Torts Wants Columbus to Play Tough

I thought this was an interesting post from Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. This would explain why the Blue Jackets spend a lot of time in the penalty box.

The Blue Jackets are the most-penalized team in the NHL and the team with the most major penalties for fighting.

But those are crude ways to measure their physical nature.

“We talk every game, that if somebody’s in trouble, someone gets in there,” coach John Tortorella said. “If someone’s on our goalie, someone gets in. Everybody gets in the blue (paint) to protect our goaltender. That’s the mindset we’re trying to build here.

“But are we over the top? Are we cheap? Are we dirty? Absolutely not. Do we want to injure people? Hurt people? Absolutely not.”

There will be no apologies forthcoming for the hard-nosed style, even as recent opponents have taken exception.

This can be entertaining hockey for the fans, but it can tax a team's penalty kill.