Kevin Bieksa drop-kicks Brian Boyle’s helmet after fight (Video)
John Tortorella was up-front about his goals for his return to the Big Apple for Saturday afternoon's tilt between the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks.
"I am going to coach this game, hopefully kick their ass, and get outta here,” Tortorella told the gathered media.
Unfortunately for Tortorella, it didn't quite go that way. The Canucks fell 5-2, outscored by Chris Kreider alone as the Rangers' forward registered his first career hat trick.
But while the Canucks were unable to kick any Ranger asses, Kevin Bieksa did manage to get one kick in. As time expired, a frustrated Bieksa went after Brian Boyle, and after a pretty one-sided fight, the Canucks' blueliner left the scene with a) some mild relief, and b) Boyle's helmet. He proceeded to drop-kick the helmet clear across the ice:
It would have been way better if he'd managed to get a little arc on the kick, but that's still pretty good.
I also enjoyed a scandalized Boyle kicking Bieksa's helmet in response. Oh yeah? So there! Even funnier is that it actually manages to get a rise out of Bieksa.
But my favourite part of this whole thing is that I'm pretty sure Bieksa went into that tilt intending to do it. As the officials separate them, he yanks repeatedly at the helmet, almost as desperate to take it as a souvenir as that one drunk Blackhawks fan. And when he finally gets it, he gives it a smug, satisfied boot.
Poor Boyle. It's been a rough weekend for him. Friday night, he was pulled out of a scrum by Zdeno Chara, which is pretty much the worst thing that can happen to anyone.
On the bright side, at least the second time around, his Rangers did win this game. As for Kevin Bieksa, the highlight of his day was when he kicked that one guy's helmet.
