And not on postgame video.
Rather live, as in a seat on the press box level during a game.
That was the case for defenseman Emil Andrae for Thursday night’s game at the Wells Fargo Center.
Andrae had been filling in admirably when a number of backliners, including Cam York and Jamie Drysdale, went down with injuries.
However, in Tortorella’s eyes, the rookie’s play had been tailing off a bit lately, so the coach decided to sit him and bring back Egor Zamula to play against the Detroit Red Wings.
“I don’t think Emil has played well for awhile,” Tortorella said at the morning skate in Voorhees, N.J.
The coach said he doesn’t want to keep alternating defensemen the way he has with goalies.
“I think Emil deserved to play when I took ‘Z’ (Zamula) out,” Tortorella said. “I think he deserved to play.
“With Andrae, it’s been a little bit of a struggle with the puck, it’s been a struggle without the puck. We have to be careful when developing a guy like that. He came in here like gangbusters. But it’s such a small sample that we have to be careful that we don’t hurt his developent.”>Drysdale finding his form
Drysdale missed a considerable amount of time but in the couple games since he’s returned, he’s shown pretty good form.
The speed of his decision-making is high on Tortorella’s list of things to improve upon.
“Decision-making, seeing the ice; to me, the whole game,” Tortorella said. “I’m not trying to criticize him, it’s just that he has to learn how to play.
“I looked at his first game (against Utah on Sunday night), it was OK. I thought it was better before watching tape. His last game (Tuesday night at Columbus) I didn’t think he was bad but when I watched the tape, I thought he was really good.”
Drysdale’s speed can make up for a lot of small mistakes, such as improper positioning on certain plays. Tortorella wants Drysdale to be more proactive.
Also, it can lead to some effective offense, like the Flyers’ fourth goal in the 5-3 win over the Blue Jackets. Drysdale broke up a play in the defensive zone, then a Joel Farabee cross-ice pass set Travis Konecny free for a break-in goal to build a 4-1 lead.
“He (Drysdale) makes a decision,” Tortorella said. “He attacks the plty, kills the play and it (winds up) a really big goal. I watch him jump up the ice, he’s all over the place. The second game he stuck out to me. I just want him not to be afraid to make a mistake. Make quick decisions. If the play’s there, make it.”
>NHL a ‘no-hit’ league?
Tortorella was asked about a collision in Tuesday night’s game which saw the Blue Jackets’ xxx Olivier lower the boom on Andrae along the corner boards. Andrae was slow getting up from this hit.
The coach said players have to be aware of what’s going on around them and expect to be hit once in a while.
“I think in our league, not just Emil but all our players, I think the league itself, it’s such a weakness,” Tortorella said. “Just being away you’re going to get hit. Because I think the league has turned into a ‘no-hit’ league. Then all of a sudden there’s a hit. And you’re not ready for it.
“Coming across the middle of the ice, I watch players and they don’t think anything is going to happen. And most of the time it doesn’t because it’s a no-hit league. I think it’s a really important skill for all NHL players and it’s a big part of being a good team, taking a hit, so you don’t get into a bad spot. I think that art is gone because the game has changed so much.”
>Three goalies are a crowd
Since the return of Sam Ersson in the Utah game, the Flyers now find themselves with three goaltenders. It’s a nice problem to have but not really a long-term solution.
Aleksi Kolosov was scheduled to start against Detroit and that kind o leaves Ivan Fedotov as the odd man out. He hasn’t played since Tortorella yanked him after the first period of last week’s Florida game.
“(GM) Danny (Briere) have talked about that,” Tortorella said. “I’m not sure when that (a roster move) is going to happen. I do have it figured out. ‘Ers’ is our number one, ‘Kolie’ our No. 2 and ‘Feds’ is our No. 3. That’s been decided. I’ve talked to all the goalies about where we’re at. We still have to make sure ‘Ers’ is healthy. That’s a big question mark.”
