John Tortorella
John Tortorella
John Robert Tortorellais the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Tortorella has held the position of head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, the New York Rangersand the Tampa Bay Lightning. He led Tampa Bay to the 2004 Stanley Cup championship...
appetite attack bit certainly challenge finally fun game guys playoffs taste three time understanding
I think some of our young guys who have been here for two or three years finally got a taste of the playoffs and a little bit of an understanding of where the fun in the game is. That's the time of year. It certainly whets your appetite and we have a new challenge this year, so we are going to attack it.
bad except game good happened parts puck quite step wait worried
I was worried about that. It has happened quite a bit. We have done a lot of good things in all parts of our game except put the puck in the back of the net. You could feel the same thing. But we made a step in the right direction. We didn't wait for something bad to happen.
playing starts
It all starts with our desperation level. We're playing with desperation.
maintain
It better not be hard. We have to maintain it.
guy nervous plans rightfully
He's a little nervous at times, rightfully so. He's a guy we have big plans for.
heart period third tonight year
He's been so much-maligned all year long but tonight his heart was as big as the building, especially in that third period he played.
chance feeling gets great minutes next played situation time trying
He's got to go down and play. The next time he gets a chance here, and it could be this year, you have to come in with the mind-set that you need to try to make a difference. I don't think he played badly, I just don't think it was a situation where he was trying to make a difference. He was just kind of feeling his way through it a little bit. And the minutes he was getting, it doesn't give him a great opportunity.
knows room
He's been in the background. But the room knows what he brings. That's the most important thing.
finding looked played tired
We looked tired and I think they were tired, but I still think they played hard. It's finding a way.
continue guy obviously playing
He did well. Obviously with a young guy like that, if you're not going to be able to get him the minutes, you want him to continue playing (in the minors).
chance chased missed mistake stanley
He made a mistake and chased the money. And he missed a chance at a Stanley Cup.
bit break gets hockey last needs quarter team type
He needs to be a big part of the team as we go into the last quarter of the season. The way he plays, that's the type of hockey we are going to have to play, the battles. If he gets recharged a little bit during the break I think he will be a big part of the club.
craziest games goals involved seen
This was one of the craziest games I've ever been involved with. There were more fluky goals than I've ever seen in my life.
adversity believe bit bumps coming deal felt learning quite second seen talked
We talked about this as an organization before we started the season. We felt there were going to be some bumps and quite a bit of adversity coming through, and we've seen it. But it's a learning experience. We are going to have to learn to deal with it. We are going to have to have a better second half, and I believe we will.