John Tortorella could become first NHL coach fired after ridiculous lineup combinations

The Flyers are an absolute mess this season, and John Tortorella could shortly be fired after using 18 forward line combinations and destroying team chemistry.

The Philadelphia Flyers have shown flashes of offensive brilliance, but an inability to finish scoring chances has remained a huge problem thus far. During the 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on October 22, the Flyers created prime chances but couldn't find the mark. Perhaps one of the reasons has to do with frequent line changes by head coach John Tortorella in an attempt to get the offense going but disruptive to the flow and chemistry required for consistent scoring. Tortorella has already tried 18 different combinations of forwards this season, and it is painfully clear that such instability does indeed affect the way this team has been performing on the ice.

Building chemistry on the ice requires time, consistency, and trust between linemates. That instinctive understanding of where their teammates are going to be enables better split-second decisions when players have it. But the constant line juggling to this point in the season has prevented any of the forward combinations from falling into a rhythm. Switching roles and playing styles in and out makes for disjointed games, like against Washington, where hesitation and miscommunication undermined their chances to score.

These changes, happening so often, cannot but fail to have an impact on the players psychologically. The thinking now is overactive, and the opportunities are missed, with players holding onto the stick too tight when in front of the goal. This hesitation was evident during the game against the Capitals, as the instability showed both in individual performances and in general team dynamics. Stability is what creates great players to gain the confidence and instinct to make plays.

Tortorella has also split up the Flyers' most productive forwards. The line juggling by Tortorella has prevented any potential partnerships from forming. The players are getting confused and second-guessing themselves with the decisions they are making on the ice. With the Flyers off to a 1-4-1 start, growing questions about how much longer Tortorella can keep up his tactics and if a coaching change may be in order before the season gets away from them.

While changes by John Tortorella are meant to get the Flyers' offense running, it could be proving to be a bit too much of a good thing. What this team really needs is consistency so that it can establish some chemistry and rhythm, and allow players to fall into productive roles. It will be interesting to see how the team moves forward in the coming days and weeks, but one thing's for sure, the NHL is a league where coaching changes happen often, so it wouldn't be surprising to see one here.

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