from Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province,

And he’s admitted he has thought long and hard about the way he plays the game and reached the conclusion that emotion is something of an enemy. And he’s almost certainly right.

"Obviously I’ve thought about that, and I think everyone in here knows I’m an emotional guy and I feel I play my best when emotions are high and kicking in, but that’s when you get injured. I spent a lot of time this off-season just working and getting my body where it needs to be, so I don’t have to be so emotional out there and just play my game and be successful that way."

Right, so the approach best taken is to try to be more even-keeled, more focused on the goal and perhaps leave a few of those side battles and the private little on-ice feuds with individuals aside. And that seems like a genuinely intelligent, enlightened view, given how hard he plays and the reputation he carries with the officials, which is constantly perpetuated largely by people in the eastern media.

But isn’t the problem here that this reasoned approach is going to work at cross purposes with the alleged strengths of the new coach? Isn’t John Tortorella the firebrand who is supposed to be the in-your-face, demanding guy who is going to get on your case the moment there is a slight lull in your play? Isn’t this going to be the match to the gasoline leading precisely to the emotion which will bring on the injury that will neuter this team’s chances of accomplishing anything?

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