Great run for your guys. Kinda what happens in the cap world. And time catches up to us all.
- Flyers1218

Agreed. What goes up must come down, and every credit card bill has gotta be paid.

Will be interesting to see what you guys do in the next couple of years. The eastern conference could be in a state of flux.

Maybe Torts could get promoted to Assistant to the Regional Manager .

This is the final season they are paying AV. If -- and, I repeat, if -- Tortorella moves up to a hockey operations position, he's still under the same contract. Maybe he only wanted to coach a couple more years. Or maybe there's nothing to the rumor.
- bmeltzer

If Tortorella does move upstairs, does Shaw seem like the logical next coach? The staff and front office seem kind of joined at the hip. If so, I wonder if the front office (Torts) becomes a de facto “super coach” and still kind of calls the shots. Would Shaw have the same autonomy as the head coach? Would Rocky stay or would they give him a chance to be the head coach of the Phantoms?

What a weird thing I just posted. These are kind of weird times as a Flyers fan.

The had 75 points last year with Couturier playing 0 games.

This year they are pacing for 92 points with Couturier pacing for 45 points in 72 GP.
- Feanor

similar to hayes output last year. coots struggling and hayes line demotion. coots is not back to his pre surgery form and may never be. we will see what th epoint totals are at the end.

also the big question mark coming into the season was the defense, who has played better than expected. Add your starting goalie done for the season as well.

I have hope that he'll eventually run his course as a coach and then move on. Tortorella moving upstairs into a management position is a nightmare scenario.
- MJL

It would have surprised me at the start of this season, but seeing how Torts has acted down the stretch here, I think it's the best thing for him to save face. I don't like the drama.

If Couturier comes back after scratched and regains his form then BOOM Jorts was brilliant sitting him to refocus his game.

If Couturier comes back after scratched and continues with his poor play then BOOM Jorts is a genius... "See he scratched Couturier because he's lost a step, yada, yada..."
other markets around the NHL.


- Pixote Andolini

so how is giving Coots a break a bad thing...sounds win win.

It would have surprised me at the start of this season, but seeing how Torts has acted down the stretch here, I think it's the best thing for him to save face. I don't like the drama.
- jd250

Drama involving Tortorella? Unheard of .

Does playing thru five separate injuries count as being "banged up"? The Flyers GM thinks so.

https://thehockeynews.com...r-isnt-completely-healthy

"Early on, we were asking a lot of him. He was playing on the powerplay. He was facing all the top lines. He was first on the penalty kill. Sean was really beat up, too. If you remember, you go back to earlier in the season, Sean was missing some practices here and there," Briere explained. "It wasn't just to recuperate from playing 22 minutes [a game], he was really banged up. I think at one point, he had five different injuries that he was dealing with, and he was still playing."

Does playing thru five separate injuries count as being "banged up"? The Flyers GM thinks so.

https://thehockeynews.com...r-isnt-completely-healthy

"Early on, we were asking a lot of him. He was playing on the powerplay. He was facing all the top lines. He was first on the penalty kill. Sean was really beat up, too. If you remember, you go back to earlier in the season, Sean was missing some practices here and there," Briere explained. "It wasn't just to recuperate from playing 22 minutes
- Feanor[a game], he was really banged up. I think at one point, he had five different injuries that he was dealing with, and he was still playing."

The most despicable thing was how quickly some fans turned on Couturier.

He's already co-equal to the GM and POHO. A move upstairs only further entrenches him. Coaches have shelf lives... FO executives really don't.
- Tomahawk

Clarke has a certain sway over the Flyers till he dies thanks to winning two cups as a player and many years and many playoff series wins as a GM.

Torts is going to get it on the back of two seasons as coach with a .506 Points percentage.

Drama involving Tortorella? Unheard of .
- MJL

I understand, but you would think at 65 years old the guy would grow up a bit. I have no problem with him sticking up for this team after bad officiating and getting ejected from the game. But between the Couts benching, and the short post games, or not even showing up for pre-game or post-game interviews .. that's not acceptable to me. I hate to lose more than anyone, more that I like to win, but be a professional, go out and answer questions calmly and move on. Torts has no problem calling out players who don't play well, or even benching players, but now for some reason he can't simply state that Sandstrom needed to play better to give his team a chance to win? Makes no sense.

Clarke has a certain sway over the Flyers till he dies thanks to winning two cups as a player and many years and many playoff series wins as a GM.

Torts is going to get it on the back of two seasons as coach with a .506 Points percentage.
- Feanor

If Tortorella does move upstairs. We as Flyers fans can forget about any real success for quite a bit of time.

I understand, but you would think at 65 years old the guy would grow up a bit. I have no problem with him sticking up for this team after bad officiating and getting ejected from the game. But between the Couts benching, and the short post games, or not even showing up for pre-game or post-game interviews .. that's not acceptable to me. I hate to lose more than anyone, more that I like to win, but be a professional, go out and answer questions calmly and move on. Torts has no problem calling out players who don't play well, or even benching players, but now for some reason he can't simply state that Sandstrom needed to play better to give his team a chance to win? Makes no sense.
- jd250

This is the beginning.

