fought hard, especially Malone. Yeah it was sloppy at times but they just have to forget about it and move on to the Flyers and get ready for a fight. This roadtrip is brutal enough as it is.

[Fat Jay]

What a bunch of whiners!!! First, the refs were, if anything, kind to the Bolts. Secondly, The rule book does not define "pestering" as a violation and ensuing penalty.

Hey, coach, time to schedule one of your crybaby sessions at Shots when this bunch of losers returns to the Forum. Only this time, please tip the server.

[Ruthe]

If Tom Renney is so upset, why was he smiling on the bench. There is a great replay of the Smith/Voros confrontation on :

http://nhl.fanhouse.com/

Notice Renney on the bench.

I know Canadian postal codes and measurements and dollars and that are all different, but....down here in Swampville, 38 does not equal 40.

Besides that, if being 40 means you can't play effectively any more, someone forgot to tell Mark Recchi.

[Bryan]

Voros got Mikey with a loose foot a few times last night so you knew this was coming. Good for Voros for knocking the guys off their game, I couldn't help but think "maybe this is what this team needs to really bond". Sometimes these moments are a blessing because you find out real fast who has a spine, and who has your back. Gratton and Roberts, even though Roberts is retarded at times, took exception to Voros and stood up, along with Malone, and hopefully Smith taking matters into his own hands shows these guys that they need to grow a pair and stand up. This is a mans sport, quit being boys.

Should have played Kolzig. It was obvious when Smith started vs. NJ on a Wed. with NYR on Thu., it was obvious after he looked weak in the shootout, it was obvious after two softies went in, and it was REALLY obvious at the end after his meltdown.

First bad game by a TB goalie, 2nd multi-goal loss this season. I'm not ready to fling myself off the Skyway just yet.

But I expected them to play with more emotion from the opening puckdrop, with the excoriation they received from the GM after what I thought was a stirring comeback to earn a road point in NJ in the final minutes of the 3rd.

Sat. vs. Philly, Mon. vs. WSH....does he play Kolzig vs. his old team or get him in there Saturday, or both? Stay tuned

[léo]

Tackle,
Because Kolzig is a 40-year-old veteran of the NHL. He's already played.
He's not a rookie. Not a regular auxiliary. Not a future number-1. He doesn't need to play every three games to "stay sharp".
As for resting Smith, tell you one thing, Smitty didn't look tired to me last night!
Agree with Coach Bill: Hey, maybe Smitty SHOULD be suspended. That ain't the point.
The point is the EFFECT.
Take the suspension and consider that a victory.
Cuz then, EVERYONE in the league will KNOW that Smitty is one brutal, badass, muzzer lovin' bastich. And at any moment, he can snap and go Billy Smith on ya, should he not like the sight of your back or calves.
Such information will have NO EFFECT against your opponents this season? Guess again.
Take the suspension. And rejoice.
Notch eight, I tells ya. Love this guy!
P.

[Jimbo]

Tom Renney is a hypocrit. He wants Mike Smith suspended after allowing Sean Avery make the game a joke last year in the playoffs. That is absolutely terrible. Voros was pestering Smith all night.

[PD]

Ditto Herb

Marty is the reason Drury's shorthanded goal and he couldn't hold on to the puck. That wasn't decent at all. All I saw from Martin St. Louis was sloppiness. With the exeption of the one goal he scored. He didn't do crap.

If anyone had a good game on the Lightning, it would have to be Ryan Malone. He played an awesome game of hockey. He was physical and didn't hold onto the puck for long periods of time and actually took shots.

As for the goalie situation, Smitty was named the number one goalie for a reason, he is still number three in the NHL for Goals Against Average. He is one of the top Goaltenders in the NHL right now. If he is playing awesomely, why take him out? He was awesome last night. He made a few mistakes, but a goaltender can't catch everything. That was partly the defences fault. Personally I think that Smitty is an awesome goaltender and Jay Feaster knew what he was doing when he made the trade to get him, Jussi and Halpern. That was what I have to say a one of the best trades in Lightning history and will go into the franchise books as a highlight.

