“That game scares the shit out of me.”
Never a dull moment with John Tortorella. He was, of course, referring to the Philadelphia Flyers’ upcoming matchup against the basement-dwelling Chicago Blackhawks. It’s a trap game, and the coach clearly doesn’t want it taken lightly.
The quote came following a 6-3 defeat at the hands of the New Jersey Devils in the highly anticipated Stadium Series. Asked if this particular loss stung a bit more than any other game, Tortorella was matter-of-fact as usual. The team would be moving on and getting prepared for Chicago. It should be a reminder that, despite the spectacle of the event, the Stadium Series still only counts for two points in the standings.
Regardless, the Flyers were not good enough on Saturday night, nor were they in Toronto a couple days prior. Two poorly timed line changes directly led to two Maple Leaf goals, the latter of which was the deciding tally in overtime. Defensive breakdowns, blown coverages, and inopportune penalties largely determined their fate over the weekend at MetLife Stadium.
Tortorella did not let them forget it. He orchestrated a high-energy, intense practice at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, NJ on Monday morning. About halfway through the session, the team switched rinks and reconvened at center ice where Tortorella held the floor.
There was an unspoken acknowledgement amongst the 30-some-odd fans in attendance to quiet down to glean as much as possible from Torts’s monologue. Unfortunately, the echo in the rink made it difficult to hear but sandwiched between “we sucked” was “not enough” and needing “more from everybody.”
He also said that it “starts with the top guys” and used the blade end of his stick to point at certain individuals standing in the group. Among those was newly anointed captain, Sean Couturier, who confirmed as much after practice.
“It was about stepping up. We need to be better. Some of us haven’t been our best the last couple of games. It’s on us, especially me, to get back to being the player I am…I just need to be better.”
Another player that drew the ire of the coach was newcomer Jamie Drysdale. He, too, was directly called out during the one-man huddle. But the 21-year-old defenseman was also loudly lambasted when he misplayed a puck along the wall and stumbled during zone exit drills.
After Tortorella skated off to signify the end of practice, Drysdale remained on the ice with assistant coach, Brad Shaw. The pair chatted for upwards of 15 minutes, presumably discussing what went wrong in the drill and recent performances.
I asked Bill Meltzer if there was anything to the exchange. He said it was mostly unremarkable, save for the fact that everyone in the building could hear it.
The Flyers have been frank about where Drysdale stands since his arrival. He’s a gifted skater and does not lack offensive skill, but his defensive game is a work in progress. Injuries sidelined him for just about all of last season and the beginning of this year. Plus, Drysdale was suddenly thrust into a new system that holds players to a certain standard away from the puck. He is going to be coached and coached hard, as long as Tortorella is behind the bench.
Torts was asked about the purpose of the meeting at center-ice. His answer?
“I just coached.”
He gave a slight smile following that response, perhaps indicating there was something more to it than that, but he wanted to keep it private.
Tortorella has pushed the right buttons before with his guys many times. We’ll see if it pays off again when the Flyers visit Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night, looking to end their two-game skid.
