Couturier sounds like a petulant child. “The way I’ve been treated around here” you mean being paid 8 million the last few years and not playing. Shows zero perspective.
- PLindbergh31

This is your worst ever take.

Front page of TSN baby!!!

https://www.tsn.ca/
- corduroy

“The culture is, we felt, the first thing that needed to change around here,” Briere said after the deadline while reflecting on his vison after taking over last spring. “I didn’t like how our team was playing the last few years. We were a team that was easy to play against and I think the first step in that change was John Tortorella [who] brought an identity to our team, [and] forced our players to play a certain way to make it tough to face.

Then say he is injured. Its not rocket science.
- MBFlyerfan

Couturier’s messaging doesn’t indicate his frustrations or scratching were related to injury at all

Couturier’s messaging doesn’t indicate his frustrations or scratching were related to injury at all
- funmaster18

Nope. Sounds like there is more to this than just this health scratch. Tortorella couldn’t have picked a worse player to go after.

Torts loves being the bad guy.

Can over rated tk do something this week? Fantasy playoffs are here and I picked this fraud up

Can over rated tk do something this week? Fantasy playoffs are here and I picked this fraud up
- Stayin alive

I was told he’s absolutely a top line winger

I was told he’s absolutely a top line winger
- Stayin alive

The kind of player who you would build a team around, correct?

This is your worst ever take.
- Feanor

Is it? Couturier thinks being scratched is being mistreated? He’s been playing like garbage for over a month.

Here is the thing. People have been pretty patient with Briere but if this team goes really bad here at the end, there will be questions.

I am not saying just losing games but getting stomped, not playing good hockey and now do you have an issue with your recently named captain and coach?

Tort might be here to build a foundation of "culture". But i think your captain will be the one to maintain it moving forward and not sure I want Torts here as the guy to push this forward as they rebuild.

Just my thoughts.

Laughton, Cates, Tippett, Farabee etc, ALL players who didn't "produce" for extended periods of time.
- MBFlyerfan

Oh sweet Jesus. What am I reading today?

Does anyone in here remember Farabee playing like 56 second of his first shift early this season and getting benched for an entire game? Farabee wasn’t even seeing PP time early this season and was definitely in the doghouse for not backchecking.

Like my god, fellas. Let’s post a serious factual list of the players who have been scratched since Torts’ arrival and let’s include benchings because Konency has seen an entire period of sitting as well.

Here is the thing. People have been pretty patient with Briere but if this team goes really bad here at the end, there will be questions.
- J35Bacher

What? Briere hasn’t even been on the job one full year and people will start to lose patience? And some still wonder why the Flyers will never do a full tear down.

Then you agree with me that Couts is probably hurt and not telling anyone outside the team and thus if he gets scratched it will be for this reason?
- jd250

Again, players who are injured to the point that they can't play, don't practice in full and don't take extra practice and skate extra after morning skates.

hmm so we're on the hate the organization bandwagon again

Can over rated tk do something this week? Fantasy playoffs are here and I picked this fraud up
- Stayin alive

sounds like a you problem

Tortorella is a narcissistic coach who never cared about the future and only cares about his own legacy and his own success. This franchise has hitched their wagon to him and it is only going to continue their legacy. Which is weighed down in perpetual mediocrity. They aren't going anywhere as long as Tortorella is involved.
- MJL

I wouldn't go that far. He is most certainly a narcissist but I don't think he does things for legacy or personal success.

IMO he's just a guy who can't let go of a bygone era and has made it his personal mission to bring that era back -- how the game should be played, how players should behave, everything. It's purely fanatical and quixotic.

Basically hockey's version of a tradwife.

Torts is self obsessed blowhard who loves playing mind games with his players. He is out of date and out of touch with today’s game. Does he get a lot out of his teams? Yeah, to some degree. But ask yourself this, what would better benefit the team in the long run:
Barely limping into the final playoff spot and getting bounced in round one, or just missing and either way drafting in the 13-17 spot
Or
Playing the long game, not just with Couts, but overall, and finishing with 70-75 points and picking in the 5-8 range with at least some chance of moving up to 1 or 2?


You make it sound like coaches are provided with a dashboard, like in a car or spaceship, where there are dials and buttons. Those dials and buttons will let that coach be able to order up #wins, #losses, any way he wants them. Players will all be consistent. Attrition limited. Surprises few. Soft landings for everybody.

