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, “This falls on me,” Tortorella said following the loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. “I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we are at right now, but I have to do a better job. This falls on me, getting the team prepared to play the proper way until we get to the end.”
Tortorella is a competitor, and he wants to win every night. Unfortunately, his team is just not that talented, especially following the trade deadline, with moving a few key parts of the organizational leadership ladder. It appears some players are still in the fog from such, but this is the business. I think that’s what Tortorella is alluding to. His team hasn’t been fully prepared, mentally, and that’s the part this team is struggling with it appears.
No he hasn’t quit on the team like some would say. I just think he’s come to the realization that he has to coach differently, then in years past. Also, the team really isn’t that talented to win at this stage of the year, and he’s come to the realization of that. However, they can give effort on a nightly basis, and it doesn’t appear that way at times due to bad goaltending, or an abysmal Power Play.
“I need to do a better job.” – Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella said following the 7-2 drubbing to the Leafs
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Tortorella and the players equally deserve blame for this collapse. It’s not just one person, it’s all, especially the Goaltenders. Tortorella hasn’t lost the room, but the team has to stop acting like they’re lifeless, like they were in the second period of the loss to a far superior Leafs team.
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 like they did against the Dallas Stars. In the grand scheme of things, the team isn’t supposed to be this good at this stage of the rebuild, again, especially after training the way key cogs to the organizational leadership ladder (Scott Laughton and Joel Farabee).
They truly lack high-end talent, and the Power Play has been abysmal. Through all of this, the team is actually trying, although it’s just not good enough, to win at this stage of the season. This is what oozing does, and that’s why this team should be prepared to win every game. Unfortunately, they’re just not talented enough to do that, and then you get get quotes like the one above where it insinuates that Tortorella is quitting on the team, when he’s most certainly not.
