I’m going to be so annoyed if they ruin the rebuild by winning the cup this year. So annoyed. 
Boy, what Flyers coaches weren't? (I mean, a lot of them weren't, but Keenan, Hitch, Terry Murray... these were not lovable guys.)
For better or worse I don't think Torts is that strategic about it when he does it in public, he just can't help himself. But he's reined himself in.
I think they can get swept in the first round of the playoffs - which they still really should, or at least a short series, if current bracket holds - and it will still have been a memorable and remarkable season, and the most successful stint by a Flyers coach since Lavvy (yeah Vigneault won but in the bigger picture was not a great hire and quickly became a disaster. Wasn't he a classic "players stop listening to him" hardass too?).
Yea, I am not saying they need to do much winning in the playoffs to be a success. Honestly making the playoffs didn’t even seem possible at the start of this year. Winning a game or two would be nice, but just “showing up” is more than I expected. Scare somebody. Give the fans a thrill.
My conspiracy theory is the Flyers are waiting for the Pens to fire Sullivan in the next year or two, at which time he'll be hired by the Flyers as an "advisor," spends time with LHV coaching and getting familiar with prospects and with the big team while paid by the Pens. When Torts retires, his protege (started his career with Torts) is in place to take over.
They don't even have to make the playoffs, just being in a serious playoff run is great experience, but just as important, a chance for Briere to see his players under pressure - last season can be misleading b/c the games were meaningless and opponents were bringing their "B" and "C" games.
I think 90% of the fan base and 100% of the organization will be disappointed if they don't make the playoffs at this point. Might be excusable/not the end of the world, especially given the goaltending, injuries, and loss of Walker, but still
Sullivan didn't start his career with Torts, he was the head coach of the Boston Bruins (and their AHL team). But sure, they've worked together quite a bit since then. He is possibly going to get fired this year. He should have already been fired but has more sway with Fenway than his new boss does. I could certainly see it if if he doesn't take another job first, or stays there longer. I think the current assistants are also candidates (if other teams don't get them first as well).
Extremely funny they were honoring Torts and the 2004 team (booooooo!) last night.
Hextall signed him to a 3 year extension, so I think he'll last another season, but it's an awful situation, aging stars, no depth and no talent coming (#27 ranked pipeline)/draft picks (2 2nds this year, 1st and 3rd next year).
I can see him fired in a year, spending a year hanging out in Philly on the Pen's dime, then taking over when Michkov arrives. Unless of course, Shaw becomes the designated successor.
I think Dubas would have happily canned him though.Heck I think Hextall would have (and had nothing to do with that extension, it was a reflection that Sullivan had more power than Hextall with the Boston-based ownership group).
Of course that means it is up to Fenway again now, both on merit and in terms of the $. In fact it might be up to Theo Epstein.
The fine and suspension are just the latest for the guy some have said has mellowed after more than 30 years of coaching. The 65-year-old coach has now been fined 13 times and suspended four.
Whether Tortorella actually has to pay is unknown. Flyers CEO Dan Hilferty told Al Morganti of NBC Sports Philadelphia he’d pay any fine the NHL levies.
“I’m really proud of Torts for standing up for his/our team,” Hilferty said, according to a Morganti tweet. “This new era of Orange is about having each other’s backs. Last night, Torts had our collective backs. I respect any action the league might feel a need to take but if it includes a fine, I am paying it.”
Kind of knew what I was really going to see tonight
First game in person. Defense actually looked better than I expected despite the score but obviously way overmatched between the two old guys and the two young guys. And there's still not enough skill/finish/power play. Hope they still make the playoffs and have enough to get it to six games. Isles can now catch them with games in hand and a lot of tough games on the schedule.
They’ve been really bad against the Leafs for a while now. Thankfully the Islanders lost as well. Maybe the Flyers will get to the playoffs, but they haven’t been the same team since the All Star Break.
They have been injured and traded Seeler Walker. I would not expect them to be as good. We have to accept this if we are serious about rebuilding.
Losing Hart puts too big a burden on Ersson.
Trading Walker, Seeler and Risto being hurt has decimated the defense.
Risto was having a solid season before he went down, and Seeler - Walker was their best D-pair.
Drysdale is talented, but I wouldn't mind if he started next year in the AHL and worked on fundamentals, he'll be 22, and they need to bring him along slowly, he was rushed to the NHL and it shows.
On offense, Brink is a year away, Foerster looks like he's hit the rookie wall, Couts wearing down his first year back after two off, and no one is really stepping up other than the Cates - Poehling - Hathaway line, and Poehling and Hathaway can't finish to save their lives.
The important thing is being in the PO race and playing meaningful games against opponents taking them seriously.
Great learning experience for the young players, and Briere gets to see how they handle pressure.
They had to trade Walker. Making the playoffs this season means little to the bigger picture of the rebuild.
The injuries to Risto, Drysdale and Seeler are unfortunate and it appears only Seeler will return before the playoffs.
The loss of Hart is a big deal too and we have no good backup to give Ersson the rest required for him to stay sharp. This is a huge test for Ersson. He has done pretty well overall, but this stretch of tough opponents is brutal.
Agree the other big issue is the lack of offense in general, struggling to finish and especially the feeble power play. Coots continues to be missing in action in particular, but most of the lineup needs to step up to relieve the pressure.