John Tortorella Quotes (179 Quotes)

This is a good hockey team. We get in, if we get in, we're going to be a dangerous hockey team.

He's a real interesting project. I'll put him up against anybody in this league as far as skating ability, as far as speed and the strength that he brings, bringing pucks to the net.

Our power play is as bad as our penalty killing is great. And I shudder to think where we'd be now if our penalty killing wasn't what it is right now.

I don't think they are in our heads, I don't think that at all. I just think they are a pretty good hockey club and they've had their way with us a little bit here, and this gives us an opportunity to change the tide here.

We had some great opportunities. In the first half of that game, I thought we had some good opportunities. I think that's the key of the game. Both teams had some opportunities, they scored on a couple, we didn't.

I thought he showed signs of the doing some of the things we expect out of him. Again, not so much offensively. I still think there is a ton of work to be done there.

This is the time we need to stay together and just get through it and find ways to get one win, and then hopefully we can regain some of our confidence and get going in the right direction.

It was totally the opposite from the effort of the San Jose game.

I understand they have had success against us, but I think the past few games we've played them, a turn here or a turn there and it could be a different result. We're looking forward to it. We're right where we want to be. ... They're the ones that for the past couple months 'No one is going to be able to touch them.' So we want the opportunity first.

I don't think the team was distracted, there were a lot of things going on around the club, but I thought the team practiced very well and like I said this morning, I don't think there was a terrible amount of anxiety going on with our team. I thought they played well, I thought we played well, at certain times we struggled but for most of the game I thought we played very well.

There are always different ways of getting their attention as we get going here. I think they understand how they have to conduct themselves. It's making sure that they really dial in.

That's a calm influence from the goaltender on out, and that does feed out through the team.

It's not a fighter. It's not a tough guy. It's not an idiot. It's a guy who is willing to bring a presence and in certain situations step up and stick up for his teammates and create room. But he also has to be a good player to play within a lineup.

I really felt we came out hard, had a couple of good shifts score a goal and we come right back and have a couple more chances. I complain a lot about our goaltending but also we have to have the responsibility to score that second goal to keep the momentum.

We had let a (lack of) effort seep into our team and I was scared to death that that kind of effort had become acceptable. If we lose our work ethic, we're an average or a below-average team.

It was cheap. There is no honor in it.

I don't care if you're projected as the star of the team or the captain of the team. I don't care if you're the grinder of the team. I don't care if you're the ice cream man. If you don't push and play with intensity, you are not going to get your ice time.

This was closer to what this team plays like. It's been missing a bit. That's more of the personality of our club, but you have to come back and do it again.

Think that has a little thing to do with it tonight Yeah. We can't have four goals go in our net on 10 (scoring) chances.

We started out really well. But for some reason after they scored their goal we were like deer in headlights. I don't have an answer for that, but obviously that has to be cured.

We're very pleased with that. That's the way it works. You give people opportunities and they try to make the best of it.

Are we the underdog Your darn right we are. I don't think anybody gives us a chance to even with a game. To me, so be it. We know what we are about. The expectations of our club during the regular season, of we are supposed to do this, we are supposed to do that, what's going on with this team, what's happened to our team ... I think as we enter here in this series, we have no pressure on us. We are not supposed to be here, according to a lot of people, and we are not even supposed to win a game.

You can't have (expletive) four goals in our net on 10 chances. Especially the fourth goal. It can't happen.

That's a part of the game now. I hate it, but it's part of the game and our guys are going to have to produce.

The thing about it that you have to hang your hat on as a coaching staff is I know they are working hard to get out of it. It's not like they're lazy. They are still creating chances but they are just not finishing. They will. They are too good of players for this to keep hanging around. If we can keep other parts of our game together while that starts coming, then maybe you start to get some consistency.

It's one of the craziest games I've ever been involved in. I've never seen so many freakish-looking goals in my life. But we found a way.

I won't have to say a word to him about that. We have felt, since he has been with the organization, this kid is going to be a captain someday. He handles himself at such a young age as a pro, and I feel that's the ultimate compliment to a player. He's got some great leadership qualities as far as how he carries himself - not his words - but just how he carries himself and that's very important.

I've already made that decision, he's not going to play all the games this year. We felt this is a really quick hockey team. It was a good time to get a different look.

I look at the Tucker incident. That was pretty much one-on-one and he whacked him twice, gets fined and plays the next game. Arty hasn't done anything like this. He just plays hard. That's all we want the league to understand. Yes, he sticks out because he skates, one of the best skaters in the league, and he's big and he's willing. We feel that is a tremendous asset for our team and the league for that type of play to be going on.