As his first season as Flyers coach winds down, John Tortorella reflects on ‘garbage time’ games

As his first season with the Flyers wraps up, Flyers coach John Tortorella has more questions than he thought he would.

Heading into the final stretch, Tortorella thought he had figured out who his players were. The team was knocked out of playoff contention early, leading to a bunch of games Tortorella described as “garbage time.”

Depending on the player, those games are easier or harder to play in. There’s nothing on the line, but the only thing left to play for is your pride.

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Yet a number of players took off. Morgan Frost scored 12 points in 10 games (March 17-April 4), including a five-game points streak. Joel Farabee snapped a 26-game goalless drought on March 14 and subsequently went on a four-game goal streak and five-game scoring streak.

Tortorella said he’s feeling better about some players, but he’s not sure how to evaluate them, considering it’s “garbage time.”

“It’s given me pause to have questions on a few other guys,” Tortorella said.

A question mark isn’t exactly bad if Tortorella had already counted a player out — though his opinion can change quickly.

“It’s just how I feel about it today,” Tortorella said. “And that could change after camp. I don’t know. It’s a constant evaluation for me.”

Justin Braun is on the power play unit — the first power play unit.

When his teammates heard that, they broke into laughter.

“He said he used to play on the power play when he first came into league in San Jose,” Travis Sanheim said. “So it’s been been a few years now.”

Braun came into the league in 2010, 13 seasons ago.

With one game to go, why put a new face on the power play? Well, Braun is sitting at 199 points. He’s got one game left on an expiring contract and, at 36 years old, is facing an uncertain future. This will be just his 51st game of the season.

Braun is loved in the locker room. He plays an “ugly” game, Tortorella says, but there’s a beauty in the ugliness because the team always knows what its going to get. Whether he’s in the lineup or not, Braun’s brought stability to the room, Sanheim said, except for when he’s going after Sanheim and best friend Travis Konecny in cards.

“Then we get mad at him and try to go after him,” Sanheim said with a laugh.

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No one knows if Braun will be a Flyer next year — or even if he will decide to play another season. The team badly wants to get that point for him and for his family— he has over a dozen family members in Chicago for the game. The coaches feel the same.

“We’re dying for him to get that 200th point,” Tortorella said. “We’re going to do everything we possibly can to get him a point.”

Several other younger Flyers also are on the precipice of milestones. Scott Laughton is at 199 career points. Konecny is at 29 goals for the season. Frost is at 19 goals.

Besides Tortorella, assistant coaches Brad Shaw and Rocky Thompson have run the bench this season. With one game left, a fourth coach, Darryl Williams, will get a turn.

Williams is excited, and so is Tortorella. He said he appreciates Williams because of the way grinded his way up, finding ways to stay relevant.

“A guy behind the scenes that just has worked hard from when I had him in Vancouver as a video coach to what he is now as a coach,” Tortorella said. “That’s what I love about him. He stays on top of the game and is always trying to learn. He’s very excited.”

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It’s tough for Tortorella to be away from the action. But he said he was looking for ways for the organization to grow, not just the players, with the team out of contention. His assistants’ excitement for the opportunity to act as head coach makes up for any frustration.

“It’s fun for me watching coaches, where I’m one of the older coaches in the league now, and watching the young coaches grow,” Tortorella said. “Giving them the opportunity and how excited they want it ... far outweighs anything.”

The Flyers play the Chicago Blackhawks in their season finale at the United Center at 8:30 p.m. ... Felix Sandström starts in net. ... Tony DeAngelo remains a healthy scratch for the fifth game in a row. Nick Seeler, who was sick, subs back in for Adam Ginning, who was sent back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. ... Longtime Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews will play his last game with the organization. He won three Stanley Cup championships in his time in Chicago.