17 replies to this topic

[iamtheprodigy]

http://www.nypost.co...x8xHWJc095LX8nO

It's not personal to John Tortorella. It's business. The coaching business. Which is why the Rangers coach stopped minding his own to jump to the defense of John MacLean, fired after just 33 games on the job behind the Devils' bench.

Tortorella's unsolicited support of MacLean, who was replaced by Jacques Lemaire on Dec. 23 with the Devils at 9-22-2, came in the wake of comments from Lightning coach Guy Boucher, who was quoted last week saying: "I think if Jacques had been there since the beginning, they would be [up] there again."

Interesting. I'm not sure how I feel about Johnny Mac, really. At the time I felt like he was doing everything he could and the situation was just too much for anyone to handle. Now that things are starting to turn around and players are commenting on how they're getting into better shape and practices are better... I don't know, maybe Mac just wasn't ready for this kind of coaching situation. I don't think Boucher meant what he said as a slight on McLean, but it is interesting to see Tortorella jump to defend him about it. I didn't know Torts respected McLean this much.

[Marshall]

Now that things are starting to turn around and players are commenting on how they're getting into better shape and practices are better.

Not going pro-Lemaire or pro-Maclean here, but EVERYTHING feels and seems better when you're winning. That's just the mind of a pro athlete.

Edited by Marshall, 23 January 2011 - 01:19 PM.

[Martyisth3b3st]

It's funny, because I seem to distinctly remember more than one times where Torts and Mac got in screaming fights over the benches when Tortsie was in Tampa.

[Risky]

Tortorella's a jackass, but at least he's a real NHL coach. MacLean is clearly not an NHL coach. It was as obvious as day to those just watching the games, nevermind what it must have been to those behind the scenes.

[devilsrule33]

It's funny, because I seem to distinctly remember more than one times where Torts and Mac got in screaming fights over the benches when Tortsie was in Tampa.

They definitely did during the 2007 playoffs. You can get in disagreements, but you still respect the other guy. Most veteran NHL coaches have been around the block and have succeeded in some places and failed in others. They know how tough it can be. Torts is right here. That rookie coach should just keep that to himself.

[Pepperkorn]

I dont' know why he felt the need to speak out -- but it's fine if Tortorella says he thinks it's inappropriate for any player to directly comment on any coaches performance even when asked directly. Boucher never knows when he'll be playing for MacLean - he never knows who elses father or son will take offense and have a career-long vendetta against the guy a la Colin Campbell. Why not just say out right - it's best for no one to ever comment on anyone at any time for amy reason. So now it reads as if he's doing exactly what the player did but it's OK because he's a coach not a player and a coaches job is to chide players publicly and otherwise ...

[MDPucks]

Veteran coaches tend to look after their own within their coaching fraternaty. In Boucher you have a rookie NHL coach (Quebecious; coached in QMJHL and for the Habs AHL team) going overboard in lauding praise towards a Montreal legend in Lemaire which inadvertantly was a slap at MacLean. Tort's response is probably more of a rebuke of Boucher's fraternaty crime of for criticizing a "fallen" coach that it is for the performance of MacLean.

Edited by mdsieve, 23 January 2011 - 02:42 PM.

[Revan]

I dont' know why he felt the need to speak out -- but it's fine if Tortorella says he thinks it's inappropriate for any player to directly comment on any coaches performance even when asked directly. Boucher never knows when he'll be playing for MacLean - he never knows who elses father or son will take offense and have a career-long vendetta against the guy a la Colin Campbell. Why not just say out right - it's best for no one to ever comment on anyone at any time for amy reason. So now it reads as if he's doing exactly what the player did but it's OK because he's a coach not a player and a coaches job is to chide players publicly and otherwise ...

The Boucher we're talking about is a coach, not a player.

He might be coaching the Rangers, but Tortorella's a good coach and I like his comments here (especially since he's a hothead and you probably won't hear things like that coming from his mouth too often).

