Trevor Gillies talks Tangradi hit in 2011

[FLPensFan]

I find this type of information fascinating, especially when you learn information that paints a picture of a situation in a different light.

Taylor Haase of DK sports has a piece today on Trevor Gillies. Just a summary piece from his time on Spittin' Chiclets this week, but Bissonnette brought it up and told Gillies it was a gutless hit. Gillies said if he could go back, he WOULD do it all over again.

Gillies basically said it was retaliation for the Talbot hit on Comeau, and Fleury laughing at DiPietro getting laid out. Said the fight between Johnson and DiPietro was a fair fight. Nothing wrong with it. Johnson was a bigger guy and one punched him. But what rightfully pissed off the Islanders was Fleury laughing on the bench, and it being shown all over the national media. Said the Islanders weren't very good, and they had been getting pushed around a lot. They decided to make that the last straw.

Now, I'm not for pointless fights, headshots, over the top retaliation. I'm not condoning what Gillies did.....BUT.....he did provide some new information

According to Gillies, Tangradi was called up specifically for that game (I guess because he was a bigger guy) and Gillies says Tangradi was talking **** to him ALL NIGHT. As Gillies put it, he was running around like he was Derek Boogaard his head was so big. He continually talked smack to Gillies, taunting him saying he was never going to even see the ice. Gillies got on the ice, and he says Tangradi was STILL going at him. Supposedly he told him if he hits one of his teammates or touches the puck he's dead.

Asked about the taunting when Tangradi was down, he said he didn't give a **** what other people thought. It was his job to play that role on the team. Said he hate that Tangradi got hurt, but it happened. He also said of the 24K in fines, that he got half of the money back from teammates. Haase explained a lot of teams put "money on the board" for different things, and put it into a fund to be used on something later for the team. Says he got over 10K from teammates putting money on the board.

Anyways, like I said, I don't condone what Gillies did, but, if Tangradi was running his mouth at him all game talking trash, saying he won't see the ice, acting like he was the toughest guy in the NHL when he just got recalled....I guess I can kind of understand how and why things happened the way they did. I've never heard any of what Gillies was saying, and he didn't talk about that, but, I can imagine him talking smack back about all the smack talking Tangradi did and where he was now.

[GSdrums87]

Ah cool, so smooth-brained ape gets paid by teammates for hit-jobs on opposing players.

Guy can't handle chirps and does that. What a ****.

[Hatrick]

maybe I am misremembering but I don't ever remember Tangradi as being known for being any type of enforcer, so I wouldn't think he was called up specifically for that, Gilles on the other hand was on the team for one reason only(and based on those comments, him and everyone obviously knew why), if he was talking smack the whole game he is stupid, of course doesn't deserve to be hurt but still is stupid.

That whole game was a crap show, and while I won't say the pens were innocent, it was mostly on the islanders. They were a bad team and had nothing to lose so why not turn nhl into the wwe

[FLPensFan]

maybe I am misremembering but I don't ever remember Tangradi as being known for being any type of enforcer, so I wouldn't think he was called up specifically for that, Gilles on the other hand was on the team for one reason only(and based on those comments, him and everyone obviously knew why), if he was talking smack the whole game he is stupid, of course doesn't deserve to be hurt but still is stupid.

That whole game was a crap show, and while I won't say the pens were innocent, it was mostly on the islanders. They were a bad team and had nothing to lose so why not turn nhl into the wwe

I don't think Tangradi was called up to be an enforcer, but, he was 6'3" in size I believe. Kind of shocking if he was running his mouth like that, because while he might have been an ok fighter, he certainly wasn't a heavyweight like a Goddard or Gillies or Martin or Kenopka or Bissonnette.

[Jim]

Did the interviewer call bull on Gillies, or just let the baloney slide?

[FLPensFan]

Did the interviewer call bull on Gillies, or just let the baloney slide?

Actually, Tangradi did. Tangradi responded directly to Taylor Haase on Twitter and said that that play totally changed his career (pretty much ending it) and called it a "fabricated build up" by Gillies.

Knowing Tangradi's career, and not trying to be a homer, Tangradi's version seems much more believable.

[SubtropicalPenguin]

Did the interviewer call bull on Gillies, or just let the baloney slide?

Actually, Tangradi did. Tangradi responded directly to Taylor Haase on Twitter and said that that play totally changed his career (pretty much ending it) and called it a "fabricated build up" by Gillies.

Knowing Tangradi's career, and not trying to be a homer, Tangradi's version seems much more believable.

Gillies is a ****. Even if his convoluted version of events is accurate, there is no excuse for going all the way across the ice to go deliver a flying elbow to the head, and follow that by jumping and punching an already injured player. He's the kind of scum that highlights everything terrible about the NHL.

[Jim]

Did the interviewer call bull on Gillies, or just let the baloney slide?

Actually, Tangradi did. Tangradi responded directly to Taylor Haase on Twitter and said that that play totally changed his career (pretty much ending it) and called it a "fabricated build up" by Gillies.

Knowing Tangradi's career, and not trying to be a homer, Tangradi's version seems much more believable.

Well, not "much more believable". One is believable, one is not believable.

[GSdrums87]

He was also suspended again a game or two after he came back from this suspension for another **** hit. What's his justification for that?

