John Tortorella's Playbook

[Tulipunaruusu*]

"We wanna play as quickly and as straight ahead of possible... I think we have the skill to make plays, getting out of our endzone.. We wanna go North-South as quick as possible..." - Johnnie Tortorella on his World Cup Day One playbook of grind and takebacks.

Should the brief take on John Tortorella's offensive playbook's leaf decoded as a sign of palm-palm passes occurring between defenders which then decide between victory or fall? Is it a testament to the narrow quintet who stay together? What is it? Let the play reveal?

In this thread we aim to decipher the brand new Blue Jackets playbook tested first in the 2016 World Cup of ice hockey. Beyond space and time answers may lie, only to be reached by collective experimental touch which usually opens new, not often ventured paths. Who knows.

Quicker, easier, more seductive the vertical play is. Brick by brick flow of the game replicates as situations where the head coach's playbook is in action add on. "Who have the upper hand around the opposition's blue line where two rival teams meet?" That for the Leading One is possibly the most important play speed meter in offensive ice hockey on team level. The question whether you attack with superior numbers, equilibrium or by understaffing against defending team in that decisive area unmasks the elements of control.

"The more the team speeds up its (offensive) play, the slower the play gets... It cannot be forgotten that I have for years said that if you want to quicken your play, you have to slow it down first." - Leading One

Tomorrow you might have the Blue Jackets playbook unfolded ahead of you.

Click to read more...

 

[Tulipunaruusu*]

Tweeter visualises the conumdrum.

 

[EDM]

What?

 

[Tulipunaruusu*]

What?

Here El Señor demonstrates the build-up according to universal principles of all team ball sports.

On the other thread it was said that Blue Jackets finished 24th or what last season and so it would translate into current trajectory as the material is still the same. Mind over matter. Remember, when Late Marjamäki took over Kärpät they had finished 8th, 9th, 10th and 8th during the previous four seasons. Game plan changed with Marjamäki: two consecutive Canada Chalices followed. Third was cruelly cut by Nutivaara suffering an injury but that is already a different story for another time. Here we testify whether there is a force of change looming inside the blue jacket of Tortorella. In World Cup the play will be tested and demonstrated on ice.

 

[CBJx614]

That's where I think you're wrong. Playing with a all star team against other all stars(where physicality is going to be at a minimum) is going to call for a different style of play than what he's gonna use for the regular season.

 

[Tulipunaruusu*]

So John, you try to lead them up the vertical path. And if that fails: where do you then go? The ringos sped the play too greedily and too fast.

 

[CBJfan4evr]

I'm sure most will disagree. I like this guy he speaks his mind.

John Tortorella - Funniest Moments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyFlIwdNLBw

 

[mikeyp24]

I love torts always have great video. I was one of the only people that was pumped about him trying to fight in Calgary.

 

[jacketsgeek]

I'm sure most will disagree. I like this guy he speaks his mind.

John Tortorella - Funniest Moments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyFlIwdNLBw

Good golly! That was fun to watch!!

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

I love torts always have great video. I was one of the only people that was pumped about him trying to fight in Calgary.

I feel like that is something Randy Marsh would have done.

 

[mikeyp24]

Haha that is funny because I used to always say if I grow up to be half the dad/man Randy Marsh is I'll be a happy man. I would support him as the jackets coach haha I thought this was America!!

But seriously I always like torts and ever since I saw the 24/7 HBO show when he was with the Rangers and I just loved his style of coaching and the blue collar way. I've had baseball coaches like him and to be honest I coach very similar so when people talk about the tough love he gives being stupid and not working I just don't get it because it really works and most athletes want to play for those coaches and want to do better when they get laid into to prove that guy wrong. I've also always been a big fan of being physical and guys laying out to block shots. That's my personal favorite thing to watch in games is the defense. In all games but baseball my favorite thing is defense so that's partially why but watch a torts team vs a more finesse team play on defense and it's just beautiful to watch when you see the difference. I dated someone in Vancouver from 09 until a year or to ago and that was my #2 team for a while because that and I went to a cup game there and I was stuck in the city for the riots and all that and I was never a fan of AV and his style of play and when they fired him for Torts I was excited for what he could do with Ryan Kesler who is by far my favorite non jacket ever but I knew.coaching wise there styles would work great but he wouldn't do well with the rest of the team because that was a VERY soft team. But ever since he was let go from there he was my dream coach for this team because that is our style. I blame.last year on injuries and growing pains. It was.to late to put in place.his system and the defense and goalies were just so bad to start the year but as the year went on and we got Jones you could see the team getting better.

