THN.com Blog: Prospal and Tortorella butt heads

Vaclav Prospal has equaled his career-high in goals with 25, but could be on his way out of Tampa Bay soon. (Photo By Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)

Adam Proteau
2008-02-13 11:06:31

• If last night’s events in Tampa are any indication, the Lightning should be shopping around left winger Vinny Prospal even harder than before.

Prospal – never exactly a favorite of head coach/grumpus-in-chief John Tortorella to begin with – followed up his two-goal performance in the Bolts’ 3-2 win over Montreal Tuesday with a post-game TV interview in which he called the evening one of the most rewarding of his career.

The 32-year-old Czech, who was dropped from the Lightning’s top line recently and subsequently had his ice time cut severely, also said in the interview that he felt his performance Tuesday shoved it up “somebody’s” behind.

Prospal refused to name the behind in question, but immediately after, and I’m sure by some strange and random coincidence, he was called into Tortorella’s office for a 25-minute meeting with the coach and GM Jay Feaster – while still wearing his equipment.

After that, Tortorella all but identified himself as the object of Prospal’s ire.

“I'm not here to be the happy man and make everybody happy,” the coach said. “I'm here to make calls as far as the game is concerned.”

Judging by the Lightning’s last-place spot in the Eastern Conference, the Unhappy Man hasn’t been making too many solid game calls either.

And now, though Prospal equaled his career high Tuesday by hitting the 25-goal plateau, Tortorella’s abrasive, divisive demeanor will almost certainly push Tampa’s third-best point producer out the door.

• Widely-Known NHL News: Canadiens blueliner Ryan O’Byrne was arrested in a Tampa Bay nightclub after being accused of stealing $20 from a woman’s purse.

• Less Widely-Known NHL News: Commissioner Gary Bettman immediately stepped in to demand the league’s 46 percent share of O’Byrne’s alleged booty.

Adam Proteau is The Hockey News' online columnist and a regular contributor to THN.com. His blog appears Mondays and Wednesdays, his Ask Adam feature appears Tuesdays and Fridays, and his column, Screen Shots, appears Thursdays.

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