Oh. Right. He's a psychopath. He can rot.

[Cow_Master66]

The thought of Tangradi talking trash regarding anything in hockey makes me laugh and pee my pants a scosh....

[Odd Man Rush]

Gillies’s story makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. It’s very clearly made up bullsh#t. The only part that I actually believe is that the Islanders were mad about Fleury getting caught on camera laughing at DiPietro getting broomed. The rest of it is all complete nonsense.

[stonewizard51]

He's just trying to justify his *** psychopathic reasoning behind a hit that wasn't even close to being a borderline hit. Gilles is an *** and nothing less. Yea
GS he can rot for all I care.

[Skatingpen]

To be Fair, give credit to Biz, for telling Gilles it was a BS move.

[DropEmJayBird]

I think its a load of bullcrap.

Best article I found related to moves from before that game is this:
https://www.stljrblues.org/joe-vitale-r ... to-the-nhl

So Cooke was suspended for 4 games, Asham and Kunitz were coming off injuries. Penguins were going to call up Vitale (who did get called up and played). Tangradi was going to be sent down, but looking at the rosters that night, neither Kunitz nor Asham played - which means they probably were not ready to go - leaving for sure Tangradi as one of the better options to either call back up or leave up.

https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxsco ... 10NYI.html

Gillies is full of ****.

[Steve Dave]

I could see Vitale chirping Gillies. I could also see Gillies mistaking Tangradi for Vitale since he seems to suffer from lack of intelligence.

[battleship kelly]

I find this type of information fascinating, especially when you learn information that paints a picture of a situation in a different light.

Taylor Haase of DK sports has a piece today on Trevor Gillies. Just a summary piece from his time on Spittin' Chiclets this week, but Bissonnette brought it up and told Gillies it was a gutless hit. Gillies said if he could go back, he WOULD do it all over again.

Gillies basically said it was retaliation for the Talbot hit on Comeau, and Fleury laughing at DiPietro getting laid out. Said the fight between Johnson and DiPietro was a fair fight. Nothing wrong with it. Johnson was a bigger guy and one punched him. But what rightfully pissed off the Islanders was Fleury laughing on the bench, and it being shown all over the national media. Said the Islanders weren't very good, and they had been getting pushed around a lot. They decided to make that the last straw.

Now, I'm not for pointless fights, headshots, over the top retaliation. I'm not condoning what Gillies did.....BUT.....he did provide some new information

According to Gillies, Tangradi was called up specifically for that game (I guess because he was a bigger guy) and Gillies says Tangradi was talking **** to him ALL NIGHT. As Gillies put it, he was running around like he was Derek Boogaard his head was so big. He continually talked smack to Gillies, taunting him saying he was never going to even see the ice. Gillies got on the ice, and he says Tangradi was STILL going at him. Supposedly he told him if he hits one of his teammates or touches the puck he's dead.

Asked about the taunting when Tangradi was down, he said he didn't give a **** what other people thought. It was his job to play that role on the team. Said he hate that Tangradi got hurt, but it happened. He also said of the 24K in fines, that he got half of the money back from teammates. Haase explained a lot of teams put "money on the board" for different things, and put it into a fund to be used on something later for the team. Says he got over 10K from teammates putting money on the board.

Anyways, like I said, I don't condone what Gillies did, but, if Tangradi was running his mouth at him all game talking trash, saying he won't see the ice, acting like he was the toughest guy in the NHL when he just got recalled....I guess I can kind of understand how and why things happened the way they did. I've never heard any of what Gillies was saying, and he didn't talk about that, but, I can imagine him talking smack back about all the smack talking Tangradi did and where he was now.

he is a liar and a pig.

[netwolf]

Garbage player gives a garbage reason for a garbage hit and garbage actions afterwards. Wasn't surprised to hear what went on in their room that lead up to the on-ice nonsense, but I think it irritated me just as much if not more. That kind of jackacitry because Talbot threw a clear hit, Johnson one-punched their goalie, and they were embarrassed? Grow the eff up. Hockey culture sucks, part infinity.

[flame]

Did the interviewer call bull on Gillies, or just let the baloney slide?

Actually, Tangradi did. Tangradi responded directly to Taylor Haase on Twitter and said that that play totally changed his career (pretty much ending it) and called it a "fabricated build up" by Gillies.

Knowing Tangradi's career, and not trying to be a homer, Tangradi's version seems much more believable.

That hit didn't end Tangradi's career. He played in the KHL and AHL even this past season (and played 6 games with the Devils in 18-19 on a call up). Tangradi saying that hit changed the course of his career seems ludicrous for a guy who's still playing. The fact is he just isn't an NHL caliber player and never really was. That being said I believe Tangradi's version. He's never been some goon looking for fights.

[Sams_Dog]

That game soured me on the Islanders and their fans for a long while. That was such Philly-type BS. The coach probably got them all Afro before the game and threw out challenges to the players. Then they went way overboard. Who was the isles coach back then? I can’t remember.

[Pruezy11881]

That game soured me on the Islanders and their fans for a long while. That was such Philly-type BS. The coach probably got them all Afro before the game and threw out challenges to the players. Then they went way overboard. Who was the isles coach back then? I can’t remember.

Capuano