I truly do believe that if our goalies can do well that this is the perfect combination of.coqch and team. Our defense is very young BUT very solid and should be set for the next few years to grow with what will be a very young forward core. The combo of guys that can play great 2 way games in Saad, dubi, and Jenner with grit in guys like Anderson and Calvert and then young scorers coming up like Milano and Bjorkstrand. Then vets like Nicky Fligs and Hartsy I think you got a good combo in leadership, scoring, defending, and the right amount of grit and agitators that will play on that edge but not cross it. I say we.make the playoffs in at least 3 of the next 5 years.

 

[major major]

It wasn't too late for Torts to employ his system last year. We saw John Tortorella's system. I'm sure he'll keep tweaking things, as he always has, but it's not like last year wasn't his system.

As for his hard-ass style, and whether that works: I look at a saying like "Get off your ass" and think that it is very good advice for a lot of people, including some hockey teams. But if you are not in fact on your ass, it's not good advice. That's the trouble with some "old school" coaches - they don't know when to quit. If you're telling a group of diligent hard working pros that they are lazy bums, it can be counterproductive. I'm not taking a position on whether this applies to the Jackets. In March, Torts himself seemed to allude to other problems the club had beyond work ethic when he seriously took the pedal off the gas, and later that month admitted that there was a lack of talented playmakers.

 

[major major]

Our defense is very young BUT very solid

They will be but not yet.

I say we.make the playoffs in at least 3 of the next 5 years.

I'd make that bet.

 

[Tulipunaruusu*]

It wasn't too late for Torts to employ his system last year. We saw John Tortorella's system. I'm sure he'll keep tweaking things, as he always has, but it's not like last year wasn't his system.

An individual playbook can have new pages and should have if we talk about evolution of the game and the days gone by. Elements of puck control - palm-palm passes, lag zone delay starts, returning the puck on your own defensive zone is what I would seek to witness in the now properly adjusted Tortorella playbook.

The U.S.A. - Finland exhibition game could very well be the most important battle of Blue Jackets timeline for this remaining decade. First all of the eye of the Leading One potentially turns to both playbooks, disintegrating the elements, should not Johtava be asleep. Second then it is a test between the vertical and ice hockey of cooperation style of plays and there can only be one winner although winners won't necessary show on the score sheet.

Leading One forecasting clouds if plays can't decide whether to play with Late Marjamäki's or Sami Vatanen's playbook:

"Its own chapter is that the lag zone delayed starts of the Lions were weakly organized in the exhibitions against Sweden. Short, play-creating pass to the centre in centre would have worked as always before, going past Sweden's top forechecker but Marjamäki seems to be a prisoner of his (wrong) observation that you cannot, on this level in a small match box play so. It is a matter of bad professional mistake on Marjamäki's behalf!"

Leading One has also vowed that Finland's individual skill won't compare with Russia, Czech Republic, Canada or U.S.A. so the only way to compete is puck control:

"Exhibitions against Sweden's Tre Kronor have displayed in undownable manner that Leijonat will be disadvantaged as soon as Finland's puck control breaks, puck breaks away to be combatted and flow of the game starts to follow quick transition ice hockey coast-to-coast. The individidual skill of the Lions on average doesn't compare well."

https://blog.paf.com/petterisihvonen/2016/09/11/pelataanko-leijonissa-lauri-marjamaen-vai-sami-vatasen-latkaa/#.V9VcQLfr1gU

 

[Eikka]

Ah, Sihvonen and his obsession with delayed zone exits. Will be interesting too see if US does what Sweden did and use forecheck to force Finland into quick transition game. I can't wait for Sihvonen's hissy fits on twitter.