I understand, but you would think at 65 years old the guy would grow up a bit. I have no problem with him sticking up for this team after bad officiating and getting ejected from the game. But between the Couts benching, and the short post games, or not even showing up for pre-game or post-game interviews .. that's not acceptable to me. I hate to lose more than anyone, more that I like to win, but be a professional, go out and answer questions calmly and move on. Torts has no problem calling out players who don't play well, or even benching players, but now for some reason he can't simply state that Sandstrom needed to play better to give his team a chance to win? Makes no sense.
- jd250

Leopards don't change their spots

so how is giving Coots a break a bad thing...sounds win win.
- kennygarcon

It's not a bad thing if it was presented that way to the media and public. This is what I thought initially, that given the way Couts was playing he had to be injured and thus giving him a few games off to recuperate would have been just fine. But instead it was a benching because as Torts said it, "he needed to see more from him". That's embarrassing the player and worse, the captain of the team. I'm sure Couts did not want to leave the lineup, especially in this stretch of games, but even if they forced him to sit out for injury reasons that would have been a much better way to go.

It's not a bad thing if it was presented that way to the media and public. This is what I thought initially, that given the way Couts was playing he had to be injured and thus giving him a few games off to recuperate would have been just fine. But instead it was a benching because as Torts said it, "he needed to see more from him". That's embarrassing the player and worse, the captain of the team. I'm sure Couts did not want to leave the lineup, especially in this stretch of games, but even if they forced him to sit out for injury reasons that would have been a much better way to go.
- jd250

You've been posting repeatedly that Couturier is cooked and can't keep up with play. Now its with the way he has been playing, he has to be injured. Which is it?

It's not a bad thing if it was presented that way to the media and public. This is what I thought initially, that given the way Couts was playing he had to be injured and thus giving him a few games off to recuperate would have been just fine. But instead it was a benching because as Torts said it, "he needed to see more from him". That's embarrassing the player and worse, the captain of the team. I'm sure Couts did not want to leave the lineup, especially in this stretch of games, but even if they forced him to sit out for injury reasons that would have been a much better way to go.
- jd250

It annoys me even more because the triumvirate said they were all about being transparent with the fans and being up from about the goals and the plans. So they would use that to say we can't mislead you about why Coots is playing blah blah blah.....but then Torts goes and just ghosts the media when asked about it.

It was bush league nonsense to throw Coots under the bus like that. That kind of thing wrecks a room. This isn't 1986 when you can play Keenan like head games to unite the room against you. Everyone, including the coach, needs to be pulling in the same direction. poop like this erodes trust.

Right way to handle it (half-heartedly or not): "It wasn't his night. The effort was there ."

Wrong way to handle it: Shrug, tap the podium, walk away.
- bmeltzer

First convo with you, and it's disputative. Poop, I adore your work.

Since we know that Torts has a well-defined fiery character, I'd rather him get off the stage if he was going to cut loose.
The conduct wasn't professional. In moments of duress, I do not expect rational, normal behaviors to always prevail. Better a closed mouth full of vituperation than it spraying into an open mic.
I am assuming what was boiling up in him.
Coping with his goalie situation (not of his making) is like coaching a team of three-legged dogs at the Iditarod.

Does playing thru five separate injuries count as being "banged up"? The Flyers GM thinks so.

https://thehockeynews.com...r-isnt-completely-healthy

"Early on, we were asking a lot of him. He was playing on the powerplay. He was facing all the top lines. He was first on the penalty kill. Sean was really beat up, too. If you remember, you go back to earlier in the season, Sean was missing some practices here and there," Briere explained. "It wasn't just to recuperate from playing 22 minutes
- Feanor[a game], he was really banged up. I think at one point, he had five different injuries that he was dealing with, and he was still playing."

That long contract is gonna age so horridly! Dude gets banged up when he gets out of bed in the morning.

That long contract is gonna age so horridly! Dude gets banged up when he gets out of bed in the morning.
- Phillywhiteout

Exactly what I'm talking about.

I understand, but you would think at 65 years old the guy would grow up a bit. I have no problem with him sticking up for this team after bad officiating and getting ejected from the game. But between the Couts benching, and the short post games, or not even showing up for pre-game or post-game interviews .. that's not acceptable to me. I hate to lose more than anyone, more that I like to win, but be a professional, go out and answer questions calmly and move on. Torts has no problem calling out players who don't play well, or even benching players, but now for some reason he can't simply state that Sandstrom needed to play better to give his team a chance to win? Makes no sense.
- jd250

Heat of the moment. He was gonna throw him under the bus, but decided against it.

The most despicable thing was how quickly some fans turned on Couturier.
- MJL

It was quite a thing to behold. The cult of Tortorella is scary. Brings out the lizard brain in a lot of fans, which is high percentage for this fan base.

Based on Briere’s comments, Couturier should be commended for his candor with the media. In my opinion he should’ve spoken up more for himself.

He’s been treated like garbage.

It was quite a thing to behold. The cult of Tortorella is scary. Brings out the lizard brain in a lot of fans, which is high percentage for this fan base.
- StepfordSam

Snake oil salesman

ill go to my grave convinced of that
- THE BLACK HAND

It does annoy me now and annoyed me then that they did not go big on a goalie during Lindros' time.