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NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: FLYERS v LIGHTNING

May 21, 2004

John Tortorella

TAMPA, FLORIDA: Practice Day

Q. After last night's game how quickly did you put that game out of your mind and start thinking about Game 7?
JOHN TORTORELLA: You have to try to do it immediately. Did I do that? No. I will be honest with you. We know that's a tough loss, but I think you got to get to the point, by the time you get on that plane, you got to get over that disappointment and get to the anticipation because the consolation is you have a Game 7. Not too many times you can play Game 7s. That's the way we look at it.
I think the players -- we talked right away after the game, about getting rid of this, and now we get ready for Game 7. As coaches you end up chewing on it a little bit longer. But we are in the right mindset.
Q. What is your feeling; were they able to get rid of it? Were they able to let go?
JOHN TORTORELLA: Oh, sure. Sure. There's -- it's anticipating, just a great competition, winner moves on, loser you are done. There's no other -- you don't have to worry about, well, I am not -- I didn't score the last three games, what am I going to do the next five games, all the stuff you go through regular season and the stuff you go through at the end of a series. This is an opportunity for some guys that doesn't come along that often, playing in Game 7.
Q. The guys were talking about it's two evenly matched teams, it's going to come down to who wants it more. In your mind what does that come down to; what is who wants it more?
JOHN TORTORELLA: I think it's -- that word "desperation" is always thrown around. I just think it's a matter of someone with a little bit more willingness at certain times in a game, to put your team in a situation for a big play. That may be a big defensive play. It may be a big offensive play. Again, a big save; big saves are going to be very important. I think it's just -- right now it's mental. It's a mental toughness and willingness to be that guy.
I think you have got to be really careful with Game 7s that you don't get over-amped either. You got to be playing smart and you don't want to get too crazy about it. But big plays; big plays at key times.
Q. Do you think as the series has gone on that the Flyers have started to key in and be a little bit more physical against Lecalvalier; seems in the last couple of games, seems like they stepped up that area?
JOHN TORTORELLA: I look at it the other way. No. I think Vinny has gotten a little bit more physical. I don't buy the stuff it's a long series, Philly is going to wear us down, I don't think that's the case at all. I just don't buy that.
I think last night it's not so much of a team physically wearing you down. I think it's a team, the Tampa Bay Lightning at a certain time I think after -- I thought we played a really good first five minutes of that third period and after that, it was a team that stopped trying to win and played not to lose. That's out of our character.
I think you got to give Philadelphia a little credit. I think when you get in those situations Philadelphia is taking chances left and right to get that goal. I think the team trying to protect gets a little tentative at times. But I thought we started the third period well, but after that, it was -- we were just playing not to lose. Back skating quite a bit. We don't know how to back skate. We don't teach back skate with our team. We want to go. I felt we were backing off way too much, and it's a lesson learned as you go through it and now we have the opportunity to play in a Game 7.
Q. What does it do for your team when a guy like Lecavalier , as you say, gets more physical and maybe is a little bit more proactive in that sense?
JOHN TORTORELLA: Well, I -- we don't want Vinny to turn into a guy that's just going to be running around banging all night long. That's not his role. But I think a player of his stature, a key player for us, a player in a physical series needs to have a presence also. That's very important for -- when you are a game-breaker or the opposing team's, their best players, you are going to get targeted. There's going to be more scrutiny put on you and people trying to get you off your game. But that's all part of hockey. And especially within players when you are playing every other night against the same team, so we are -- we are very happy in how he's stepped up. With a number of our guys, with our young core not only handled -- and how they have handled some of these situations but they have to be better tomorrow though.
Q. How much of it is mental right now? You talk about your team not playing the Lightning way in the last game?
JOHN TORTORELLA: I didn't say the last game; I said part of the game. I thought we did some really good things. I thought we were very resilient -- am I cutting you off?
Q. Is it mental? Why at some point --
JOHN TORTORELLA: Yeah, it's definitely not physical. It's a mental thing. I think, what you do is the team that needs the goal steps it up and is willing to go at all costs. They just move their mental attitude that way. The team that's protecting it, I don't want to make a mistake to cost us here so you lost a little bit, then it snowballs. It's tough to grab a hold of, to try to get it back the right way.
Again, you have to give Philadelphia some credit. I mean, we have talked about it all series as a group here surges, again we couldn't collect ourselves to regain some control of that game. I thought we went in with the right mindset into the third period. I think we showed it the first five minutes, but then they ended up keeping a few in. They jammed our net with some pucks, and then we just started playing careful, and that's definitely mental. I just want us to go into Game 7. No matter what happens, we have to do what we do and do it in an aggressive manner and see where we are at the end of the day.
