And Now We Have a War of Words

Great look eh? Suits them well.

The Bruins and Canucks, both players, coaches, and GM's, are getting into a war of words, and I frigging love it. These teams HATE each other and it's awesome to see not only Julien, but Chiarelli, spitting serious fire at Vancouver. First, let's take a look at what Canada's National Dive Team has had to say:

• GM Mike Gillis on Marchand hit on Sami Salo: "Dirty hit by a dirty player"
• Divers Head Coach Alain Vigneault on Marchand: "Marchand - and this is just my feeling - but someday he's going to get it. Someday, someone's going to say 'enough is enough' and hurt the kid because he plays to hurt other players. And if the league doesn't care, someone else will." Am I the only one who sees that as a threat? Where are you on this one Shanahan? 
• Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa (despicable player) on Marchand's hit: "It's very, very cheap. I can't think of a cheaper hit you can do on the ice. That and a slew-foot kind of go hand in hand (um, explain that to me Kevin, that makes no sense). Twenty seconds before that, [Marchand] and Sami have a pretty good collision in the exact same spot. Sami probably gets the better of him. Then the second time, Marchand comes back and loses his will and goes down low. A cheap shot from him and I hope he gets a phone call from the league."
• Mike Gillis once again: "You talk about unacceptable plays in hockey, that's clearly one I'm not going to comment any further (said before he came back and made more comments)"
• Gillis and Vigneault also stated that the Bruins' stance that Marchand was defending himself is "stupid".

Here's what the Bruins have to say:

• Official Statement From GM Peter Chiarelli: "While we respect the process The Department of Player Safety took to reach their decision regarding Brad's hit on Sami Salo, we are very dissapointed by their ruling. While we understand that the Department of Safety is an evolving entity, it is frustrating that their are clear comparable situations that have not been penalized or sanctioned in the past. it is equally dissapointing that Brad sought the counsel of the Department this past Fall for an explanation and clarification regarding this type of scenario so as to adjust his game if necessary. He was advised that such an incident would not be sanctionable if he was protecting his own safety. Given our feeling that Brad was indeed protecting himself and certainly did not clip the player as he contacted the player nowhere near the knee or quadricep, today's ruling is not consistent with what the Department of Player Safety communicated to Brad."
• Peter Chiarelli to the Media:"It's not normally my style to respond in the media to stuff like that, especially when there's a hearing coming up. I would like to respond in the spirit of protecting our player. the comments made about our player, I don't like that. Brad does play on the edge, but he's no dirtier than maybe two or three of their players. So I think in general, after a game like that, an incident like that, you see all the high-handed propoganda and I feel the need to respond. Whether it's from coaches, GM's, or players, I don't like to hear that type of stuff. Certainly I think there's a lobbying element to it. 
• Head Coach Claude Julien: "They can say whatever they want, but everything that happens, whether it's Zdeno Chara last year, him in Montreal, we saw how many clips of that happening to everybody else, and yet the focus was on Chara. The focus is on Marchand right now. Why isn't it on [Mayson] Raymond for last year? Why isn't it on other people? There's [Keith] Ballard on [Jamie] McGinn. There's all kinds of examples, but somehow the Bruins happen to be the team that people prefer to pick on and think we're the bruisers and the example of the league. We have to live with that, bt one thing we won't do is change our style of play. Our team is built that way. I think we play pretty entertaining hockey. We're a fast team. We're a skilled team. We're also a physical team, and we're Stanley Cup Champions, so I don't see why we should change."
• More From Julien: "I think it's pretty hypocritical, everything that's been going on, it's unfortunate. Sometimes you've got to look in your backyard. We all know he's got the same type of players on his team, and they've done all the same thing. You just have to look at Burrows putting his blade in Thornton's throat."
• Even More From Julien: "It's so hypocritical. It's unfortunate. I guess we're stupid. I guess we're idiots and they're the smartest team in the league. I guess we need to listen to all the gab they say."
• From Honey Badger himself: "I've seen the replay. I did go under him, but I felt the base contact was about the hip point. That's usually a pretty legal hit, from what I've seen in the past. I have no idea how the league feels about it, so we'll see. It's a hit in the game. Guys on our team use it. Guys on other teams use it. I had no intention of hurting Salo on the play. I was just trying to protect myself. He's a very big body coming in, and I'm not the biggest guy. I've done that a lot in the past. I've never been punished for it before."
• More From Marchand: "The puck was going around the boards, and I went to pick it up. I looked over my shoulder and saw Salo coming. I just kind of went down. When you see a guy that's 6-foot-3 coming in on you, your instincts are to protect yourself. It was very unfortunate that he was hurt on the play. In a game like last night, where there was a lot of emotion and guys running around a bit, you're definitely watching out a little bit more. You want to try to protect yourself. When you have a guy coming in on you, you have no idea what his intentions are or what the outcome may be."

Geez, the Bruins seem pretty fired up.

Hey Vancouver, did you enjoy your banner raising cere- oh crap, that's right! You don't have a ceremony for winning the President's Trophy. Toolbags. They are the whiniest, dirtiest, and weakest team in the league, yet they call the Bruins a dirty team? Look in the mirror guys, you're far from the perfect little angels you claim to be. I wonder how hard it would be to get Chara to fire a bomb straight at Vigneault's big mouth. I'm pretty sure Bruins fans across the country/continent would gladly pick up the fine, along with every other fan that hates the Canucks. And if no one on the Bruins will do it, I'll make sure I go to the next Bruins-Divers game and whip a puck straight at the back of Vigneault's head.