Tortorella is caught blatantly twisting the rules!

John Tortorella is as controversial a coach can be. He's known for his raging character and players have very mixed feelings about him. One thing you can never doubt about him though is his will to win at all cost. Tonight's situation shows he's willing to bend the rules to their limits to win. The explication is a bit technical, but bear with us because it's worth it! 

In today's game against the New Jersey Devils, the Blue Jackets were up 2-1 in the second. Josh Anderson went on a breakaway, but interference on the play triggered a penalty shot, the second for the Jackets in this game. Josh fell to the ice and hit the net sliding to the board. The sequence got very bizarre after that. 

First, Anderson claimed to be injured and went to the tunnel, giving Tortorella the right to send someone else in his place. It was pretty convenient to put Josh aside, since his 27 points this season doesn't make him the best forward in the team. Coach Tortorella sent Sam Gagner on the ice to take the shot, a very skilled forward with amazing hands. Devils' coach John Hynes went crazy when he saw that. 

Thing is,Tortorella couldn't send a player that wasn't on the ice during the play that triggered the penalty shot. After a lot of back and forth with the officials, the Jackets finally sent Brandon Dubinsky. He scored a beauty in the top shelve, making the game 3-1. Josh Anderson is then seen rejoining the bench, totally uninjured and a wide grin on his face. 

Two things have to be understood here. First, Tortorella tried to send an unauthorized player to take the shot in Sam Gagner. Second, Anderson was far from being injured and he could have taken the shot. The outcome would have probably be different. 

Oh John Tortorella, you're a special cookie! 

You can see the whole sequence here.