Flyers roundtable: Will they make the playoffs? What’s next for John Tortorella?
With four games remaining, the Flyers are hoping to make it over the playoff finish line.
MONTREAL — The Flyers are in a frantic fight to the finish, as they sit one point out of a playoff place with only four games to play. But amid a seven-game losing streak, can they turn things around in time?
We asked Inquirer beat writer Jackie Spiegel that very question, and several others about the key recent comings and goings around the organization.
Answers have been edited for brevity.
» READ MORE: Free-falling Flyers maintain belief amid the team’s losing streak: ‘We’re still in the mix’
Q: What do you view as the biggest reason for the Flyers’ late-season swoon? Do you think they will ultimately make the playoffs?
A: John Tortorella has been forthcoming with saying his guys are tired, without using the five-letter word, and it’s a fair assessment. He mentioned again Monday that the plan was never to start goaltender Sam Ersson for as many games as he has. Tortorella said after the loss to the Chicago Blackhawks that Travis Sanheim and Cam York “are on fumes.” And York said the next day, “Everybody’s pretty tired this time of year.” That’s fair, too, as the 82-game season is a grind. But it was the second part of that answer that made me think. “It’s more mental than physical,” York continued. Could it be more the mental gymnastics — that no one expected the team to be in the playoff mix, the streaks, losing Carter Hart, Sean Couturier being named captain and then being benched?
Either way, the team is fatigued and it’s showing on the ice. How does this all impact things in the end? If they can win three of their last four — assuming the one loss will be to the NHL’s best team, the New York Rangers, on Thursday at Madison Square Garden — they have a good shot of getting in ... to face the Rangers in the first round.
Q: With four games left, how do you see Tortorella deploying his goaltenders the rest of the way?
A: This is a great question because neither goalie has looked great over the last few weeks. Neither Ersson nor newcomer Ivan Fedotov has given Tortorella and goalie coach Kim Dillabaugh a reason he should get the nod for the rest of the way. But that also doesn’t mean they shouldn’t split things. Ersson almost pulled off a win against the Rangers, losing in overtime, on March 26; it wouldn’t be surprising if he gets the start at the World’s Most Famous Arena on Thursday. Fedotov may have looked a bit uncomfortable at times Friday in the loss to the Buffalo Sabres, but he owned it and has earned at least another start or two — with this reporter expecting one of those to be Tuesday against the Canadiens.
Q: Speaking of the goaltenders, what has been your early impression of Fedotov?
A: My impression is impressed. His first NHL appearance was in relief in a huge game for the Flyers — and he was a major reason why they earned a point, despite falling behind 2-1 and 3-2 to the Islanders. He looked great in that game with his movement and ability to track the puck. The second game, his first NHL start, was not as stellar as he let in two goals from the high slot and one when Buffalo’s Tage Thompson just danced right around him. But everyone has to remember he has only been officially with the Flyers since March 29. Eleven days. That’s it. And the biggest impression he has left is how he reacted after each loss. Fedotov shouldered the load. He could have easily said, “I haven’t been here long” or “I’m rusty” since his KHL season ended in early March. But he didn’t. Instead, he said, “Not the best game for me. ... First start of a game in the NHL and, I don’t know, 100 percent I should be better.” Impressive indeed.
» READ MORE: Flyers are mired in a seven-game losing streak but cannot look too far ahead
Q: Is there one specific player you think can be a catalyst for the Flyers over these final few games?
A: The one guy who can be a difference-maker right now is the guy who has been a difference-maker all season long: Travis Konecny. Konency has a team-leading 65 points (31 goals, 34 assists) in 72 games this season. But he hasn’t scored in the last five games and, as Tortorella said, he may be “pressing a little bit.” He’s plus-6 on the season but minus-8 over the last five games, too; a big indicator of where things are right now.
Konecny has still been getting looks. In Saturday night’s 6-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, he missed an open net on a three-on-one. It was one of 12 shots he missed in the last five losses; he is tied for the 10th-highest total of missed shots since March 28. But in this five-game stretch, he is getting the ice time — his 20 minutes, 27 seconds leads all the Flyers forwards; he is getting the shots (14); and, at five-on-five, he is getting looks with a team-best 27 shot attempts, according to Natural Stat Trick. At some point, it has to finally click.
Q: What’s next for Tortorella? Do you see him coaching the final two years of his contract?
A: This is a tough one. Some days it seems like this is his last year. Other days, it looks like he can coach forever. He has pushed — for the most part — the right buttons this season to have a team of young, rising talents in the postseason conversation. And the lessons they have learned and will learn in the last four games should carry them through the rest of their careers. Add in the fact that he has evolved his style in the last few years to match how athletes are today. There have been question marks lately about the room and guys tuning him out, and some of the things he has done — like benching Couturier — make you scratch your head. But if you listen to what the coach and players have been saying, the similarities are there with the messages.
Whether or not behind closed doors they are together, in front of the door they are in tune. So what does that mean for Tortorella? In late December, when Tortorella reached 1,500 games, he replied that he loves teaching, being in the locker room, and working with the athletes. Whether that means he still does that behind the bench is up in the air. Tortorella doesn’t have to prove to anyone he can coach. He has won a Cup and done it all. So will John Tortorella coach the final two years of his contract with the Flyers? The only person who knows is John Tortorella.