Positives of Torts

[clee]

Despite our place in the standings and Torts possibly being fired in the offseason, here are some positives to appreciate Torts for this season:

1. Kassian's development in consistency, passing, playmaking, vision, and strength

2. Creating the RBK line and reviving Booth's season

3. Booth skates hard every game as opposed to appearing lost last season and the first half of this season

4. Kesler's respectable season (he stated Torts is one of the best coaches and has helped him revive his career)

5. Adding more grit, toughness, resilience, and aggressiveness to our identity

6. Outplaying opponents, and even contending teams, on most nights

7. Improving Sestito's play from a 'pylon' to a decent 4th liner who is willing to stand up for teammates

8. Torts compliments players a lot more publicly than AV did (called Higgins a role model for Kassian, Kes a workhorse, Richardson's unnoticed skill)

Please add more to the list! Discuss and don't turn this into a hate thread.

[Rush17]

He is highly entertaining and I love his new look with the glasses.

(btw side note. I find it funny Gillis went for the neck beard the same time torts went to the glasses. Torts seems more even keeled since he got them. Perhaps the glasses are helping him relax a lil.)

[SamJamIam]

There was a quick graphic on CBC tonight that showed Canucks from 2010-11 as 1st in NHL scoring. Then 5th. Then 19th, now 27th. Blaming that all on Torts is asinine.

I think he's the perfect guy for what was always going to be hard times. The question was only "Can we turn things around in only one season?" and the answer might have been "Yes" if not for so many injuries. However the reason I like Torts being here is that things seem to be improving almost BECAUSE they got so bad, not despite that. With all the injuries, freak plays and weirdness, the team has become a more solid unit.

Despite the written off season, I see an awful lot more hope around here than I did a year ago. People sense we aren't going to be Calgary or Edmonton.

Most importantly, the Sedins seem to be hitting their stride again. Like everything else that's working itself out, it's too late, but it's hugely relieving and exciting to see Henrik and Daniel making tight passes and walking through defenders.

Say what you like, I can't wait to see them back to form (along with a healed Santo) next year.

[MJDDawg]

Surprise, surprise.

All it takes is a couple of wins when we're basically eliminated from the playoffs against teams that clinched the playoffs long ago and have nothing to play for to forget about the 99% of the season where this team has been a joke.

[Twilight Sparkle]

guaranteed, torts is back next season. if the team doesn't turn it around then, he's gone. i'd give torts the benefit of the doubt for this season--making the transition from a different conference, and to handle a team looking like a shadow of its former self, absolutely nothing being given to him to work with

i can see where people ragged on him for emphasis on shot blocking and having the twins play more, but having the twins on the pk is what made it so successful. they weren't blocking shots all the time, they're smart hockey players who were used in all situations. hank going down and ending the ironman streak was going to happen regardless. players get injured, **** happens. the canucks arent even top 5 in blocked shots, so you can't exactly hang that one excuse on torts for our players getting injured. he openly admitted the team didn't regularily practiced the PP since i'm sure he knew coming in, had the canucks made the playoffs, PPs are few and far between and focused more on being a strong 5 on 5 team, which they were, focused more on the PK where they were 90% or something rediculous for a while

[Roflcawptur]

I personally liked his actions in the flames game. I like that he stood up for his team and wasn't about to take sh*t from anyone.

[Me_]

Goes to bat for his team in every way he is faced with.

Defended his players by taking no bullcrap from Hartley and answered the bell to old tactics and got livid about it and rightly so. We're just not used to it.

Has single handedly taken local media and made them behave in a singular unison, enough that when one starts deviating, and then another, he warns them. notice not one cell phone rang after that one time. I'm pretty sure someone's at the door saying cell phones off in the back ground every time the media assemble, from cameraman to doorman to security to media members themselves. Media coltrol; that alone is an achievement by itself that ought to be justification for keeping Tortorella as coach of the Vancouver Canucks.

Defended the entire organization by taking the load off of everyone during the Heritage Classic. Not one right minded GM would ever risk injury to a player in trade discussions and fundamentally, playing Lack instead of Luongo in the circumstances at the time, is the right move. The media and fan reaction could not have been predicted except in that such an action would be quite awkward. But here's Tortorella defending the Organization by diverting the entire event on going with Lack as his choice and his choice alone. Moral of the story, having a Heritage game at the deadline is a very dumb move on the NHL's part.

Defended Gillis at his response, saying Gillis is busy making this entire organization better every day and leaving no stone unturned, and stated that, in what both he and Gillis try to teach the team; they're on the same page. Tortorella again, saves a lot of external scrutiny.

