Canadiens deny sandstorm
Jacques Martin replies
Canadiens deny sandstorm
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
Two days after several Flyers observed some kind of sand-like substance in the tunnel outisde of their dressing room -- which some believed to have caused them to need to repeatedly re-sharpen their skates during their Game 4 victory, and which resulted in towels being laid in the hallway later in the game -- Canadiens coach Jacques Martin categorically denied that there had been a problem.
Flyers officials have gone out of their way to say that they knew nothing about any sand, and nobody has accused anybody of anything nefarious. But the implication -- fueled mostly be media reports -- has obviously offended Martin and the Canadiens.
"A complete fabrication," is what Martin called it at noon today, at a press conference following the Canadiens' pre-game skate.
"We did an investigation," Martin said. "The Bell Centre is really an impeccable building. We have some more important things to focus on and prepare ourselves for the game tonight."
That they do.
Comments (45)
NBC (Pierre McGuire) reported it, not the Flyers.— Echo- Add lying and cheating to the laundry list of items that the Canadiens can't do well— jtizzle2133
amen bruiser81- Habs can worry about the sand when they're lying on the beach tomorrow afternoon.— DennyP
- It won't matter at all later tonight! LET'S GO FLYERS!! Bring on the Black Hawks!!!!— NinaNoodle
- Flyers really should have documented this, or at least pointed it out to someone in the press so they could have run with it. Some photos or video would be the coup de grace to these lying (wanna-be) Frenchies. To not own up to it and admit to their shenanigans is just GUTLESS.— Tacklebury
- The Flyers may have done some reporting behind the scenes, but that's for the team's administrative body to address - not the players or coaches. The team is too busy getting ready for what's occurring on the ice - a close-out to this series - to worry about juvenile attempts to sabotage their game.— Flyskippy
- Lay-em to waste tonight boys.— snwbrdrjeff
- Tonight they will dry wet cement and we will still win!!!!!
- Les Habitants...............fin— HBJ
- try
- and an off ice video replay guy would never withhold a replay angle to help his beloved Peni's against the hated Flyers, would he?
- I know I'm a jerk on this board sometimes and I do think a lot of you are weenies but the Flyers are a good team, we all know that. Habs can't come back. Chicago is going to be tough.— Big Tom Threw 3
- Whos cares... not the flyers and it wont happen tonight it's over! LETS GO FLYERS!!!!!— Murrayag11
- Just look at their coach. He looks like a liar.— davekrieg
- Everyone knows they did it!— ChrisM
- Weenies? Just curious, how old are you?— johnc53
- Yeah, must be a complete fabrication that a bunch of Flyers had to sharpen their skates that much when the Habs players didn't have any issues at all.....I guess it's just our faulty equipment..... Blah blah blah.... I hope the Flyers demolish these frogs...— Phillyfan8181
Wow BTT3. We all knew it was tough love but you're still a jerk!- What should some of the signs read tonight? I'd go with "The Sand Man Cometh" and then "goodnight, Canadiens" in French.— Tacklebury
- Yeah, I guess they had to come off the ice to have the skates fixed for nothing right? Martin is making himself look bad, he should have just said he knows nothing about it, and they found nothing, without going the "complete fabrication" route. It's obvious something was there that shouldn't have been, noone knows by whom, so it's a mute point, they lost anyway. This needs to just go away.— Jonny5
- From the sandbox to the rink the habs still stink? :P— Phillyfan8181
- to bruiser81: do you have any idea how many "frogs" are on your coveted Flyers team? I suggest you take count and maybe retract your comment.— runner68
Comment removed.
@NO_SHOOTOUTS: DID YOU JUST SAY PEN IS?
It's pretty simple. If it really happened, the Flyers should have gathered samples of it, taken photos, and reported it to the NHL. Given the widespread hate of the Flyers, I can't put anything past their opponents, especially after the Pittsburgh cheating scandal was covered up. The NHL can't let this drop with some internal investigation/coverup by the Candadiens. If this is true, it was a direct attempt to sabotage a team's equipment, and should cost the Canadiens dearly.— Pelti
I know NOTHING. The building is impeccable. Are you saying the building is, what, how you say, dirty? Sacré bleu! S'il vous plaît, eh! Dirty building? Zut alors!!!! BEAT MONTREAL!!!!- So not only have the refs been conspiring against the Flyers since 1975, arena workers are now trying to prevent them from skating well? Flyers deserve to lose because their fans are losers.— beegal99
- Ironic that first goal was scored when a Canadien had problem with his skate.
- One game at a time. It would be an ideal time for the Flyers to go for another six game winning streak.— SayHello2MyLittleFriend
- Comment removed.
- beegal99, Montreal's female fans don't shave their armpits. ;>P— Jonny5
- OMG, if we play the blackhawks for the cup stevie a smiff is gonna think hockey is racist!— lukebonbon
- beegal99, looser team gets shut out even while their opponent has multiple players off the ice getting skate work throughout the game. Looser habs will be habbing fun in sand traps on Tuesday morning. Blame your tears on sand in your eyes.— mudshark
- They could have put wet cement outside the Flyers locker room, and they still would have won. You can't win if you don't score.— Puckin-A
- If this is an impeccable building, even more curious that a sand like substance would just 'happen' to find its way on those mats. And...only the Flyers mats at that. its could not be more obvious that some overzealous equipment guy tried to gum up the Flyers skates. But who cares? Flyers wrap this up tonight.— hititwheretheyaint
- This guy looks like a fat version of Steven Carel from The Office.— Could.It.Really.Be...ColonelAngus
- Comment removed.
- Allez du sable de livre. Translation: Go pound Sand! Go Flyers!— Could.It.Really.Be...ColonelAngus
- Mabye if the Canadiens didn't have a lineup of Cammi Granato's they wouldn't need to stoop to such a level.— Ferrell31
Were I Jacques Martin, I'd be talking about the sand all day and all night lest someone ask me about my team's poor play! Sacre bleu! Tres incroyable!— Nihilist
We won that game. We'll win tonight. Who's next for the meat grinder?— verve- It seemed like their D were having problems skating Saturday. Maybe the rink personnel forgot which runway to sprinkle
- ENTER SANDMAN!!
- The Canadiens have clearly been an inferior opponent, having been shut out 3 times, and now they lie about the sabotage attempt? Hey, if they would rather play golf, they should have quit against the Penguins. Heck, even the Rangers played harder!— 76erfn
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