The Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins have come together for some epic showdowns, both in the regular season and playoffs. It's the building block of one of the fiercest rivalries in the NHL. But this season, the teams are battling to stay out of last place in the Metropolitan Division, a far cry from their infamous 2012 first-round matchup.
Oct 12, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella on his bench against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
The Flyers are 8-10-2 through their first 20 games. It's not the start that head coach John Tortorella pictured for his third season behind the Philadelphia bench. But after a recent loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, the veteran coach told reporters that he's maintaining a positive attitude.
"We're going to try to stay positive," he said. "And just keep on trying to bang away."
While the coach is keeping his messaging and language up and optimisitic, he isn't shying away from making difficult choices and decisions. He's scratched rookie scoring sensation Matvei Michkov multiple times and Morgan Frost has been scratched in four of the last five contests. But even that has a positive twist to it, according to Tortorella.
"I've seen Frosty answer," he said. "I saw him answer last year and play pretty well. Hope he does it."
And Torts is seeing progress. He's been open about the ups and downs of the season, but gives the praise and props to his players when he sees it.
"All we can do is keep on trying to help them, try to get them in the spots," he said. "The only way coaches can help offense, I call it manufacturing offense — making sure when we don't have plays, get it in and let's grind a little bit, let's work in the blue paint. And I think they've improved that way."
The problem for Torts and the Flyers is that the progress isn't quick enough. The team has a bevy of young players, many of whom were projected to take a step forward in 2024. That hasn't happened, despite the progress and positivity. It's nearing a breaking point for the organization, no matter how optimistic Tortorella remains.