Well it ain't that way, not even close. Do I think he's pushing it? Yeah I do. But this team didn't get competitive by playing for any of the last 3 coaches. They got competitive playing for THIS coach. No coincidence. So, not all decisions will be loved, not even by me who supports Torts. But, he took a team that was getting their arses handed to them, and turned them into a team that might win on any given night. Does anybody remember how bad this team was? The only way they were winning games were nights the opponents took off. Truth be told. They may not have won games against the elite teams lately, but those teams had to show up to win, so progress has been made.
What's going on with Coots? Who really knows? Before the benching his minutes were way down. Torts is looking for players who can pull the weight of this team, because right now, they look primed to get swept through these 8 games.

I was told he’s absolutely a top line winger
- Stayin alive

He is a top line winger. Is this another situation where you're going to ignore the facts?

What? Briere hasn’t even been on the job one full year and people will start to lose patience? And some still wonder why the Flyers will never do a full tear down.
- psuhockey

Yes.

Because he needs to show a plan. All we heard is rebuild. Now the moves so far seem to be ok. Got value for Walker, did his best with the Cutter issue. But I think their could have been more to help with the rebuild and he kind of held off so this team could try and make the playoffs. Fair or not.

But now your captain is scratched and from the quotes, something seems like it is off. If they end of missing the playoffs and playing terrible hockey, you have to look at the coach to see if he is the guy to push this forward.

Briere will have questions if Torts is the right guy to keep building with and is his tactics having the intended effects for a rebuilding team.

With that Courturier quote about not being treated well, is this a sign that the coach has lost/is losing the locker room already? Players, especially veterans, are usually more selective in their words if everything is fine.
- mikeyo27

I don't think he's "lost the room" but he's definitely expending a significant amount of political capital by (frank)ing w/ Coots like this.

This had better light a fire under everybody because he's not gonna have many bullets left after this.

You make it sound like coaches are provided with a dashboard, like in a car or spaceship, where there are dials and buttons. Those dials and buttons will let that coach be able to order up #wins, #losses, any way he wants them. Players will all be consistent. Attrition limited. Surprises few. Soft landings for everybody.

Well it ain't that way, not even close. Do I think he's pushing it? Yeah I do. But this team didn't get competitive by playing for any of the last 3 coaches. They got competitive playing for THIS coach. No coincidence. So, not all decisions will be loved, not even by me who supports Torts. But, he took a team that was getting their arses handed to them, and turned them into a team that might win on any given night. Does anybody remember how bad this team was? The only way they were winning games were nights the opponents took off. Truth be told. They may not have won games against the elite teams lately, but those teams had to show up to win, so progress has been made.
What's going on with Coots? Who really knows? Before the benching his minutes were way down. Torts is looking for players who can pull the weight of this team, because right now, they look primed to get swept through these 8 games.
- BluehorseShoe64

It's true, he has made them competitive. Is that enough? Because that is all that Tortorella can do. He has clearly used all of the tricks in his coaching bag. They will never win anything with Tortorella involved.

That's how odd this is. Don't normally bench your captain. I wonder how many games before he comes back? 8 0 loss tonight.
- Hextall271

I’m Atomic Wedgie, and I endorse this message.

P.S. never underestimate the Leafs’ ability to not show up for a game they should easily win.

I don't think he's "lost the room" but he's definitely expending a significant amount of political capital by (frank)ing w/ Coots like this.

This had better light a fire under everybody because he's not gonna have many bullets left after this.
- Tomahawk

I think it back fires. From the quotes from Couturier they are not seeing eye to eye on this and I think Torts has gone to this well too much.

I don't think he's "lost the room" but he's definitely expending a significant amount of political capital by (frank)ing w/ Coots like this.

This had better light a fire under everybody because he's not gonna have many bullets left after this.
- Tomahawk

What does it say about a coaches ability to make adjustments where the team has played it's ass off for the entire season that he's willing to make this move? Reality is that he should be experienced to realize that with the injuries, the trade of Walker, that there is no lineup decision that can overcome that right now. That this was a bullet that should've been kept in the chamber.

I don't think he's "lost the room" but he's definitely expending a significant amount of political capital by (frank)ing w/ Coots like this.

This had better light a fire under everybody because he's not gonna have many bullets left after this.
- Tomahawk

Didn't they get their asses kicked after the Sanheim text message scratching which was largely panned by the locker room