[Tackleberry]

Dont understand why they played Smith vice Kolzig???? Why not rest Smith??? Why not keep Kolzig sharp??? Is Smith going to play 80+ games this season????

Love Smith's passion/intensity, but that incident did not help the team last night.

At least Marty had a descent game.

[BoltsFan91]

Wow. I think the Bolts have a nwe rivalry. After three games this year, we have been killing them physically and I give the Rangers one or two more games of this and they won't be able to take it. Not to mention that the refs have been one sided for the Rangers since the Prague games. No doubt that will make the Bolts mad pretty soon and we will end up seeing a brawl. I can't wait for that game. That is going to be an awesome game to go to. I can't wait to see it.

As for Smith and the whole situation, obviously Voros was messing with more than Smitty. He got into a fight with Malone, he got into another altercation with both Gratton and Roberts. Voros was all over Smitty the whole game. And if you notice. He had NO penalties except teh obvious fighting penalty and I bet if it wasn't for that he wouldn't have gotten called for anything.

By the way, did anyone see that AMAZING coaching that Melrose was doing. Oh my God, Jack Adams Award all over it. He didn't do anything or say anything until he got to the press conference. If it was Torts, he would have been all over the ice, yelling and screaming at the refs. It's like he depends on the Captains to get everything figured out. He is more oblivious than the Penguins coach, man. And we got rid of Tortorella because for that? What's the deal?

As for the Bolts, yall looked a little sloppy at times and passed the puck to much, but all in all yall set up some REALLY good scoring chances. Now all yall got to do is take those chances.

It's okay though, even through all of this bad hockey, I am going to say it...

GO BOLTS!

[coach bill]

This is a great message to his teammates. Smitty is fired up and plays with emotion. As a goalie,you don't get to "lead" much so this was his way of contributing. This is not his normal persona,so I liked it.

[rbc]

Good effort, it was a heated game. I never complain about the ref's, but last night was ridiculous, there were alot of non calls for the bolts and it seemed the rangers got all the calls. That being said the bolts need to get a bonafide fighter, we can't have malone in the box as a fighter all the time he is needed on the ice. When you have a guy like orr who couldn't tie v4's skates messing with him, its time for "ok" to get a goon and let them police the other team.

[Hockey Chic]

Morning fellow posters,

Gotta say I think the rangers got our number although two goals is better than none. Way to go MSL keep up the great work and we will get there one shift, one period, one game at a time.

I only saw the first period, so I cannot comment on the rest of the game. However, I loved the fight. Way to go Malone way to step up. It sure seemed like the refs did not want any part of that.

Lets take any of the positive we can away from this game and get ready for the Flyers. Keeping working hard fellas, shoot the puck, crash the net, pester the crap out of those guys and get another win.

Go Bolts!!!

[Billy Charlebois]

Suspension is a great idea. Maybe the Dolts can get on a bit of a winning streak in the games he's gone.

[The Voice of the Turtle]

Under the guidance of distinguished Ranger coach, Tom Renney, Mr. Avery performed his shinanagans in front of Marty Brodeur which served as a disgrace for the NHL as it showcased its Stanley Cup NY-NJ subway series before millions of viewers last year. Now Renney takes umbrage at a whack by a goalie against another of his ruffians, Aaron Voros.

Gee Tom...I'll bet you never saw a goalie apply the stick to a pest before in your 5 years as Ranger coach. Get serious, you jerk or we'll have Barry Melrose do to you what Malone did to that agitating Aaronhole, Voros.

[Herb]

Smith should be suspended. It wouldn't hurt the Bolts. After letting in 2 of 4 cheapies, he gave his team no chance by using his stick on the back of an opponent. A non-goalie would get league sanctions, no questions asked. A rather shocking and enigmatic performance.