Shawn Thornton tears into 'that idiot' Emelin in postgame tirade

Safe to say Shawn Thornton isn't fond of Alexei Emelin.

The Florida Panthers enforcer lashed out at the Montreal Canadiens defenseman in a postgame tirade to Marc Antoine Godin of La Presse after the Panthers' 6-2 loss on Thursday night.

"I think he's what's wrong with the league these days," the veteran said. "I think there's no accountability anymore. You can run around and take headshots at our captain and just turtle and the refs save your life. I'm getting out at the right time because I liked the game when you had to be a man and look at yourself in the mirror. So that's my honest opinion of that guy. I don't have any respect for him. I think he's a pretty good defenseman but I don't like the way he plays."

Emelin delivered a high hit on Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie midway through the second period. Thornton immediately went after the Canadiens blue-liner, who fell to the ice before a full-out melee ensued.

Emelin was given a minor penalty for elbowing, and Thornton received an offsetting call for roughing.

Thornton, 39, said his beef with Emelin goes back a decade.

"I don't mind people playing hard, but I've seen him with a lot of cheap shit in the last 10 years," he told Godin.

"I don't mind battling, but I've seen him headhunt a lot of guys and never ever answer for it. Say what you will about me, (but) I've always taken my beating like a man when I had to. I didn't back down from John Scott when they signed him in Buffalo and I didn't back down from (Georges) Laraque (when) they signed him (in Montreal). I can look at myself in the mirror. I'm not sure that idiot can."

The Canadiens and Panthers will renew hostilities April 3 in Sunrise.