Praises his players when they are to be praised, defend his players when they need to be defended, and calls them out for bone headed moves:

"Kesler is a different animal... he thrives on it" when talking about TOI.

"Someone of you asked a stupid question last time" when talking about Henrik's injury and questioning Henrik's commitment to hockey altogether.

"Stanton scores his 10th, 11th" after Stanton scores again in his own net, though the 10-11 goals scored on the Canucks' own net can also be grandly attributed to Edler and Hamhuis. But the coach had enough on that one. And he called it as it were.

"You can see it. It's there.... He makes you want more" talking about Kassian's untapped talent, which incidentally, is now consistently on as he has 7 points in 5 games.

The coach is a passionate man who knows how to passionately win. And has won a Cup.

And now tonight, Henrik goes to bad for Torts, with a truth to his words that resonate all throughout. This is a tight group but the light is closing out on the season.

So what does Tortorella do?

He takes sole responsibility for not getting the team back to playing the way it's supposed to and can, soon enough. Again, Tortorella takes it upon himself, even though what cost immensely this season, is injury.

This was Tortorella's audition year. If he can develop players like Kassian into what he's become, you keep that coach around no question. AV would have sat Kassian long ago.

Tortorella was brought in to get that elusive thing that hangs over this team straightened out. It happens to be fundamentally opposite to what Vancouver is accustomed to, so it seems like it's wrong. But it's just different.

Tortorella has made me excited for next year and I can tell you that I was accustomed to saying screw it, it's the same thing all over anyways. But this time, seeing Kassian on this level all next season attracts me back, especially if Tortorella is back.

Because if anything, Tortorella is entertaining.

[Rush17]

There was a quick graphic on CBC tonight that showed Canucks from 2010-11 as 1st in NHL scoring. Then 5th. Then 19th, now 27th. Blaming that all on Torts is asinine.

I think he's the perfect guy for what was always going to be hard times. The question was only "Can we turn things around in only one season?" and the answer might have been "Yes" if not for so many injuries. However the reason I like Torts being here is that things seem to be improving almost BECAUSE they got so bad, not despite that. With all the injuries, freak plays and weirdness, the team has become a more solid unit.

Despite the written off season, I see an awful lot more hope around here than I did a year ago. People sense we aren't going to be Calgary or Edmonton.

Most importantly, the Sedins seem to be hitting their stride again. Like everything else that's working itself out, it's too late, but it's hugely relieving and exciting to see Henrik and Daniel making tight passes and walking through defenders.

Say what you like, I can't wait to see them back to form (along with a healed Santo) next year.

I like a lot of the things Torts brings to the table. But to be honest the style of hockey isn't that entertaining. I much prefer the high offense puck control style game. (high tempo). I hope torts can incorporate more speed and offensive along with the defensive responsibility. The truth though at this point in the season. It's been so bad any improvement is a huge improvement. Any progress from hear on out only gives credit to Torts and puts Gillis more in the hot seat. I don't care who's back as long as we have entertaining fast paced hockey. I think Gillis has a lot of upside and he's done decent minus the goalie fiasco which may have been partly due to ownership involvement. Personally I would keep them both but make Torts adjust to a more fast paced offensive style with an important focus on offense. It may take a season or two to fully get there but aiming towards that would be nice. The best defense is often offense.

[Honky Cat]

Surprise, surprise.

All it takes is a couple of wins when we're basically eliminated from the playoffs against teams that clinched the playoffs long ago and have nothing to play for to forget about the 99% of the season where this team has been a joke.

Agreed..these games against teams that have clinched playoff spots are indicative of nothing..I've seen many out of the playoff Canuck teams light it up at the end of the year,only to go back to their losing ways the following season

[Brad Marchand]

Agreed..these games against teams that have clinched playoff spots are indicative of nothing..I've seen many out of the playoff Canuck teams light it up at the end of the year,only to go back to their losing ways the following season

Which is relevant to the context of the thread how?

This isn't a "Excuse Torts for the bad season" thread. This is a "Torts is not a complete idiot and actually does some good things" thread.

Some might question his handling of Kassian (my biggest gripe is the lack of powerplay time he gets), but Torts says the right things to him. He gives Kassian enough praise to keep his confidence up but not enough to let him get complacent. For a player who lacks game-to-game consistency, that's the kind of approach that a coach should take.

Again, this isn't an excuse for his other shortcomings, but all this "Torts is complete trash" stuff is laughable especially when two months ago, Tortorella was a saint to you guys.