Former Rangers coach John Tortorella in the middle of brawl controversy

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Canucks knew what was coming as soon as coach John Tortorella read the starting lineups. Flames coach Bob Hartley was sending out his fourth line; Tortorella was going to do likewise.

It didn't take long. Two seconds into Saturday night's game, all 10 skaters on the ice dropped their gloves and five fights broke out, resulting in eight game misconducts.

Chris Higgins eventually scored in the fifth round of the shootout as the Canucks beat the Flames, 3-2, but afterward, all anyone talked about was the brawl.

"Torts came in and told us that they're starting those idiots over there so we're going to match that and go with it," Canucks tough guy Tom Sestito said. "I knew right off the hop [Brian] McGrattan was going to come after me."

Tortorella -- who screamed at Hartley from the bench and was caught by television cameras trying to get into the Calgary locker room between periods -- made no apologies for matching the Flames' muscle with his own. "I see the starting lineup and I know the other guy across the bench and it's easy for people to say, 'Well, put the Sedins out there and it's deflated.' I can't put our players at risk like that," he said. "I'm not proud of it. I've apologized to every one of the players involved in it. I don't feel great about it at all."

He added, "It shouldn't be in the game, that stuff. I don't want it in the game, but I have to protect my team, too. So all the pundits and all the people moaning about it, they don't have a clue what a locker room's about and they don't understand the whole circumstance involved in that type of situation."

Hartley said he started his fourth line to create some energy. "We had zero intentions there,'' he said. "As far as I know, they were the home team. They had the luxury to put whoever they wanted on the ice. He decided who he puts on. It is what it is." -- AP