As of this writing, Sean Couturier has been a healthy scratch from the Philadelphia Flyers lineup for 2 games in a row. The reactions to this has reached a fever pitch of borderline hysteria.
Today, Friday March 22nd, three days after the original healthy scratch, Jeff Merrick is still talking about it on the Fan 590 and Sportsnet 360 in the Toronto market. Yes, that is right …in Toronto. My question is why?
NHL players are healthy scratches all the time in the NHL. Benching or healthy scratching a player is the only resource left for a NHL coach these days to send a message.
Yes, the coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, John Tortorella is a polarizing figure. You either love him or hate him. No matter what side of the spectrum you are on, you can’t question his coaching ability. He has won a Stanley Cup and every team he coaches improves their play. He is one of the best at understanding his team and getting the most out of his players.
In today’s increasingly sensitive society and the ease of expressing oneself on social media it is so easy to criticize actions of others. Even media types and former NHL players are getting into the action.
Brandon Dubinsky is a former NHL player who played for Tortorella with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He has admitted publicly that Torts helped him become a better player. A message for Brandon – this is not house league. Time to wear your big boy pants, this is the NHL!! There are no participation ribbons.
Frank Seravalli, hockey insider and president of the PWHA, obviously does not like Torts’ original explanation the morning of the first game saying that he was going with his best 20 skaters.
Frank states that John is not being accountable, yet the coach is, albeit, not the way Seravelli thinks he should.
The need and want for answers by individuals to situations in the exact manner that they believe is proper is not only concerning, its selfish and self-serving.
Jeff O’Neill on TSN’s popular radio show “Overdrive” has suggested that because the player is the captain of the team, another solution should have been explored.
I typically agree with Jeff’s comments and takes…however with this one…I ask….what does being the captain have to do with the decision?
Here is a thought… if he wasn’t scratched for playing poorly what are the other players going to think? There is no doubt that thoughts will creep into their minds – “the only reason why he is not scratched is because he is the captain”
Captains shouldn’t get preferential treatment in my books. In fact, they should be held to a higher standard of accountability.
There are so many cliches and thoughts I could use right now to combat this societal trend of questioning and wanting answers, however I will let another Stanley Cup winning coach do the talking.
Craig Berube on the same TSN’s Overdrive said it the best when asked by the show’s host Bryan Hayes.
Paraphrasing, Berube answered, – John Tortorella does not owe anyone an explanation except the player involved and his teammates. Which has been done.
To add to this, anyone that follows the Flyers or has watched any of their games should know that Sean has not passed the eye test in a while.
Instead of everyone getting bent out of shape about the answer given ” we dressed our best 20 players ” and the subsequent refusal to expand further, their concern should lie with Couturier’s response the morning of the first game that he was a healthy scratch.
He alluded to the fact that he had not been treated very well lately. He had a sulking tone to his voice. To be honest he sounded more like a child who was just told to go to his room rather than a captain of one of the most storied NHL teams.
It’s obvious the player has hit a wall. This is completely understandable after missing 22 months with a serious back injury. Understandable, yes, an excuse… no! Remember this is the NHL and the name of the game is to win. Again, put your big boy pants on.
The results of the 2 games that Sean Couturier has been a healthy scratch…a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs and a 3-2 loss in overtime to the Carolina Hurricanes. 3 out of 4 points against two so called Stanley Cup contending teams. Two great results!
I think the coach knows what he is doing! Maybe naming the player captain on Feb 15th of this year was a mistake. In my opinion it was the only mistake in this entire saga.
By: Jeff Stanzel
Photo courtesy of SportsNet
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