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John Tortorella has changed his mindset with the Vegas Golden Knights entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The coach began using the key word ‘we’ after being hired on March 29. Vegas hosts the Utah Mammoth in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round on Sunday.
Tortorella said he felt weird about saying ‘we’ initially. He did not want to disrespect his predecessor, Bruce Cassidy. Cassidy won the Stanley Cup with many current players in 2023.
Enough time has now passed for Tortorella. He has been with the team for eight games. He said he still feels funny saying it.
Tortorella has not gone through the regular season grind with them. He has had more meetings and run practices with the team. He found a way to win some games with them.
Sooner or later you have to be with them, Tortorella said. He feels he can say ‘we’ now. He does so in a respectful way of the prior coach.
He thinks ‘we’ is very important at this time of year. The belief of ‘we’ is very important now. He thinks he needs to say it.
Vegas shocked the hockey world by changing coaches late in the season. The decision has been validated. The team was 8-15-4 in its past 27 games at the time.
They were 1-4-2 in their past seven games before the change. They slipped from first to third in the Pacific Division. They were in danger of missing the playoffs.
The Golden Knights had only a four-point cushion for a playoff spot. They finished the regular season on a 7-0-1 run. They won the Pacific Division.
Forward Mitch Marner said they knew it was a wakeup call. He said everyone knew they needed to be better. The team responded to the coaching change.
Some have called the Golden Knights ruthless for their bold moves. It is hard to argue with their record. They have made the playoffs eight times in nine seasons.
The team entered the NHL as an expansion team nine seasons ago. General manager Kelly McCrimmon said they are committed to winning. He said the organization treats its people fantastic.
McCrimmon said the organization treats the players great. He said he has had tremendous relationships with players. He knows that matters to the president of hockey operations.
