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At regular intervals, something like Philadelphia’s fiery head coach John Tortorella says or doing. This happened again.
Philadelphia, who had drifted into a spooky side and fallen from the playoffs, had lost one match again as Tortorella opened its verbal coffin.
The pilot took a large part of the recent defeat to its peak and said that he didn’t even want to learn how to coach in a situation where Philadelphia is right now. According to all the reason, the coach referred to the bet -free games and difficulties to make a team for matches that matter.
In addition, usually demanding and merciless Tortorella spoke for a long time of understanding towards the players. According to the pilot, many players have suffered from trading their good friends and therefore have symptoms in the rink.
Known for the tight lines, Tortore on the current season seemed to click the lines completely across all the people.
– The old man is wise, EPN’s hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen Laughs.
– It’s hard to play with constantly giving hard love, nihilistically pressurized youth and demanding that you focus on nuances. He may have realized that now is the time to loosen the ropes. Then let the guys down for the rest of the season. The defeat is always a terrestrial hell for such a character, but he stated the facts in good time.
After Lehkonen’s comments, the situation changed rapidly. Philadelphia announced that it has fired to Tortorella, and the assistant coach will be the head coach Brad Shaw.
Tortore started as head coach in New York Rangers at the end of the last millennium. He has also coached the Vancouver Columbus in the NHL. Columbus Tortorellan brought gm Jarmo Kekäläinen early in the fall of 2015.
The Stanley Cup Tortore has reached Tampa Bay Lightning in 2003-04.
The 66-year-old Yankee pilot is known primarily as a charismatic, but also a tufted coach whose career has been colored by the more special stumps.
Who surprised?
Los Angeles is the hottest team in the Western Conference – perhaps a little unexpectedly. Kings is a balanced and high -quality team as such, but with the season, nine wins out of ten matches are tough jazz.
The lift has come not only through the high quality gaming look but through the growth of the individual level.
Especially the attackers Kevin Fiala and Quinton byfield After a more bold fall season, they have found a new gear in the spring. For the second month, the duo plays in the tube with a match -specific average. Kings do not have the firepower of the superstars category, but quality balance more than some of the rivals.
– That team defends well and now has begun to become power through the names you mentioned. The team is an extremely tight gang. Byfield for a long time met his identity to see if it would be a tackling, fighting and wrestling power striker, but now the focus on the skill player is essential and the self -image is clearer.
Los Angeles has already been second to Edmonton in the Pacific Division through his splendor. In previous years, the first round of the first round of playoffs Los Angeles -Edmonton is familiar.
Lehkonen is ready to make Kings a black horse for spring.
– The big question is whether or not Edmonton wipes the floor. This is a purely spiritual thing because that is a really disciplined, committed and high quality team. Edmonton has no such balance. And Kings is not a slow team. It can fall into the spiritual side.
Who betrayed?
Columbus has never cheated at any point, rather the opposite, but whether the sensation of the tank is drying on the finish line.
Blue jackets are still very well involved in the playoffs, but only two of the previous ten matches have ended in its victory and another against the Islanders with the help of a scary referee.
The distance to the playoff line is only two points.
– Now you shouldn’t get the end of your gas. Rather, the league table should give that team power, because in principle it is still in his own hands, Lehkonen sees.
– The spiritual side and the great growth story are now being tested by the young team, and that’s what the subtlety of this species lies. You have to learn how to play well even on worse evenings.
While head coach Dean Evason has undoubtedly restored the long -missing credibility, and fighting in the playoff rally is a value for the young team as such, Lehkonen is not ready to give the line with regard to the climax.
– In the race, being involved in the race itself grows, but it is still a huge disappointment if they are left out of the playoffs after such a great season.
– It is also important how this year is handled. Do you take the doctrine and use it next season? Or do we go there so that it is all easier now, because that’s not how it goes, Lehkonen creates the gaze forward.
Finnish goal of the week
The Finnish goal of the week comes from Los Angeles, where the second -generation top hockey player Samuel Helenius Still playing NHL disc.
Helenius, who has been mostly profiled in the AHL, is the biggest Finnish surprise of the season, as hardly anyone believed this will establish its place in the big lights this season.
– This is really nice to see. Helenius has taken the terrible steps in Los Angeles and I am happy about her for her, Lehkonen enthuses.
– For example, skating has gone tremendously and it has a great honor for the club and Samuel himself. This story is delighted. Hat head.
What next?
The race for the last playoffs is hot, especially at the Eastern Conference.
Ottawa will probably leave the first wild card to spring, so as many as five teams are still fighting for the last place. Montreal, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Columbus and Detroit fit inside three points with about ten games left.
In the west, the fiery hot stroke St. Louis, Calgary and Vancouver are fighting for the last place. The former has a four -point neck to Calgary and five Vancouver, but they have fewer matches played.
– Now the spiritual side is asked. Who has enough tendon to play goal games until the end of the third round? This is purely now who is mentally hard.
Well, who is?
– It would be a mind to say rangers in the east. They have routine, hardness and goalkeeper (Igor šestjokrkin). As a sports romantic, I still say Columbus because it has something fresh, new interesting players and Jarmo Kekäläinen Constructed frame.
– in the west Jim Montgomery has put the game in St. Louis in such a fine condition that they have to be considered a great favorite for the last place. It may be that St. Louis will still be holding up to Minnesota. Could Minnesota still slip out of the playoffs? I don’t think. Kong saves.