NEW YORK — We are officially in the mud now.
Alain Vigneault continued the war of words between the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens ahead of Sunday’s Game 4 in the Eastern Conference final by suggesting that Michel Therrien’s decision to kick his assistant coaches out of the stands during Saturday’s practice was “uncalled for.”
“There was no agreement between both teams,” Vigneault said after the morning skate at Madison Square Garden. “That is the exception not the rule. I have been asked in the past to do this on a couple of occasions, (but) usually the coach calls me or the GM calls the GM. Never happened. What happened yesterday was uncalled for, without a doubt my staff handled it with a lot of class just like our team. Play whistle to whistle, don’t get involved with the other stuff. Very regrettable.
“This is the National Hockey League and, that type of behaviour, we’re lucky it didn’t escalate.”
It was enough to make you thankful that the teams are finally going to resume this series. They’ve only played once in the last five days, leaving plenty of time to exchange words. Too much time really.
Vigneault went on the offensive Sunday morning. Among his more pointed comments was the suggestion that Therrien was navigating shaky ground by saying that the Habs know exactly what Derick Brassard’s injury is. Brassard was expected to return to the lineup in Game 4 after missing the last two games.
“Let me put it this way: I just hope that nothing happens to Brass … and Michel could be in trouble,” said Vigneault.
Derek Stepan will not play for the Rangers after suffering a broken jaw on Thursday following a late hit from Brandon Prust. Some of the Montreal players had questioned the severity of his injury, with Daniel Briere suggesting that it was “fishy.”
You can add that to the long list of things that had Vigneault in a snarly mood on Sunday.
“I can’t speak for the other organization,” he said. “If you ask me about Step, he’s got a broken jaw, it just got operated on … I can’t comment on their players saying that Step’s injury is fishy. We’re trying to play whistle to whistle, we’re trying to do the right things. I know in the hockey world we’re painted as dishonourable and dishonest; we’re not, we follow the rules.
“We follow the rules on the ice and we’re following the rules off the ice.”
What made the sniping particularly interesting is that Vigneault and Therrien are close friends. They used to coach against each other in junior and Vigneault pushed for Therrien to get a job with the Canadiens’ AHL team in Fredricton back in 1997.
However, that friendship is currently on hold.
“I think he said it prior to the series: For this two-week period we’re not really friends,” said Vigneault. “He’s probably right.”
Therrien doesn’t expect the hiatus to last.
“I’m privileged to be one of his friends,” he said. “He’s an important person in my life. He’s a guy that pushed for me to get into pro hockey, and I respect that. Over the years we became great, great friends, and I’ve got tons of respect for him, and he’s a good coach. But right now we’re battling for the same thing. …
“I’m sure when everything’s going to be done and everything’s going to be over, and as soon as we get a chance to see each other, we’re going to have a nice cold beer, like we did in the past, and nothing’s going to change.”
With all of the back and forth, there was virtually no talk about hockey.
Therrien wasn’t even asked about Michael Bournival replacing the suspended Prust or Francis Bouillon coming in on the blueline for Nathan Beaulieu. Those were the only lineup decisions of note for him. The Rangers planned to start J.T. Miller for the injured Stepan.
Heck, some of us might even need to be reminded that Montreal trails 2-1 in a series that will determine who plays for the Stanley Cup.
“Hockey is a beautiful game and it’s (played) by great competitors on both teams,” said Vigneault. “I wish a lot of this stuff didn’t happen. When it does you deal with it. I don’t really think it has major effect, if any, on the ice.
“I don’t think it helps our game but some people decide otherwise.”