Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella once again got into an on-ice altercation with an official, this time refusing to leave the bench when he was ejected.
Tortorella put on the striped shirt and immediately entered the game, especially Wes McCauley, who tossed Tortorella with 9:11 left in the first period after the Flyers coach claimed a goal.
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point scores a power-play goal after being called up on the road by Ronnie Attard. Tortorella waived so many penalties that the Flyers ended up dropping men on the ice and going on a penalty kill.
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Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella yells at referee Brad Meyer after being ejected during a game against the Lightning on Saturday, March 9, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
However, at this point the Flyers were starting to get cornered, with Point’s goal midway through the first period giving the Lightning a 4-0 lead. Perhaps Tortorella was trying to motivate his team with his ejection.
Either way, he certainly got his money’s worth.
Coach McCauley announced that Tortorella was given a minor bench penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct and game misconduct. He then motioned for Tortorella to get off the bench and head to his locker, but the longtime NHL coach stood his ground.
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The Flyers Lightning broadcast captured Tortorella arguing with McCauley, and while there’s no audio, it’s understandable what the former was saying to the other in this situation, and it wasn’t very nice. .
“No!” Tortorella can be seen yelling at McCauley. “F-off!”
Finally, after being stuck for about two minutes against Macquarie, Tortorella let out one more insult before coming off the bench and entering the locker room.
This exit ironically allowed the Lightning to honor the 2004 Stanley Cup-winning team that Tortorella coached. During the stalemate, the camera panned to a box with a number of former Lightning players, and they were seen laughing, as they had certainly seen their coach like this in the past.
Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella is ejected during a game against the Lightning at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on March 9, 2024. (Mike Carlson/NHLI via Getty Images)
After the 7-0 loss to the Lightning, Tortorella did not speak to the media, but assistant coach Brian Shaw spoke about what happened on the ice.
“I think he was just trying to make a point that he felt we might not have gotten the recognition we deserved,” Shaw said.
We can all laugh at “illegals,” but every game will mean much more than that as the NHL regular season begins to enter its homestretch in the coming weeks. The Flyers are in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points and will qualify for the playoffs when the season ends today.
However, there are still plenty of regular season games left, and teams like the New York Islanders (70 points), Washington Capitals (69 points), and New Jersey Devils (66 points) still have a chance to catch up. be.
Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella shouts at officials on Saturday, March 9, 2024 in Tampa Bay, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
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The two teams with the highest total points from each conference and the two teams that miss out on the top three spots in their division will be wild cards for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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