Poehling out there last minute with the top players lol this guy is unbelievable
- ClaudeFather

Has it all but the hands, small thing for a scoring center

RP is playing good…I’d rather him then Laughton…

They lost a ton of face offs…they missed the net way too many times. They are going to struggle to score some nights. Tonight was one of them.
- landros 2

Laughton has been awful; another guy immune to the benching unlike frost

Poehling cates and Laughton. There is probably not a more offensively starved bottom 3 centers than that. But they are all guys that try hard 😂

Laughton has been awful; another guy immune to the benching unlike frost
- ClaudeFather

At least he finally got dropped to the 4th line as the game went on. I understand the whole culture thing….but how many (frank)ing vets do we need a rebuild to show the way? Laughton being able to garner a 1rst rnd borders incompetence if DB did infact turn that down.

Thanks Bill for the honest assessment of Torts. I'm not a Torts hater but agree that he does some things that are questionable. He's old school and stuck in his ways...I'm old school as well but in the modern NHL, a coach needs to make adjustments. Things that worked for Torts years ago, won't be as effective now. That said, he isn't going anywhere so I'm hoping the team continues to show promise going forward, as it has been nice to see them making progress.

Poehling cates and Laughton. There is probably not a more offensively starved bottom 3 centers than that. But they are all guys that try hard 😂
- ClaudeFather

Freaking comical. If I was Frost, I would refuse to play and let Torts eat it

Poehling cates and Laughton. There is probably not a more offensively starved bottom 3 centers than that. But they are all guys that try hard 😂
- ClaudeFather

All 3 are legit NHL role guys. I still think Cates has a bit more upside…but ya they are just what you say.

Laughton has been awful; another guy immune to the benching unlike frost
- ClaudeFather

Laughton has not been playing his best but he has far more of a track record then Poehling does. Not taking anything away from Poehling. He is playing well. He is showing that if the head coach would get his head out of his ass, and remove Deslauriers from the lineup. Who is a black hole offensively and was on the ice for another goal against tonight where he lost his check. Put Poehling with Hathaway and either Cates or Laughton. They might have an effective 4th line for a change. Put Frost in the lineup with Farabee and Brink. Although I'd prefer Brink and Frost to be separated

Freaking comical. If I was Frost, I would refuse to play and let Torts eat it
- wcorvette

If I was Frost I would walk into Tort’s office and ask if he was playing. If scratched I would flip out and call him to the mat. Challenge his manhood.
The next game do the same thing,
Doesn’t Tort’s get off on that stuff?

Can't be upset with this loss and with the way the Flyers played. Sorokin was outstanding.

If I was Frost I would walk into Tort’s office and ask if he was playing. If scratched I would flip out and call him to the mat. Challenge his manhood.
The next game do the same thing,
Doesn’t Tort’s get off on that stuff?
- bird_dog_pa

Says he does

Thank goodness Nic D was in tonight!

Face punching > goal scoring

Torts needs more from 3 players, he wants to give them time to work it out. Huh, grinder lineup, players playing above their talent level line wise, vs really good goalie, now how could you see that being a problem

Meanwhile Frost gets zero time to work it out.

Danny B grow a set of balls

Laughton has been awful; another guy immune to the benching unlike frost
- ClaudeFather

Agreed on Laughton. He’s been absolutely invisible this year. Sometimes i forget he’s on the team. And yet he wears an a. Very weird. Normally if you only have one guy wearing a letter, it’s one of your better players as well as a leader. Not really the case here. He’s a bottom 6 forward playing like a 4th liner.

Agreed on Laughton. He’s been absolutely invisible this year. Sometimes i forget he’s on the team. And yet he wears an a. Very weird. Normally if you only have one guy wearing a letter, it’s one of your better players as well as a leader. Not really the case here. He’s a bottom 6 forward playing like a 4th liner.
- Hextall271

Cant believe he has 10 points, Laughton really has not been noticeable in any specific game.
The whole Frost situation is out of hand. Cates..come on coach, sit him. I am not a Torts hater like many but the Frost situation has to stop, as he must be given a legit opportunity. IMO guys like Poehling, Hathaway, ND, are the least of their concerns.
Laughton, Cates, Forester, please step up. Zamula looks so slow as well

Cant believe he has 10 points, Laughton really has not been noticeable in any specific game.
The whole Frost situation is out of hand. Cates..come on coach, sit him. I am not a Torts hater like many but the Frost situation has to stop, as he must be given a legit opportunity. IMO guys like Poehling, Hathaway, ND, are the least of their concerns.
Laughton, Cates, Forester, please step up. Zamula looks so slow as well
- 3flyerkids

Yeah. I don’t care about the 4th line tbh. Limit their ice time and deploy them correctly. We need more from Laughton and cates. I also would have left the lineup the same after the last game. Don’t slot staal in on what would be a close game where you know one mistake could decide it. That’s what happened. Hart should have stopped the short side goal but staal didn’t play that well either. Bring staal back after a loss I’d say.

Everyone have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving!

Cant believe he has 10 points, Laughton really has not been noticeable in any specific game.
The whole Frost situation is out of hand. Cates..come on coach, sit him. I am not a Torts hater like many but the Frost situation has to stop, as he must be given a legit opportunity. IMO guys like Poehling, Hathaway, ND, are the least of their concerns.
Laughton, Cates, Forester, please step up. Zamula looks so slow as well
- 3flyerkids

I wish the team and the fans would stop with the sitting and scratching nonsense. It's not a solution. They don't need to sit Cates. They need to find a way to help him improve. Scratching players doesn't do that. They moved Cates to center last year out of need. It's not the right position for him. I knew that once he was moved down the lineup, playing at center with the return of Couturier, that Cates effectiveness would suffer. The signs and data were there on that. Move him to the wing. As long as this team prioritizes winning over rebuilding, they're doomed.

