For all this talking, Joe Corvo and Kyle Turris better do something tonight.
Just a short while after the Bruins blueliner backed off his “I’m coming after Turris” vow, Turris said he’s ready to thrown down if need be.
“I heard he said some things in the media yesterday, but I’m not too worried about it. We dealt with it and the league, and we’re moving forward with him,” Turris told Comcast New England. “You’ve always got to defend yourself on the ice in certain situations.
“If I have to defend myself then I’ll defend myself.”
This situation stems from a hit Turris laid on Corvo Saturday night, slamming the veteran defenseman into the boards. Corvo was livid with the play and looked forward to Tuesday’s rematch, saying “I’m going to fight him,” and “hopefully he’s a man and he’s going to step up.”
Following today’s morning skate, Corvo expressed remorse for what he said. He called the statements “selfish” and said he suffered from “foot in mouth” disease.
Turris, meanwhile, re-iterated the hit was unintentional (he received a two-minute boarding minor for it.)
“I just wanted to rub him out and finish the check,” he explained. “It was unfortunate how the incident ended up. I’m not a big hitter. I don’t hit very often. I just tried to finish my check and it was an unfortunate situation.”
Ottawa will have plenty of toughness available to protect Turris. Zenon Konopka has drawn back into the lineup while Chris Neil and Zack Smith will dress in their usual bottom-six roles.