Tortorella benches Roy after second fight

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Published March 7, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - The replay of Flyers tough guy Riley Cote decking the Lightning's Andre Roy with a brutal left hand during their second-period fight was replayed at least a dozen times on the Wachovia Center scoreboard.

It was their second bout. Roy earned a TKO in the first period with a string of rapid-fire lefts. There was not a third fight, though, because Roy did not get a shift after the second.

He did, however, jaw with Cote from the bench in a third-period conversation that included finger-pointing and throat-slashing and coach John Tortorella getting in Roy's face to calm him down.

"He was upset with something after the second fight," Cote said. "Apparently, he was at the end of a shift, and he was upset about that. I was at the end of my shift, too."

It will be interesting to see the fallout.

Roy in February was benched three games after fighting and then jawing from the bench with Florida's Branislav Mezei. And Tortorella is consistently on Roy about keeping his emotions in check.

Roy avoided reporters, and all Tortorella said was it "will be handled internally."

"He was probably upset with the outcome," Cote said of the second fight. "I wasn't rested by any means. The opportunity was there. There was a scrum. I wasn't happy with the way the first fight ended."

It was the fourth fight this season between the two.

"I'm a gamer. He's a gamer," Cote said.

MORE FOR PICARD: Defenseman Alex Picard has been so good, especially offensively, Tortorella said he will stay in the lineup after Filip Kuba returns from a knee injury.

He likely will be paired with Kuba and stay on the power play "so we can get a long look at him," Tortorella said.

Picard, 22, has a goal and is minus-2 in his five games since being acquired from the Flyers in the Vinny Prospal deal. Of his 19:41 average ice time entering Thursday, he said, "It's a surprise."

MORE ICE TIME: Jussi Jokinen, who scored Tampa Bay's first goal Thursday, is getting plenty of time to show he deserves to be on the top line. The left wing averaged 20:34 in his first four games after the Brad Richards trade. He averaged 12:43 for Dallas.

ODDS AND ENDS: Picard said facing his former team was no big deal. "I only played four games with them this year," he said. ... Prospal had one shot in 18:30 of ice time. ... Kuba sat out his fourth game.

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@sptimes.com.

[Last modified March 7, 2008, 12:07:01]