Who wears ties in Tampa?

Tuesday's game:

The Washingtons vs. The Tampas

Boudreau's tie vs. Boucher's tie

Hockey coaches and their assistant coaches!

Game 3 and both coaches are looking smart in their couture. Guy Boucher's gray on gray on black looks sharp, I really like it! He keeps his coat buttoned and his tie is deceptively design savvy with an understated textured pattern.

Bruce is again wearing one of my favorite color combinations with the purple/blue/silver tie paired with a light blue shirt and gray suit. Shirt still has that weird wrinkle on the right though!

Boucher wins though for the subtle play on gray.

Winner: Guy Boucher

Bruce's playoff record: 6-2

Bruce's overall record: 13-4

Semi-Tie-nals, Game 2

Sunday's game:

The Washingtons vs. The Tampas

Boudreau's tie vs. Boucher's tie

Guy Boucher should really live in Washington, he is one conservative dresser! So I'm sure you've noticed his scar, right? Impressive. According to The Internet it is NOT hockey related, so for my own entertainment I'm going to assume it's Tie related, but how?

Bruce is wearing one of his favorite winning ties. It looks best with the purple shirt, but he still wins.

Play off hockey is tough!


Winner: Bruce

Bruce's playoff record: 6-1

Bruce's overall record: 13-3

Round Two, Ties Too

Friday's game:

The Washingtons vs. The Tampas

Boudreau's tie vs. Boucher's tie

The Tampa Bay Lightning! Correct pluralization? Tampas Bay? or Tampa Bays? Then there's the problem that Tampa Bay is "a large natural harbor and estuary" not a city or town. And certainly not a location conducive to ice skating. Thus, Mrs. OC declares the team is called The Tampas.

Owing to some technology issues on Friday (I was at the game and the DVR didn't record the game, I shook my fist in much consternation) the above photos are screen shots from Versus' post-game interviews, so I can't see the ties or suits very well.

This is the first Bruce's Nooses has seen of Guy Boucher, the Tampas' coach. His tie is very traditional with its wide diagonal white-and-red pattern. He looks conservative with his light blue shirt and gray suit. He'd fit in perfectly on K Street.

Bruce's light-purple tie with lilac shirt and pinstriped gray suit looks smart and makes him look cool and relaxed in a most stressful game. For continuing to have a little more flair in his tie selection, Bruce wins!


Winner: Bruce

Bruce's playoff record: 5-1

Bruce's overall record: 12-3

Quarter-tie-nals complete!

Saturday's game:

The Washingtons vs. The New Yorks (Madison Squares)

Boudreau's tie vs. Tortorella's tie

Bruce is back in his winning orange tie from Game 1, but this time he's played-off purple accents in the tie (which I didn't notice on first viewing) and matched it with a purple shirt. He looks like a spring garden!

Alternatively, Tortorella looks like he's already in mourning expecting The New Yorks (Madison Squares) defeat.

In a surprise fashion reversal, Tortorella's only striped-garment today is his shirt, which has a subtle-striped pattern. His midnight blue tie with black embellishments makes him look somber (when not looking horrified or disgusted by the game...).

Bruce wins the quarterfinal series versus Tortorella!

Winner: Bruce

Bruce's playoff record: 4-1

Bruce's overall record: 11-3

Flowers at the Garden

Wednesday's game:

The Washingtons vs. The New Yorks (Madison Squares)

Boudreau's tie vs. Tortorella's tie

Purple hues are back!

Tortorella is wearing a diagonal-striped AND floral patterned tie. There's purple, mauve, and mustard. The flowers are daisies. DAISIES! Although I like the tie on its own, it should be the focal point of the outfit and would have looked better with a less-busy suit and tie. We saw in the last game Tortorella likes to wear stripes and tonight's striped suit and shirt (and probably underwear, socks, and suspenders) compete too much with his super-bold tie.

Bruce's shirt has a weird wrinkle on the right side, same as last game. Is Bruce losing weight? What causes a wrinkle like that? Maybe his tie is too tight? We can see it's crooked...

Regardless, Bruce's tie is fabulous! It's the same tie as Friday's, which I loved. It's purple paisley with an X and O pattern within the paisley plus there are gold accents. I can't imagine what possessed the designer to have so much going on in one tie, but it works with his pattern-less shirt and suit and Bruce's tie is the game-winner!

Winner: Bruce

Bruce's playoff record: 3-1

Bruce's overall record: 10-3

Sunday Afternoon in the Garden

Sunday's game:

The Washingtons vs. The New Yorks (Madison Squares)

Boudreau's tie vs. Tortorella's tie

We've arrived in New York, fashion capital of the United States! How would Bruce show his fashion sense to New York Hockerati?

Bruce as hipster? Metrosexual? Would he go classic New York with black on black on black? How does Bruce look?

Sadly, Bruce looks rumpled and gray. His diagonal striped purple/blue/silver/white tie is neatly tied for a change. The color flatters his gray suit and is perfect for a matinee game. Unfortunately, his keen sense of color-appropriateness is canceled-out by his wrinkled shirt and rumpled suit. Was he taking a nap back in the locker room? He's so creased and furrowed it looks like he's wearing his forehead!

Well, it's definitive, John Tortorella does not button his coat! Perhaps that is New York Hockey Coach Chic. Tortorella looks dashing, and almost rakish, in his black suit, light gray shirt, and black-and-white polka-dotted tie. The whole outfit really pops with his black hair and white beard. Added bonus: he isn't iron-deficient!


Winner: Tortorella

Bruce's playoff record: 2-1

Bruce's overall record: 9-3

"We called each other to coordinate..."

Friday's game:

The Washingtons vs. The New Yorks (Madison Squares)
Boudreau's tie vs. Tortorella's tie

You know the days you go to work and everyone has on a pink shirt? How does that happen? I always joke that "I called and coordinated with Amy last night!" So, is that what happened tonight? Do you think John Tortorella called Bruce to coordinate their matching shirts and ties? Or did both coaches think, "I'll wear something intimidating and bold, a purple tie on purple shirt should be menacing and threatening. And there's no way the other coach would wear this!"

As you know, Mrs. OC loves purple, so this is a difficult pick for me.

John Tortorella has similar sloppily tied tie issues Bruce normally has, there is a button showing on this shirt because his tie is crooked. If Tortorella had worn this tie and shirt combination Wednesday night he would have won, hands down, but tonight...

Bruce looks savvy. His paisley-floral mash-up monochromatic purple tie perfectly matches his shirt. The pattern is innovative and nimble and I really like it.

P.S. Tortorella, button your coat!

Winner: Bruce

Bruce's playoff record: 2-0

Bruce's overall record: 9-2