Blue Jackets’ John Tortorella rants against refs over game clock in loss to Blackhawks
Fox News Flash top headlines for Dec. 30
Fox News Flash top headlines for Dec. 30 are here. Check out what’s clicking on Foxnews.com
Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella slammed officials Sunday night after a shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Tortorella went after officials for mishandling the clock in overtime. The Blue Jackets were given a power-play opportunity with 19 seconds remaining in overtime but an extra second ticked off the clock when the play was blown dead. Officials refused to add an additional second.
MINOR LEAGUE HOCKEY TEAM OWNER, 55, SUITS UP AS EMERGENCY PLAYER
As time expired in the overtime frame, Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski put a goal in the back of the net but it was waved off because replay showed that the puck crossed the goal line after time expired. Tortorella argued that if there had been one extra second, Werenski’s goal would have counted.
“So the whistle is blown at 19.2 on the clock. For some reason, the clock is run down a second and a tenth to 18.1. Whatever reason, I have no g–d— idea,” he said. “So instead of resetting the clock, we have them tell our captain, ‘We’re not going to do it.’ [The league office in] Toronto doesn’t step in, refs don’t do their freaking job and now we lose the game, and we lose our goalie.»
EX-NHL PLAYER SCOT KLEINENDORST DIES AFTER SUFFERING BRAIN TRAUMA IN INJURY AT PAPER PLANT
Tortorella was referring to the injury Joonas Korpisalo suffered in the shootout. Tortorella said Monday that Korpisalo would be out for “weeks” with a knee injury.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Chicago won the game, 3-2, thanks to the shootout. Columbus fell to 17-14-8 this season. Chicago improved to 17-17-6.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
