NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: FLYERS v LIGHTNING

May 16, 2004

John Tortorella

AMY EARLY: Welcome, everyone, to this media conference call with Coach Tortorella, and start by thanking Bill Wickett, Jay Preble and Coach for making the time this afternoon to be available.

Q. Philadelphia seems to be all beat up on defense and they have just have new guys in there all the time, it doesn't seem like you guys have able to take advantage of that, is there anything that you can do more than you are doing now to take advantage of the difficulties back there?

COACH TORTORELLA: Well, I think if we are going to stay in this playoff run here a little bit longer, we're going to have to. Whether it's them being banged up, no matter who is there on their blue line, I think we need to spend a little bit more time in their end zone.

So, for us to be successful and to continue to compete, that's a part of our game that's going to have to improve.

Q. Curious, the way you guys, some of the guys, Marty and Brad Richards specifically, were so reluctant to speak about the World Cup yesterday after that game, saying it wasn't the right time to bring that up.

COACH TORTORELLA: It isn't.

Q. Well, I was just curious, was it bad timing to announce this during playoffs? I was just curious your opinion about that.

COACH TORTORELLA: I just don't understand it. It's not only bad timing, it's just absolutely -- I just -- I just don't get it, why they have to announce it now while teams are still in the middle of the playoffs here. So it just makes no sense to me.

Q. Having said that, would you have been in any way disappointed if they had just expressed some pride that that goes on their resume?

COACH TORTORELLA: It just makes no sense to me.

Q. What meet have been an alternative way to do it before or after, I guess it's just all timing is what it came down to?

COACH TORTORELLA: What's the rush? I mean, what's the rush? We still have four teams with competitive people and proud people playing the game. I think the main focus is the playoffs now in the National Hockey League. That's all our players are thinking about, I'm sure the same thing with Philly and the other two teams out West. I just don't understand the rush to announce this in the middle of playoffs.

Q. Would it have disappointed you though in some way if Marty or Brad had just said, you know, look, it's something to be proud of, or would you rather have just said that and leave it at that, or did you appreciate them not even going there to begin with?

COACH TORTORELLA: Well, I haven't read anything, but I can only speak for our athletes. The only thing on their mind is Game 5. If something else is on their mind, we're in the wrong mindset.

So if they didn't go there, I haven't read anything about what they said or what was after them, whatever, but if I know those two guys, that's all they are thinking about is preparing for Game 5.

Q. This series is so physical, so mentally grueling, as you go into Game 5 right now, what do you need to do as a head coach with these guys to keep them keen, to keep them focused/, because any human being, I mean just even watching that game and seeing what they went through, how grueling that is, that the turnaround time, being as short as it is; is there anything different you do or is there a methodology that you go through right now that suits this team to get ready for Game 5?

COACH TORTORELLA: No. I think, the part of your question, how do you keep your focus, I don't think that's a problem at all. We're in the middle of Conference Finals tied 2-2 with three games left and our focus is what our focus is. It's been strong all the way through here.

And as far as the physical aspect and a grueling part of it, this is the great thing about the playoffs. I think both teams are going through that. I think both teams are banged up a little bit and it's been such a roller coaster as far as winning one, losing one, winning one, losing one; that is a big part of it, the momentums of a series.

But I think it's just one heck of a series, and we have no problem -- and I don't think any of our athletes have any problem focusing on what we have to do in Game 5.

Q. When there's a player on another team who is doing as much as Primeau is doing, does that change any strategy of yours? Do you devote more attention to one guy? I know that has not been something you've done in the past, but in this playoff situation, does that change that a little bit?

COACH TORTORELLA: Well, you know, even last night after the game, some people were upset I wouldn't speak on Keith Primeau, and by no means do I want to show him any disrespect. He has had a very good series. We have a tremendous amount of respect for him.

But as we always go about our business here, there's going to be -- I guess our mindset is that we have to worry about our hockey club here. Is there going to be some small adjustments as you go through it? Sure, there is.

Again, I'm not one to publically talk about how we're going to approach things when we are getting ready for another game. We have our thoughts. Again, the main focus is our team. 99% of our thinking is how we are going to get better as a club. But when you have a player like that, and as good as he's been in here, surely you have to give some thought to that.

So we'll go about our business, see where it goes. We had some meetings already today, and we'll see where it goes.

Q. Obviously, it now being two-of-three, and as you said, it's going back and forth in a see-saw, trying to win two in a row in a series as demanding as this one, and that's what I'm getting at what exactly needs to happen and what type of resolve needs to come from this team in order to pull two of these back-to-back, if possible, in order to maybe perhaps eliminate a Game 7, from a team, with as grueling as this series is?

COACH TORTORELLA: Well, I think this team has showed -- I think both teams have showed quite a bit of resolve through the regular season and the playoffs. I'm not even thinking about Game 7. Our thing in hand right now, our game in hand now is Game 5 and how we get back to doing some things to be successful against Philly.

I think in last night's game, for a few minutes there towards the end of that first period, the whole momentum swang to their side and we could never get it back within that game. First period, they spent the whole time in our end zone and I thought we did a pretty good job defensively. We score a huge first goal, as the first goals are big in all series, but we let it get away, and we couldn't get the momentum back.

So our priority going into Game 5 is just trying to get some momentum back our way and try to find a way to get it done in Game 5.

Q. I keep hearing some people within hockey circles, former players, say Game 1, 3, 5 and 7, the odd-number games, are the real important games. Do you subscribe to that theory?

COACH TORTORELLA: Again, the schedule is seven games; whoever wins four, wins the series. That's all we are concerned about. We don't care what order it's in or how you go about doing it. We'd like to try to get the four before Philly does.

All of the percentages of this, that the other thing on the games, it's lost on me. We're just trying to get back and try to regain some momentum in this series in Game 5 in our building.

Q. And could you update us on the injury situation how the team is right now going into Game 5?

COACH TORTORELLA: Well, we're status quo. We'll have same lineup as we had last night, and we'll see how the guys are when we start skating again tomorrow.

Q. Just speaking of the injuries, with Jassen Cullimore out, is this -- I would think, the kind of series where he could help you back there; he's big, he's physical, how has that affected, with the way Philly is playing, how has that affected -- not having him back there affected you guys at all, the way you see it?

COACH TORTORELLA: Jassen has been one of our top two all year long. He's a big man and would have helped, sure. But this is something that we can't control. I think when Pratt (ph) come in, I don't think we've missed a beat as far as that's concerned. Injuries are injuries. There's no sense of spending too much time thinking about them, and what could be if he was there. We've had some capable people come in and do their job. The 20 people that are skating each and every night, those are the people that we're concerned with and how we are going to try to be successful.

Q. As a quick follow-up for that, for a guy that's played one game the whole season and was a pretty bad groin injury when you got him, how has Stan Neckar performed?

COACH TORTORELLA: Well, I thought he played very well in his first game become. Last night I thought he fought it a bit, and I think sometimes when the adrenaline wears off of getting back in there, there's always going to be a time when you settle a little bit.

Stan is a trier. He's a guy that has played within our system for a while, understands what we want. I thought was just outstanding under some trying circumstances in his first game in. Last night, he fought. We'll see where we go, and again, we'll re-evaluate our guys when we come in here for practice tomorrow and see where we're at.

AMY EARLY: Thank you for making time today.

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