VOORHEES, N.J. -- John Tortorella believes his Philadelphia Flyers have worked to make themselves a contender to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they needed to adjust their mindset in order to finish the job.
The Flyers (36-29-11) are third in the Metropolitan Division but have lost five in a row (0-3-2) and have a one-point lead on the fourth-place Washington Capitals, who have played two fewer games. The New York Islanders are fifth and trail Philadelphia by two points with a game in hand.
"I guess now the narrative out there is, because I've heard from other people, that they're young, they're not supposed to be here," the Flyers coach said Wednesday. "We're here. We're here. Face it and let's be better. And I don't think we're ready to be better, and that's my problem with us right now. And it is my job ... I have not done a good enough job to get them over the hump.
"With six [games] left, I haven't done a good enough job to make them understand we have to be different now. We have to be at a different level. That's my frustration with me and that's my frustration with the team. And if people can't handle it, so be it."
Tortorella's frustration bubbled over publicly after a 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders on Monday, when he said his team played "soft" in the second period, when they were outshot 17-3, and added, "That was embarrassing, the second period for the Philadelphia Flyer uniform, the way we played. Embarrassing."
Upon further review, Tortorella believes the problems are larger than one period in one hockey game, which is what he and the coaching staff will try to address starting at practice Thursday ahead of back-to-back road games at the Buffalo Sabres on Friday and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
"I think the players this time of year and I think that [dressing] room needs to talk amongst one another without the coaches there," Tortorella said. "I think they need to have those conversations. I think we're in there way too much. We have stepped away a lot this year.
“We're going in there tomorrow because I think it's a very important meeting tomorrow before we get practicing again, to talk about our mindset. I'm not going to tell you what it's about, but I think we've got a pretty important day coming tomorrow as we start our road trip to make sure we're thinking correctly."
For Tortorella, correcting that mindset involves honest discussions that might not always be received in the correct way. In his experience, however, honesty is the best -- and only -- policy.
"It always comes down to, 'Oh, they're going to quit on him,'" Tortorella said. "It follows me around. If a player is going to quit on me or players are going to quit on me because I'm trying to make them better people and better athletes, you got the wrong [darn] coach here and you got the wrong [darn] people here.
"And what happens if you're truthful, and you're honest, and you care, there's going to be conflict because not everybody's going to agree. You work through that together. I think that even helps the room even more. I think that's what's gone on here. I think it's really healthy. Everybody gets freaked out around us sometimes when there's some truth said or honesty brought out, [but] I think it's so healthy. Because there's no agenda. And that's so important for a locker room."
Playing meaningful games this late in the season has been a goal held by players and management for the Flyers, who have kept their focus on the future and their rebuilding effort. But now that they're close, crossing the finish line has become a new goal.
"Make no mistake about it -- I am proud of our team," Tortorella said. "From Day One when you can see this room come together, I love coming to the rink and working with these guys. But it's my job to make sure they understand where we're at now. We're not regular season now; we have put ourselves in this spot. Let's not fade away and say, 'You know what? We're not even supposed to be here.' That [stinks]. We're here. And that's where I think I've done a [poor] job.
"I want to make sure we're going to go at this the proper way to give ourselves, so when April 15, 16, comes, we don't say, 'Why didn't I do that? Why didn't we get to that level?' I don't want regrets. I don't know if we get in. I don't know what happens, but I don't want us to fade now. It's not fading and trying to stay away from it, it's about getting to another level. And I do think some guys are struggling to get there and I think it can be taught. Some guys have it in them.
"But to get to another level, a level you don't even think you know about, that can be taught. That's part of my job, so that's what I want to happen. And whether we succeed or not, at least we can look ourselves in the mirror at the end of it and say we tried. We're not there now and we have time to get there. But we're running out of it."
