With his team down 3-0 in their first-round series, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa questioned the integrity of San Jose forwards Joe Thornton and Logan Couture and suggested that they were both embellishing to draw penalties.
Before they attempt to settle their differences on the ice (10:00 p.m. ET, CNBC), San Jose Sharks forward Adam Burish decided to fire the next volley in this war of words, according to the Vancouver Province.
“If I was him, while he was up on his soap box and trying to save the integrity of the game and all that stuff, I’d swing by player No. 14 (Alex Burrows) and player No. 17 (Ryan Kesler) and have a little talk about diving and the integrity thing,” Burish said. “Then they can work their way over to our room, but I’d start with their room.
“It’s silly to sit there and call out the refs and worrying about what we’re doing. Please, keep worrying about us. We’re going to worry about what we can do better instead of having props and interviews and video evidence and all that stuff. Game 1 were cheating on face-offs and now we’re embellishing.”
Burish is referring to Canucks coach Alain Vigneault’s claim that the Sharks “cheat and they are allowed to cheat” on the draw. Although to be fair, claiming the opposition is cheating on faceoffs has become very, very popular.
Related:
Bieksa calls out Thornton, Couture for embellishment, ‘lack of integrity’
Couture’s reply to Bieksa embellishment accusation: ‘Really?’