When the Coyotes were humbled in Game 3 against Los Angeles, the big talk afterwards came from Phoenix coach Dave Tippett. Tippett seemed to accuse the Kings of embellishing hits to draw calls and with his team down 3-0 in the series and frustrated, it came off looking poorly.
In talking to the media a day later, Tippett cooled his talk about diving saying it’s something that’s been going on all playoffs. Rich Hammond of L.A. Kings Insider has the word from Tippett.
“I said my piece on embellishment. It wasn’t geared toward that game last night,” Tippett said. “I talked about this from the start of the year. So I’ve said my piece on that.”
Embellishment isn’t something you hear many coaches talk about and, according to Hammond, Tippett isn’t one of them as he points out Tippett hasn’t been quoted about diving this season (according to the ole’ Google search). That diving talk comes up now with his team’s back against the wall isn’t surprising as you try to get any and every edge you can.
That said, if diving calls are going to be made like the call against Dustin Brown in Game 2 after he was maliciously hacked in the leg by goalie Mike Smith, maybe we’re better off not seeing those calls made at all.