As Porky the Pig would say in regards to the Flyers playoff hopes, “T-T-T-That’s all folks!”
“This time of year all teams are tired,” Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella said. “We are not as gifted as some other teams, we have a process that we’re going through, we can’t forget that, we are still building here.”
Torts continues, “You got to eat it, stay together and try to solve things. Whether that’s enough time to do what we got to do to get in, I’m not concerned about that. I’m concerned about being pro’s and get some of our dignity back and play the right way.”
A second year Flyers coach in Tortorella is known to be a hard-nosed coach, who commands the most from his players. He is not afraid of benching or calling out star studded players either. This was one reason why the majority of the Flyers team reported early for training camp for the past few seasons. They also knew that they would have to give their all to fight to stay in the lineup.
It’s become apparent as some have excelled, and some have had difficulties learning this, but on most nights the Flyers do not have a problem with effort. The team may not be talented enough to beat stiff competition or playoff bound teams on a nightly basis, but they do fight and claw their way into games nine times out of 10, “I’m not gonna stand up here all year long and talk about moral victories,” John Tortorella said following the loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. “But I’ve got to goddamn remember where we are, as far as where we are in the organization, and the process that we are at. I’m certainly not gonna boo the team. I’m gonna try to help them.”
What isn’t brought up much is how much he cares about the players. Maybe it’s not a big story, maybe it’s not the big thing, but he really does care about these players. And that is evident after he was seen patting Morgan frost on the back after a few tough shifts into his return into the lineup. Tortorella is a smart guy, he sensed that Frost was trying to do too much and getting frustrated, so he came over and calmed him down. Believe it or not from that point on Frost was a much different player in a good way following that incident.
These are the small things that he does to prove that he has not lost the locker room, like some fans are clamoring. Are they losing and have gone dry scoring wise at the wrong possible time? Yes, but this does not mean he has lost the locker room, or players are quitting on him.
The main thing to remember is the Flyers just aren’t talented enough to win at this time of the year. One key indicator is a lackluster Power Play, a team just isn’t going to win this time of year with how bad the Flyers Power Play currently is. A team doesn’t have to have the best power play, or a good power play, but it has to have a decent Power Play at this stage of the season in order to succeed in the sport of hockey.
This team really lacks a true finisher. Tyson Foerster may be that guy in the future, but he’s a rookie and one can expect that from right now. Owen Tippett has done this in spurts, as well as, Joel Farabee. This team really needs to use identify who is top six worthy and not.
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Tortorella and the players equally deserve blame for this monumental collapse. It’s not just one person, it’s all. Torts didn’t lose the room, especially when the effort is there like it was against the Buffalo Sabres. He has done a great job with effort all season.
The team is giving effort, that doesn’t correlate with the narrative that he lost the locker room. If he lost the locker room, then the team wouldn’t give effort. This is just a pure collapse, and in the grand scheme of things the team isn’t supposed to be this good at this stage of the rebuild.
Remember the Flyers former number one Goaltender Carter Hart was arrested for his role in a sexual assault from the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault, thus being forced to play Samuel Ersson into the ground. In addition, they truly lack high-end talent, and the Power Play has been abysmal. Through all of this, this team have been in the playoff hunt, and that is done to terrific coaching and a front office that has a vision.
They have to learn how to finish, that is what they have to learn.
What a great honest article on Torts. You don’t see many of those as it’s not as clickable as stating Torts is an asshole, the players despise him and he’s mean to his players.. The truth is he coaches the way coaches should coach in any league but that doesn’t happen anymore. The players run the show and God forbid you sit one of the stars that’s struggling.
What people don’t understand is he truly cares about his players. He would give the shirt off his back for them at least the ones that are coachable. Yeah I’m talking Provy, Hayes, and DeAngelo.
In all honesty this is the reason they made a run this year. Locker room cancers got shipped out and the young kids starting buying in and learning.
Again thanks for an actual news article.