I wasn't a fan of the Mac hiring, but then again, I didn't expect THAT kind of fail. It's surprising, because you see guys with no NHL coaching experience coming over and being able to do a decent job leading a team and then you see Mac, who spent SEVEN years serving as an assistant coach in the NHL and then an additional year as a head coach in the AHL (and doing a good job there) failing like that. Seeing Lemaire being able to light a fire under this team makes MacLean look even worse. Johnny obviously was in a tough situation and he definitely isn't the only one responsible for this terrible record, but he's the biggest part of it IMO.

[Pepperkorn]

Yeah, I just skimmed the article. Frankly I really didn't care that much.

You can like the Fonz all you want but anyone who publicly profanely bashes his own players is not a coach I would like in my organization. So yeah - I am not a fan of the guy. I was when I saw results -- but he BEYOND lost me after he won the Cup. No, I hadn't paid attention - when he got my attention I honestly though - wow - he's a first class peckerwood. His coaching the Rangers has nothing to do with it - I've thought he was a major a$$hole for a few years now. The Rangers logo is fun to hate. Anyone on the team, anyone who goes to the team -- it just has no honest bearing on my opinion. be it MacLean, Tortorella, Gomez -- hell I love Sean Avery -- love him the best AS A RANGER. They're so simpatico!

And my main point still stands - if it's not Boucher's business to comment on the situation to the press how is it Tortorella's business to respond to the press? Seriously. He's got no part in the situation in any way. He's not even BFF's with any of MacLean's family members. By Tort's logic Tort must just be sharing his opinion because he coaches across the river from The Devils???

Edited by Pepperkorn, 23 January 2011 - 06:42 PM.

[ZeroGravityFat]

nothing to defend for mac, he sucked, we are better for firing him.

[SS-SS]

Fire Tortorella !!!

[ThreeCups]

I remember one game where I thought Mac and Torts were going to fight through the glass for sure....

[Pepperkorn]

and that's another thing...Boucher's comments were is support of lemaire -- Tortorella turned them into a bash against MacLean.

I wrote it before and I'll write it again - maybe a little more articulately IMO MacLean's only failing was taking basic hockey knowledge for granted. In this particular case the lateral way of thinking was to move to step one and take it linear thinking, not rushing over anything. The mistake is thinking the team didn't have that kind of time to waste...clearly a lot more time was wasted relying on assumptions to save time. It's a mistake a player/coach is prone to make - not wanting to insult his players intelligence and also the complete disbelief - OF COURSE they know step 1 through 20.

errrr...or maybe not?

Edited by Pepperkorn, 24 January 2011 - 08:55 AM.

[RowdyFan42]

I wrote it before and I'll write it again - maybe a little more articulately IMO MacLean's only failing was taking basic hockey knowledge for granted. In this particular case the lateral way of thinking was to move to step one and take it linear thinking, not rushing over anything. The mistake is thinking the team didn't have that kind of time to waste...clearly a lot more time was wasted relying on assumptions to save time. It's a mistake a player/coach is prone to make - not wanting to insult his players intelligence and also the complete disbelief - OF COURSE they know step 1 through 20.

errrr...or maybe not?

I can buy that.

[devlman]

MAC did have to deal with several young rookies (many not even being NHL-level players) playing their first NHL games.

But glad Jacques has turned it around

[Pepperkorn]

Yeah -- the rookies weren't the problem though were they? I wrote that before too -- that was what tipped me off to the solution. The Vets were the lost ones. It only followed that the rookies were closer to learning the basics -- like that stupid show about I'm dumber than a fourth grader or whatever it is. Really though -- like I know?

[NJDevs4978]

When you have two and three rookies playing major minutes on defense every game, it certainly is an issue. You can hide or bench a rookie forward but defense is another matter.

[Devs1965]

Lets face JL is a great coach who is learning how to change with the game (only wish he did it last year). That being said I am not ready to throw JMac under the bus 100% if you remember this team had major FAIL written all over them since last Jan, it just seemed to get worse the more they tried to remedy it. We also lost our Capt who a lot of people believed was a cancer in the locker room, again he is not 100% of the problem either. I think that is what was so hard to remedy it seemed like there was not a few things wrong but many more then JMac was prepaired for.
If JL gets them in the playoffs he is coach of the year!
I am just happy to see the team back on a winning track!

Lets Go Devls!!!!!