The status quo wasn’t working for the Vegas Golden Knights. Something had to be done.
In Kelly McCrimmon fashion – he made a chess move.
It’s a gambit which has a chance to succeed. A veteran Stanley Cup winning coach named John Tortorella handed the reins of a thoroughbred.
Think of Tortorella as a closer. He’s got the stuff. McCrimmon just summoned him to the mound. Now, it’s up to him to find the right pitch.
McCrimmon fired head coach Bruce Cassidy on Sunday in a move which had to have been excruciating for the GM. He and Cassidy won a Stanley Cup together and worked very well together. But the team was floundering and too often playing without the required energy. They needed a jolt which Tortorella will immediately provide.
Cassidy is an elite tactical coach, one of the best in the NHL. But something is off in Vegas right now and McCrimmon did his best to give the coach roster adds and time. Making a change in the final eight games of the regular season isn’t a rash decision. It shows patience and belief in Cassidy.
The Golden Knights went into the Olympic break with a five-point lead in the Pacific Division. Following Saturday’s shootout loss to the Washington Capitals, they find themselves in the third spot trailing the leading Anaheim Ducks by six points and the second spot Edmonton Oilers by three. More alarming is Vegas is just four points ahead of fourth in the Pacific and three points up on the second wild card spot.
Missing the playoffs with a roster this talented is unacceptable. This is a team of very good players playing poor hockey far too often.
Vegas has lost three straight and is 5-11-2 since the Olympic break. Wanting Cassidy to pull this team out of a nosedive is one thing. Standing by to witness a crash is another.
McCrimmon is paid to make hard decisions and this had to be among the most difficult he’s made while steering Vegas.
Tortorella has a long and burnished resume.
He won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. He’s won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in the NHL twice. Most recently, he served as an assistant for Team USA winning gold at the Olympics with Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin.
He’s passionate and compassionate. There’s no gray area. Some people talk about non-negotiables. Tortorella lives them.
Vegas has a deep and talented roster and has been well coached from a tactical perspective.
This is about capturing energy and enthusiasm. It’s about getting an elite roster to win games. That’s Tortorella’s task.