Torts needs more from 3 players, he wants to give them time to work it out. Huh, grinder lineup, players playing above their talent level line wise, vs really good goalie, now how could you see that being a problem

Meanwhile Frost gets zero time to work it out.

Danny B grow a set of balls
- wcorvette

I heard Torts say after the game a couple of times that there are 2-3 players that are regressing, that he needs more from. I didn't however hear him say he was going to give them time to work it out. Tors also praised Brink for his offensive ability and said he needs to stay in the lineup. I think he will bring Frost back in and sit one of those players. Deslauriers looked awful last night against the Islanders. I would really like to see a 4th line of Laughton - Cates - Hathaway, and put Frost at 2C, something like this:

Couts - TK - Brink
Frost - Tippet - Farabee
Poehling - Atkinson - Foerster
Laughton - Cates - Hathaway

On defense I would sit Zamula once Risto comes back. Z needs some time off IMO, he looks overwhelmed just too often out there.

Anyway, wishing you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

I wish the team and the fans would stop with the sitting and scratching nonsense. It's not a solution. They don't need to sit Cates. They need to find a way to help him improve. Scratching players doesn't do that. They moved Cates to center last year out of need. It's not the right position for him. I knew that once he was moved down the lineup, playing at center with the return of Couturier, that Cates effectiveness would suffer. The signs and data were there on that. Move him to the wing. As long as this team prioritizes winning over rebuilding, they're doomed.
- MJL

So you want the team to tank? Because tanking is when you prioritize rebuilding over winning. I don't believe the two need to be mutually exclusive, and I believe learning how to win, and more importantly having an attitude of expecting to win, is part of developing young players. I was all for tanking last year when there were 3 or 4 potential super-star and even generational players available to be drafted, but that window was missed.

I heard Torts say after the game a couple of times that there are 2-3 players that are regressing, that he needs more from. I didn't however hear him say he was going to give them time to work it out. Tors also praised Brink for his offensive ability and said he needs to stay in the lineup. I think he will bring Frost back in and sit one of those players. Deslauriers looked awful last night against the Islanders. I would really like to see a 4th line of Laughton - Cates - Hathaway, and put Frost at 2C, something like this:

Couts - TK - Brink
Frost - Tippet - Farabee
Poehling - Atkinson - Foerster
Laughton - Cates - Hathaway

On defense I would sit Zamula once Risto comes back. Z needs some time off IMO, he looks overwhelmed just too often out there.

Anyway, wishing you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
- jd250

Brink was invisible as you like to put it for the majority of the game. Then he makes a play and sets up Farabee. That's what Tortorella needs to learn. Offensive skilled players make plays. Again, here you are fixated on what Tortorella says. When has Tortorella praised Frost's offensive ability? Never.
Zamula is not close to being overwhelmed and there is no reason to sit him

Happy Thanksgiving to you.

So you want the team to tank? Because tanking is when you prioritize rebuilding over winning. I don't believe the two need to be mutually exclusive, and I believe learning how to win, and more importantly having an attitude of expecting to win, is part of developing young players. I was all for tanking last year when there were 3 or 4 potential super-star and even generational players available to be drafted, but that window was missed.
- jd250

Why can’t they expect to win without playing plugs?

So you want the team to tank? Because tanking is when you prioritize rebuilding over winning. I don't believe the two need to be mutually exclusive, and I believe learning how to win, and more importantly having an attitude of expecting to win, is part of developing young players. I was all for tanking last year when there were 3 or 4 potential super-star and even generational players available to be drafted, but that window was missed.
- jd250

Why do you consistently read something into it that is not there? I want what I said. I want the team to prioritize rebuilding over winning. How do you read that I want them to tank into that?
For some reason you think that learning how to win means older players with no future play more than younger players and that is going to teach them how to win.

How is it possible that you completely missed the complete point of what Bill posted. As if he needs it explained to him what "play like you practice" means? Could you possibly be more tone deaf?

Here is some more good reading on Tortorella from Bill in case you missed it.

"Has nothing to do with my "love" for any player. Has to do with what have been limitations he hasn't been able to overcome except for one magical season 19 years ago when Tampa was almost freakishly injury-free all season. When he's misjudged players, he's missed spectacularly (see Mats Zuccarello, who was about to go back to Europe before NY coaching changes to Vigneault turned his career, see William Karlsson, who was pegged as a 4th liner in Columbus and then scored 40 the next year in Vegas).

I never said he isn't a good coach. He is. But I wouldn't call him a great one or a HOF builder candidate. An innovator? No. A great teaching coach? Debatable. A great communicator?"


"Torts wields a LOT of power in the organization. He's not "just" the coach and absolutely not a "mouthpiece". More than Danny becoming GM, the scales-tipper in balance of power was with Jonesy becoming POHO because he and Torts are in lockstep about most (not all, but most) hockey ops matters. It is very much the "triumvirate" that was described in the summer."
- MJL

The only numb brain on this site is you my friend. Bill posted that Torts was talking out of both sides of his mouth because he stated "you play like you practice" and "there is nothing Brink can do in practice, all players practice well". So Bill asked which is it? My retort is "it's both"! Brink practices with the same intensity as the game, and there is nothing more he can show in practice that will get him back in the lineup. It's sad that I have to explain it to you.