Briere: "He was trying to hurt me"
Daily News Flyers blog
Briere: "He was trying to hurt me"
Danny Briere said he would be the first to admit that Joe Vitale’s hit on Sunday in Pittsburgh, which sparked a near line brawl with just 1:03 left in a 6-3 game, was a clean hit.
But Briere certainly wasn’t willing to concede that Vitale’s intent was pure, searching for a hit that has ultimately ended his regular season prematurely.
Briere said on Tuesday morning that he believes Vitale was sent to the ice with the intent to injure. Peter Laviolette was fined $10,000 on Monday for his on-ice antics with Penguins assistant Tony Granato and his subsequent comments for coach Dan Bylsma, whom he called “gutless.”
“Look, everybody knows that (they) put the line that was on the ice, on the ice with a minute left in a game that was out of hand,” Briere said. “Everybody knows the intent, what the intent was. Was it a bad hit? No. It was a clean hit.
“But obviously, you knew what he was doing. He was obviously trying to hurt me. We all know that.”
Now, Briere said he “doesn’t have the option” of playing another game before the playoffs start. He is officially sidelined indefinitely with an upper-back contusion. He has undergone MRIs and all kinds of tests and is currently undergoing treatment for the injury.
We wrote more about Briere and Nick Grossmann's injuries, plus much more, in Tuesday's paper.
Briere said he is not sure when he will return to the lineup. There is never a good time for an injury, but Briere’s line with Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn was one of the Flyers’ most potent recently. The trio had netted a combined 19 points in the last 5 games alone.
“I don’t know much at this point,” Briere said. “All I know is that my back is in spasms. They have some fancy words for it that I don’t understand. There is no timetable.
“I’d like to be ready for the playoffs, I just don’t know at this point.”
Briere said he likely saved himself from a concussion since he was able to quickly brace himself before Vitale drove his shoulder into him.
“I tried to take the hit,” Briere said. “It’s just one of those things sometimes that turns out bad. It was weird. I was sore right after but it wasn’t that bad, I thought I’d be fine. A couple hours later, that’s when it started seizing up on me.”
With a score to settle, Briere is now hoping he will get another crack at the Penguins.
“There’s not much else to say or do,” Briere said. “I guess it just makes for a more entertaining series coming up if we face them in the first round.”
PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS: With any overtime action in Tuesday's matchup with the Rangers, the Flyers will clinch a matchup with the Penguins. Home ice can still be flip-flopped in the final week. But one point won by New York or lost by Pittsburgh will clinch the No. 1 seed for the Rangers. One point won by the Flyers would lock the Devils into the 6th spot.
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers
- Plus, as we all noted on Saturday, Crosby and Malkin don't get lots of penalties called on them. Other teams with other players, like the Flyers, don't have that luxury.
- Sestito. Jan 22. Boston. HE levels Horton (just like COoke on Savard). Horton has been out since with a concussion. WOW! Your argument was just torn apart. Deal! — CentralPAman
- Wrap Danielle in bubble wrap and let her play field hockey.. Waaaa, he hit me too hard!
Remember when Downie got a 20 game suspension as a Cryer?? Carcillo?? You love the Broad Street Bully garbage..yet when someone with a CLEAN hit puts down Danielle..it's a crime. What a joke.— NoCup1975 - Really, the Flyers don't get the "cheap type" of penalties like boarding??? Didn't Schenn just get penalized in the game against the Rangers for boarding? Didn't Schenn get penalized for that late hit on Crosby but had it wiped out because of the Pens goal? And that was just the last two games. Just a couple games ago, Rinaldo got a cross check and a 10min misconduct penalty. You also have one of the dirties players in the League in Hartnell. You've got no room to talk with how dirty your team plays — Mounty in NC
- Obviously Cooke has some indefensible acts under his belt. But I could go to youtube and find a ton of dirty Flyers hits over the years, as well as any other NHL team. But if the Pens are the dirtier team right now, why do Flyers have by far more penalties, both major and minor? And why is your best team ever (ancient history, HA!) known as the 'Bullies'??? — cor3yf
- The Cooke hit was legal at the time..that is why he didn't get in trouble for it. But if you want to look at Youtube videos of cheat shots, I have no doubts you will find more from Flyers than just about any other team!
And although it wasn't a vicious hit, that was a nice cheap shot by Schenn on Crosby some 20 seconds after the whistle. But you being a Flyers fan, I guess that hit was ok????— Mounty in NC - I'm sure you will be the one crying when 87 suffers his career ending concussion over the next 2 weeks at the hands of the Flyers. You can thank Bylsma for inviting this trouble with his antics on Sunday...you think a coach with an often-concussed star would be smarter than that...what a dope. — Phront_Runner
- You're a moron, Bylsma inviting trouble? It's hockey there fella. as long as there is time on the clock you best be playing, if your not then you get hurt (Briere should know by now to skate with his head up). I'm sure Pronger appreciates the light heartedness of the Philly attitude on concussions. I really hope you guys do retalliate, shorten your bench for the 1st round, cause you know the game is gonna be under a microscope — 3PenSteelers6
- Crysby and the Penqueens would like to think they wear halos, but just the opposite is true. They like to dish it out, but cry like little babies with diaper rash when the other team fights back! Cindy Crysby and Genny Munchkin will be bawling in their baby bottles after an early exit from the playoffs courtesy of the Flyers. — doug1834
- Sounds like you are describing the Flyers to a tee! — Mounty in NC
- Next time just dump the puck. Got to admit Pittsburgh played it out perfectly. Yes there was no need for Vitale's hit in the last min of the game but this is a contact sport. Protect yourself at all times.
Hopefully we will get them next time. Get Well Briere.
— Nitroglycerin - Flyers fans- educate yourself. In 2000, game 2 of the Pens-Flyers playoff series, pens had the game put away and were going up 2-0. The flyers did all sorts of s#@# at the end of the game, getting tons of penalties, to make a statement at the end (check youtube). They went on to win that series 4-2. So don't be such massive hypocrites — cor3yf
- Right, cof3yf, because if the situation was reversed and that happened to Crosby, the entire city of Pittsburgh would call it a good hockey hit and be totally fine with it, I'm sure...— JesseS
- It's okay for the fans to be mad about it.. but Briere is really being a baby about it. Vitale hits ppl hard all the time, why would he change it? And while the game was over, everyone knows the series is just beginning. Keep your head up Danny. — cor3yf
