Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet wants to let a certain group of fans who were heavily critical of him running out a certain forward line up against the NHL’s best team over the weekend, are actually dead wrong.
While the Flyers were hosting the Colorado Avalanche over the weekend, with just five minutes remaining and the visitors just hanging on to an improbable 3-2 lead, Tocchet decided to run out his fourth line of Nic Deslauriers, Garnet Hathaway, and Rodrigo Abols. It was just their second shift of the third period and when they were not on the ice, the Flyers were building momentum to potentially scoring to then maybe force overtime and a shootout they are more likely to win than Colorado.
It caught just about every single Flyers fan by surprise and the heat started pouring out towards the coach. It was a questionable decision, especially considering just who is on the fourth line and what their production has been this season.
Through 12 total games that trio has been put on the ice together, and during the over 78 minutes of 5-on-5 hockey they have played, they have not scored a single goal. To make it even hit harder, they have been outshot 31-15 during that stretch as well. It’s just almost admitting that you are not looking for a goal to be scored when that trio is out there.
So, hearing some of that criticism after the weekend, Flyers head coach Tocchet snapped back.
Rick Tocchet defends his coaching decision, calls out fans
“So what it comes down to (is), I’m a culture guy. The (shift) I’m talking about — I don’t remember the one in the second (period) — you have guys dragging tongues on the bench, and our team is a team that needs to use the bench. (They’re) going to be playing eight, nine minutes. I thought a couple games ago, they game us some juice,” Tocchet said after practice on Monday, via PHLY’s Charlie O’Connor.
“Yeah, they’re struggling. They want to get some points. I get it. We’re playing long ball here, trying to get the team culture. It’s hard to play armchair quarterback: ‘Why can’t you do this or do that?’ I got some guys that are tired on the bench. I don’t feel it’s the right time (to use them).
I’ve heard some people (say) it’s better to put this guy (in) this and that. I think that’s bullshit, personally. This is a team thing, I’m a culture guy, and we’re building culture here.”
Tocchet continued and went into the specific criticism regarding his usage of the fourth line with limited minutes left to potentially score an equalizing goal against the NHL’s best team; and to give your team a fighting shot at walking away with two points.
“Well, five minutes left, why do I have the fourth line out there?” Tocchet said. “Why not? We have tired guys, some guys had a minute-and-a-half shift. I look at two guys, guys are tired. One guy came off early. I’ve got to get a shift out of the guys. They’re NHL players. Maybe you guys don’t think — I’m not saying you personally — think they are. So, I feel … put them out there. That’s what I believe in.”
The Flyers head coach was then asked if they are doing enough other things that producing points. Because, of course, points aren’t everything.
“No, listen, they’ve got to produce. I get it. I get that part. And we’re going to have to figure something out. But in the meantime, that’s what we have. And that’s what I’m trying to build their confidence. I don’t read tweets. I don’t listen to podcasters. I’d be out of a job.”
Tocchet really wanted to let people know that he made the right decision.
But it is true. As fans, we don’t know what’s going on in and around the bench during games, or just how fatigued some players are. It just looks absolutely dreadful to run out potentially the worst line in the NHL during an opportunity to score and tie the game against the league’s top team. It feels like a wasted opportunity to just about everyone but those who were really trying to manage the bench.
So, we get it, but it also brings up the question regarding the actual fourth line itself.
Flyers need to address fourth line
If Tocchet wants to be able to depend on his fourth line to do something productive, and not rely so heavily on his top nine to do absolutely everything during the game, then the Flyers just need to get better players for the fourth line.
Hathaway and Deslauriers have been absolutely useless when the game of hockey is actually being played, and Rodrigo Abols is an outstanding story and is a centerman who won his job in the preseason, but has been nothing since. Losing Tyson Foerster and cheapening your depth even further is only an excuse for a day or two — the Flyers should be looking at just about anyone who can actually score over any of those three forwards currently on the fourth line.
Whether it’s an internal option like Karsen Dorwart or Devin Kaplan — two forwards in the AHL who you don’t need to play in the top nine but can also score; or just keep an eye on the waiver wire for NHL-caliber forwards elsewhere. Even right now, Carl Grundstrom is with the team and we have no idea why a player of his ilk didn’t play against the Avalanche over Deslauriers.
Again, just a wasted opportunity to not find out more about players but Tocchet will continue doing good by his veteran players no matter what, and that includes two wingers who definitely deserve to sit out for a little bit for their massive underperformance.