John Tortorella is an outspoken man.
He doesn’t hesitate (really) to let his displeasure be known when something doesn’t suit him…
For better or for worse. The situation surrounding Sean Couturier is a case in point.
Tonight, Torts will be behind the bench for the Flyers, who are visiting Montreal to take on the Habs.
It will be a confrontation between Martin St-Louis and his former coach…
But we’ll also have the chance to see Ryan Poehling in action, who has been playing for Philly since the start of the season.
When I said earlier that Torts was a man of his word, I was referring in particular to his comments about the former Canadiens player (Poehling).
The coach says he loves his player… Even if he “isn’t great at anything”:
He’s not great at anything. He’s not great at defending, but he can defend. He’s not a great scorer, but he can score from time to time. I like his consistency. – John Tortorella
Tortorella ends his sentence by saying that Poehling gives his club a good chance of winning because he’s good in his supporting role:
Ryan Poehling is enjoying by far the best season of his career.
He’s collected 25 points (10 goals) in 68 games played since the start of the campaign because he’s in the right chair.
The American pivots the center of the team’s third trio in Philadelphia, a role that suits him because he’s not the most offensive player around.
That said, he has improved defensively, and if an experienced coach like Torts trusts him, it’s because the player gets the job done.
This will be Poehling’s third game at the Bell Centre since the deal that sent him to Pittsburgh.
He was blanked on the first two occasions… Will he be able to put his name on the score sheet tonight?
In gusto
– What’s your prediction for tonight’s game?
– He’s articulate, the kid.
– As long as it works…
– Boom!
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