 

[Viqsi]

As for his hard-ass style, and whether that works: I look at a saying like "Get off your ass" and think that it is very good advice for a lot of people, including some hockey teams. But if you are not in fact on your ass, it's not good advice. That's the trouble with some "old school" coaches - they don't know when to quit. If you're telling a group of diligent hard working pros that they are lazy bums, it can be counterproductive.

It's a little premature for "I told you so" given that this is illustration of a potential problem rather than a description of what's going on at the moment (for now ), but this is exactly why I was so overwhelmingly, adamantly against Tortorella being hired to begin with.

 

[Johansen2Foligno]

King of the Hill tie-in: http://kingofthehill.wikia.com/wiki/Coach_Sauers

Tortarella reminds me of younger version of that guy. I will only be referencing cartoons in all of my posts from now on

 

[Tulipunaruusu*]

So it has began. A flurry of tweets from the Leading One conserning Tortorella's playbook as I had foreseen:


"I am waiting with water on my tongue whether @ViasatSports studio can analyze the reason for USA's slow offensive play speed. The reason is obvious"

"Ahh, not a word from @ViasatSports studio that USA played the whole time half-quick (def-def-up) which is slow playing."

"Hieing NHL-hockey is about to pay dearly for USA. Team Europe's veterans are are about to give club bath by passing."

"Tortorella's Usa plays certain wreckless Northern American youth hockey under the command of a NHL coach."

Gents, how would you draw the play witnessed so far?

 

[Eikka]

Ralph Kruger didn't take Torts to a school of coaching, Torts just wants to make the cbj training camp on time.

Although it would've helped if US players had taken team Eur seriously.

 

[drspiegel]

This is pretty alarming from CBJ's perspective. USA's forechecking was out of control, and I doubt it was the players idea to pressure with all three forwards way deep in the offensive zone. It just shows a lack of respect for the opposition, or a lack of understanding of the game by the coaching staff.

If USA fails in the World Cup, it doesn't necessarily affect the Blue Jackets' season. However, if they go through a complete meltdown I worry how Tortorella, Dubinsky and Jack Johnson (all very important CBJ guys) are going to handle it.

I really hope they get it together for the Canada game or this could get ugly.

 

[BluejacketNut]

Canada is going to dismantle them. Torts has already mismanaged the team by benching Buff. If i have the option, no way either Johnson plays over him

 

[Old Guy]

I really hope they get it together for the Canada game or this could get ugly.

It's already ugly. If you consider the last two games in Sochi and the first WCOH game, Team USA has a whopping total of -0- goals.

Not the stuff that gets you on a box of Wheaties.

 

[Beansy*]

One of the worst coaches around. CBJ will go nowhere with him. He's a dinosaur that was never really that great a coach to being with.

 

[mikeyp24]

There's a lot of hate on a coach that didn't have nessasarily the right team put in front of him. They needed more goal scoring. If some of the U23 was on this team it would have been a different story.

Our players are much much much more suited for torts style. Aggressive physically but scoring capable. When you are stuck with EJ and Buff who was utter garbage this tournament it's not great. I'd take our 2 U23 guys with Werenski who is a future USA captain and JMFJ who played just as good as McD in the tournament plus add in Savard we have a solid D. Add that to the forward core we are building and 3 legit goalies in Bob, Korpisalo, and Forseberg.

The only guy I feel was great at the style Torts plays was Kesler. Others had good games and moments but guys like Kane need a different style of coach and player with him too succeed. I was waiting for a Parise, Kesler, Kane line because I've seen them work together well in the Olympics and other tourneys but it never happened.

Sometimes there are just coaches that fit perfect with a team and their style.and that is what we have. AV I feel was that guy for the Canucks with his more finesse and D pinching and I think Trotz right now is the perfect WASH coach the way he deals with ovi and the way he coaches beautiful D. And look at the style of players and team we habe.built around us... is there any team at all in the NHL that is more suited for tortz then us? Let's give the guy a full season before we.burn him at the stake.

 

[Dr. Fire]

Like I said in the World Cup thread, I don't know how much better Torts could have done with this group. Or, how much better any coach could have done.

Lombardi should bear the brunt of criticism here.