Q. Dave Andreychuk, everybody in their dressing room is talking about how important is it for him and for this team to win; can you talk about Andy?
JOHN TORTORELLA: Well, sure, everybody -- I'd like to see Andy get a chance at it, but that's certainly not David's focus. That certainly can't be, I guess, our focus. This is a team thing and David is a big part of it, and if we get an opportunity to continue to compete in the Playoffs after tomorrow's game, it's fantastic for David. But right now we're just looking at the final game of a great series and we are going to try to score one more than them so we can move on. Everything else falls into place from there.
Q. I know your philosophy and you want the players to decide the game on the ice but considering how well your powerplay has worked of late, would you like to see some of those calls being made last night that won't let go?
JOHN TORTORELLA: Well, I will leave that one alone. But I do believe that I think the players decide games. But I -- you know, game needs to be called also in certain situations I will put it that way.
Q. How disappointed were you in some of the mistakes that were made that led to a couple of Philly's goals and considering who they were made by?
JOHN TORTORELLA: Meaning? Which ones?
Q. Like Sid's pass back up the middle --
JOHN TORTORELLA: That's an aberration. That's something from a guy that has played so well for us, done so many good things for us. It ends up being a brain cramp and it cost us. It's a game of mistakes and that's not what loses the game for us. No one thing loses a game for you. I think the -- the overriding factor that we should be upset with, as a team, is not trying to win it and that's the overriding thing. That's where we lose that hockey game because we didn't try to win it, so no matter what mistakes were made at the last minute, that backhand pass -- it's a game of mistakes but as a group we didn't try to win that hockey game. That can't happen.
Q. As a coach who has been preaching it since day one, safe is death, when you see the team fall into that trap and they have the last two games in a third period, it's got to drive you crazy. Anything you can do as a head coach to try to snap them out of it?
JOHN TORTORELLA: No, it's just trying to change mindset, I don't think it comes from any -- I don't think it always comes from the coach. I think it comes from the group. It's a group thing here. I believe we will be snapped out of it at the beginning tomorrow. I think it's a lesson learned. It's a mindset. That's what -- that's -- we have been playing for six or seven weeks since the end of the regular season, it doesn't come down to practicing, doesn't come down to tapes. It comes down to a mindset of finding a way to get it done on every other night as you are playing, so, I believe it will be rectified.
Q. Fedotenko, eight goals in the Playoffs. Do you something different in his game the last few weeks or is it a carryover from the end of the regular season?
JOHN TORTORELLA: No, I think he's played pretty well for quite a while now. I think he's a good compliment on that line with Vinny and Marty. And he's put himself in areas to score goals. I think that was one area that I thought he was struggling at earlier in the year. He's put himself in situations to score goals. I think he's played very well and not only just scoring goals I thought -- just little things like coming across the ice and diving the other night where it could have been an odd-man rush I think we were in the middle of a change, he made a great play there, all those little things, I think the level of intensity has picked up in his game and it's helped us tremendously.
Q. Talk about Fedotenko compared to last year in the Playoffs, what do you see different?
JOHN TORTORELLA: I don't even remember last year. How could you ask me about last year? I really don't. I am sorry. Did he play well last year in the Playoffs? (Laughs).
Q. In this series you guys were averaging over 6 goals a game between the two teams. I mean, the average is 4.7 over the Playoffs. That's a goal and a half more --
JOHN TORTORELLA: It's fun, uh?
Q. Yeah. What do you attribute that all to?
JOHN TORTORELLA: I think it's -- people talk about our team, about a team that's transition and pressuring. We knew going into the series, Philly was very similar. You can't consider Philly, they may -- their forechecking system may be a little bit different from ours but it's still a very aggressive system and they have got some speed and quickness and their transition game is a very good transition game as we have found out when we have turned the puck over. So it's two teams going for it. Again, I think the way this series has gone where there's been so many momentum swings I think that adds to it. I think both teams have struggled at times to contain the surges and on the other hand, obviously both teams have done a pretty good job to keep on enhancing those surges, so that turns -- to me it turns into some pretty good hockey and it drives the coaches nuts as you go through it when it's coming against you but still it's -- it's been -- I think it's been very interesting and very exciting to go through the series and now it's going to culminate with a Game 7 with both teams looking to move on. I think both teams knew that it was going to be a long series and it's turned out to be that way. I look for a Game 7 to be just an exciting game. I don't think too many things will be left out there as we finish that game.

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