While the Flyers continue to try to earn every point possible in a desperate race against the odds to make the playoffs, they along with every other team have to deal with one of late-winter’s most significant distractions.
That would be the league trading deadline looming at 3 p.m. this Thursday. For Flyers coach John Tortorella, that means it’s time for an annual coach to player(s) talk.
He says the pending trade deadline is something to address with his team.
“I think we owe the players that respect,” Tortorella said. “We ask them to do all this (crap) all year long. With all the rumors going around … I want them to be able to come to me.”
One person Tortorella now knows he won’t have to worry about being distracted is defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. Tortorella went to him to see if he needed any answers, since the big, right-handed defender has been part of potential trade bait talk.
“He said, ‘I just want to play,’” Tortorella said.
Ristolainen said largely the same thing in an interview this week.
“Obviously it’s not the first time,” Ristolainen said of his trade deadline experiences. “It’s one of those things I can’t really control, so it doesn’t really bother my mind. I just come in every day and work hard, you know?”
To Ristolainen, hard work is starting to pay off. Though the odds are still against it, the Flyers were on a 4-0-1 run heading into play Tuesday night against Calgary and securing a playoff spot was at least still a possibility.
“I do believe in this locker room,” Ristolainen said. “I feel we’re a very tight group. Obviously after the break we’ve been playing some really good hockey and we’ve been able to grab some wins and points. I believe we can keep going, and we can take it day by day.
“I believe we can make a push.”
• • •
Rookie Matvei Michkov did not register a point in a 2-1 win over Winnipeg Saturday, but over the five games before then, Michkov stood out.
He had five goals and five assists, averaging two points per game and accumulating a plus-6 rating over that stretch.
Clearly, Michkov made good use of the two-week 4 Nations Face-Off break, to get himself together. Heading into it, Tortorella had noted he thought Michkov needed a break to re-charge.
Not now.
“I’m just playing him, playing him where I think he should be playing,” Tortorella said. “I’m not monitoring his ice time. … We’re going to play him, we’re trying to win, he’s been playing well.
“I’ll put him in those spots. I just don’t have the slide rule as far as that’s concerned.”
Fans should note he doesn’t have the sun dial, either.
Source: Berkshire mont
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