Mike Rupp made Monday's Game 5 between the Devils and Rangers quite interesting when he shoved Martin Brodeur after the Devils goaltender apparently mouthed off to him about a hit on Peter Harrold. The coaches met at the benches, yelling at each other in Pierre McGuire's face. A mini-brawl broke out too as the Devils came to the defense of their goaltender against an ex-teammate in Rupp.
Rangers Vs. Devils: Mike Rupp Shove Angers New Jersey; Tortorella, DeBoer Have Words
The whole incident worked up fans on both sides of the Hudson, but at Blueshirt Banter, they didn’t think it was that big of a deal. They’re Rangers fans, by the way.
I didn’t think the Mike Rupp “incident” was that bad. Still, you can’t blame the Devils for being upset. As much as Martin Brodeur dove on the push (seriously, Martin, you were shoved, not shot by a cannon) you can’t let the opposing team hit your goaltender. Maybe Rupp was trying to fire the guys up for Game 5. Maybe it works.
Have a feeling Devils fans might disagree.
John Tortorella refused comment after the game regarding his little meeting with Devils coach Pete DeBoer at the benches, but he did talk about Rupp’s shove and how it impacted the game. Did he think Rupp was just trying to give a lifeless Rangers team some energy?
“It probably shouldn’t have happened, because I thought [the initial Rupp hit on was a legal hit,” Tortorella said. “Just play. None of that would have happened if we just kept on playing the game. I don’t know why there was a penalty called. I’m not questioning the referee. I just thought it was a legal hit. None of that would have happened.”
Ah, playoffs.
Stick with our StoryStream for full Devils vs. Rangers Game 4 coverage. For more on the Rangers, check in with Blueshirt Banter, and for more on the Devils, check in with In Lou We Trust.
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