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Guest Blog:An Open-Minded Look at Tortorella’s Tenure By HB Reader: Szandor |
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EK’s Note
I wanted to put this great offering out to the whole website because I thought it was very well done and a good look at Tortorello with the flyers….
An Open-Minded Look at Tortorella’s Tenure By Szandor
All the time we hear the phrase “All coaches have an expiration date.” We as fans have the same expiration date. Too many times, we look at the hiring of a coach and the excitement is overwhelming, then as time wears on and the sell by date approaches it turns to excitement for something new. We go from “he’s going to fix A, B, C” to “he failed at D, E, F.” I’m going to try to look at Tortorello’s tenure with an open mind to see how he did, positive and negative.
First off, we all know he’s a big personality who gives off an IDGAF attitude. When he first came to the team, that was something where we Philly fans felt we had a natural kinship. Some fans like me were sad to see the arena’s name change because we thought the F.U. Center was the most accurate arena name for any Philly team. When he joined the team there was no accountability…anywhere. The team’s “star” players would play 25 min a game and would make terrible boneheaded plays, but the lower-level players would be limited to 2 min for the exact same mistakes. The first thing Tortorella did was establish accountability. It didn’t matter if it was the best player or the worst player, if they consistently made the same mistakes, they watched from the press box for a game or two. Personally, I think this was his greatest contribution to the team. It made everyone want to play smarter and we overachieved because of it.
On the flip side of the coin, if a player was in Tortorella’s doghouse, it was very, very hard to get out of it (see M. Frost). I understand why the players would get there. Even as a terrible beer league player I know that it doesn’t matter how creative a player is with the puck if they pass it to the other team. Did it stifle some players, yes, but maybe it helped them in the long run. That’s still to be seen. The league’s history is full of high-profile flashy players who only lasted a few seasons before becoming career AHLers.
Secondly, he established unity in the room and on the ice. Player interviews are full of comments about how great the room is and the camaraderie between players. Look how hard Tippett says he’s struggling since Frost and Farabee were traded. When Tortorella joined, the room was a mess. There were cliques and several cancerous attitudes in the room. Anyone who’s played at any level knows how one player with a bad attitude can destroy a whole team. On the ice, when the Flyers play well, they are cohesive group. All five players attacking and defending as a unit. When that falls apart, we see what’s been going on the last few weeks.
Although, constant line juggling and (sometimes) over benching of players didn’t allow for the team to gel at times. If doghouse players are worried about making a single mistake, it’s sure to affect their overall play because they are overthinking. The best players in the league don’t think, they just play. That’s why there are spoiler teams. When the pressure is lifted, players can relax and do what years of training have naturally taught them to do. Above I said the accountability was a positive, alternatively I think it is very easy to go over the top making an example of a player. This I think may have been part of Tortorella’s downfall.
Thirdly, every coach does things for a reason and most times we are told what they are…then there is Tortorella. He is famous for his press conferences and his “that’s between me and the player” comments. Many people don’t like some of his line pairings, but I think there is more to it than the “this guy is playing well” response we get. As an example, I look at the Sanheim / York combo and personally I see the pairing as a lesson instead of a benching. It has been well documented and commented about York sitting most of the game the other night. What if placing him with a similar player was a chance for him to step back and realize positioning? We all want defensemen to jump in the play, but not to the detriment of the team. With two similar players, it forces two things. Both players cannot rush the puck at the same time, one of them must stay back defensively. If they do both go, it makes the offense cover, reminding them of being a five-man unit. Also, communication is a must between the players, both on the ice and the bench. They have to talk about what went wrong or right with a particular shift. Sanheim has taken huge strides over the last few seasons and York is still young and is in the process of learning the lessons Sanheim just when through. Those lessons weren’t getting learned and a benching followed. I don’t know if this is the case, but it’s just my personal thoughts.
The bad thing of keeping things too close to the vest is that if turns away a team’s fanbase. If we’re being real, a team can’t afford to put a wall up against its fans during a rebuild. Ticket sales still need to happen. We saw the same thing with Hextall except he didn’t even talk to anyone he worked with either. There needs to be some transparency with the fans. If we knew why certain things were happening, maybe we wouldn’t be calling for the guillotine quite so quickly.
Overall, I think Tortorella was what the team desperately needed at the time of his hiring. I think he left a mark on several players and the team as a whole that will benefit whoever is the next coach. Hindsight being what it is, I’m sure he’ll look back and make the necessary adjustments if he decides to coach again. Like all coaches, the date has come and gone and now everyone is looking to see what comes next. Just remember every fantastic coach that gets hired was recently fired for being the worst coach ever.
Comfortable
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