Photo Credit: NHL.com
Tortorella gets it, and he’s trying to build a connection with the fanbase of Philadelphia. The Flyers hired a former Stanley Cup winning Head Coach John Tortorella to a four year deal, worth $16 million. Some forget he won a Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning back in the 2003-04 season.
With his team trailing 4-0 in the first 10 minutes of the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tortorella was thrown out of the game after yelling at Wes McCauley after a few questionable calls, and I’m saying questionable politely as they were bad calls.
I do not think Tortorella should have been tossed. Yes, his team is playing like junk, but there were some bad calls too. I personally have never witnessed an NHL coach getting tossed.
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. 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.”
Throw this game in the garbage, and move on.
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