PHILADELPHIA — He’s a profession middle being squeezed to the left wing, was benched and rested, and although the Flyers’ solely All-Star, has been denied standing as a captain or an alternate.
Kevin Hayes has survived all of it, and he has survived what might have been a scratchy relationship with John Tortorella, too.
“I’ve no dangerous blood with Torts,” Hayes stated Tuesday, earlier than a 4-3 extra time loss to the Los Angeles Kings. “I at all times say, ‘He’s a coach, I’m a participant.’ I receives a commission to do issues on the ice. He will get paid to make selections. My complete profession, I’ve revered each coach’s choice. I don’t suppose each man is meant to agree with every little thing. That’s simply life.”
That’s Hayes’ official stance, cleared for broadcast and publication. It doesn’t imply he hasn’t discovered his first season below Tortorella simple.
“I don’t agree with some issues,” stated Hayes, who assisted on Wade Allison’s first-period objective. “I agree with some issues. I signed in to play middle; I’m enjoying wing. I’m making an attempt to be taught to the most effective of my skill to be the most effective wing I may be. I really feel like generally throughout video games I might play middle extra. I view myself as a centerman, however proper now, that is the place he needs me to play, in order that’s what I’m doing.
“However once more, it doesn’t imply I’ve dangerous blood with Torts.”
Whereas Tortorella may need tried to make use of Hayes for example for youthful gamers by sitting him for defensive lapses perceived or in any other case, he insists he meant it to be therapeutic, not private.
“In case you ask Kevin, it has in all probability been a tough 12 months for him,” Tortorella stated. “He’s misplaced some minutes. He’s enjoying a distinct place. Generally, he’s not main off the ability play. It’s all a part of the method he’s going by means of.”
Hayes has scored 5 objectives in his final 5 video games, leads the Flyers with 29 assists, and has 15 objectives and one invitation to the Feb. 3-4 All-Star festivities in Florida. And he has performed sufficient elsewhere on the rink to maintain Tortorella calm.
“He has labored exhausting to play away from the puck,” the coach stated. “It’s been sort of a loopy 12 months for him. He’s doing the issues now we have requested from him with out taking away from his offense.
“I feel he’s dealt with himself effectively.”
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Tortorella was oddly calm after the Flyers misplaced for the fourth time in six video games.
“Within the first 10 minutes, I believed we have been going to lose, 10-nothing,” he stated. “However that’s what I like about our workforce, They preserve working. No complaints from me about our workforce tonight.”
If something, Tortorella was displeased with six penalties.
“The penalties damage us,” Noah Cates stated. “They lower our power. We’ve to do a greater job of staying out of the field.”
The Flyers by no means trailed till Kevin Fiala scored in extra time.
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The Flyers weren’t sure what to anticipate from Joel Farabee, whose offseason was lower brief by his neck surgical procedure.
Tortorella, who was gradual to approve that as an evidence for an odd begin, has acknowledged the operation.
“No query it damage him,” the coach stated. “You possibly can’t make positive factors through the season. Throughout the season, all people dips of their conditioning and energy. What occurred through the summer season positively hampered him. Wherever we go, the following season goes to be crucial for him, and, God-willing, he’s wholesome.”
Farabee has scored seven factors in his final 12 video games.
“I nonetheless wish to see extra in each a part of his sport,’’ Tortorella stated. “That’s a giant factor, as a result of I feel there’s extra there. However he has improved and performed among the issues we’ve requested him.”
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Regardless of hinting at some line adjustments earlier Tuesday after the Flyers had misplaced three of their final 5, Tortorella began the sport with the 4 teams that had performed effectively for the higher a part of the final month: Cates with Farabee and Travis Konecny, Morgan Frost between James van Riemsdyk and Owen Tippett, Scott Laughton centering Hayes and Allison, and Patrick Brown with Nick Deslauriers and Zack MacEwen.
