National Hockey League

Flyers coach Laviolette fined $10K

Published Apr. 2, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

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Flyers coach Peter Laviolette was fined $10,000 Monday after calling out counterpart Dan Bylsma for sending out his checking line late in Philadelphia's 6-3 win at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Penguins assistant Tony Granato, who stepped on the top of the side boards and in between the two head coaches, was also fined $2,500.

The incident occurred at 18:57 of the third period. Fine money will go to the NHL Foundation.

Laviolette was upset that the Penguins' fourth line took a shift shortly after Jakub Voracek's empty-net goal concluded the scoring.

During the shift, Penguins forward Joe Vitale leveled Flyers center Daniel Briere shortly after the ensuing faceoff, starting a chain of events that included Laviolette smashing a stick over the glass.

''Those guys hadn't been out there in 12 minutes,'' Laviolette said in his postgame press conference. ''It's a gutless move by their coach. It's gutless.''

Bylsma didn't quite see it that way, claiming Vitale's shot on Briere was clean, unlike the crosscheck Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby received from Brayden Schenn shortly after Steve Sullivan's second goal of the game pulled the Penguins within 5-3 late in the third period.

''It's clearly a cheap shot,'' Bylsma said. ''It's clearly a guy targeting a player that was well after the whistle.''

Crosby, who has missed all but 19 games this season due to concussion-like symptoms, agreed.

''It's pretty cheap,'' Crosby said. ''He skates 10 feet in between the whistle. I don't know. If that's a sign of what's to come it's going to be a pretty tough playoff series.''

One that won't even start until the teams meet again in the regular-season finale next Saturday.

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