Lightning rod

PHILADELPHIA -- When the bus carrying the Tampa Bay Lightning pulled into the Wachovia Center parking lot here last Thursday, a couple of hours before the start of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals, it stopped under a balcony where dozens of Flyers fans were waiting.

As each player stepped off the bus and walked toward the arena's entrance, there was little or no fanfare. No catcalls. No taunting. Not much reaction at all. But then coach John Tortorella came into view, and the group went wild. It was Tortorella who, after the Lightning were drilled at home in Game 2, vented in memorable fashion against Philly coach Ken Hitchcock. He said Hitchcock, who was furious at what he perceived were cheap slashes by Tampa in the latter part of the lopsided contest, should "shut his yap."

Tortorella later admitted he did it to protect his team, especially given the players were going to have an extra day before Game 3 to think about it. It was a verbal sleight of hand designed to deflect the attention and pressure from his team. And it worked.

"He rallied the team," said veteran center Tim Taylor. "Simply because it took a lot of pressure off [goalie Nikolai Khabibulin], who had been pulled [from Game 2]. As players, we never thought about it, but there would have been media pressure put upon him. There was an extra day in between with a lot of thoughts being thrown back and forth, and he kept that away from the team. He actually got [us] fired up because guys were saying, `Oh my God, our coach is sticking up for us.' And that doesn't usually happen. It's usually our coach who is giving us some sort of [grief] in the paper. I think a lot of guys respected him for it and I think that's the reason we won Game 3 the way we did."

The clubs split the last two contests and with a victory in Game 6 tonight, the Lightning will advance to Stanley Cup finals for the first time in franchise history. If not, they'll have another chance at home Saturday.

Jay Feaster, the Lightning's executive vice president and general manager, attributes much of the club's success to the 45-year-old Tortorella, a West Concord, Mass., native.

"You look at the incredible job he's done here," said Feaster, who first met Tortorella in the American Hockey League when he was an executive with the Hershey Bears and Tortorella was coaching Rochester. "I defy people to say that what we did last year and what we've done this year, that somehow it was expected of the Tampa Bay Lightning. I think it's a direct result of his coaching. I think he's one of the best and brightest. I think it would be nice if more people knew that and knew that there was more to him than just what you see when he's behind that bench."

If Hitchcock reminds people of the amiable Captain Kangeroo, Tortorella -- a Henry Winkler lookalike -- comes off as the Fonz on speed. It might be entertaining, but Feaster said it's also misleading.

"When you meet him, it's just totally different than the persona you see behind the bench," said Feaster. "I think it's unfortunate sometimes because of his personality, and because he's not media-friendly at a time like this, for example, that people don't appreciate just how good he is. I go back to when he won the [Calder] Cup in Rochester [of the AHL] in 1996. That was a team, I remember at Christmas time they were dead last in the conference. And he ends up turning that team around and they go on to win the Cup. He truly believes the game is all about the players. He's very uncomfortable talking about himself. He doesn't want to sit down with the media and talk about John Tortorella. It's tough to get behind that exterior."

Feaster said that Tortorella, hired as head coach Jan. 6, 2001, brought a completely different attitude to the team. Quite simply, it was shape up or ship out.

"Very early on, when he first came in, it was such a country club atmosphere," said Feaster, who was assistant GM at the time. "It was so laissez-faire and loose. We didn't have leadership in our locker room. Even organizationally, it was a case where you'd win three games and, as he said, we were planning the parade route. Or you lose three games and all of sudden you're at the bottom. It was something he wanted to try to even out. He wanted to even out those kinds of mood swings. Initially, it was very, very tough. I think the biggest thing is he's given this team more reins to run as he has seen the team mature."

One example of Tortorella's influence is Vincent Lecavalier. The talented center was the No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft but was given too much responsibility too soon, and he struggled. He and Tortorella clashed initially, but they've since formed a bond based on mutual respect. "I think he really has embraced the idea that Vinny is a special player and yet he needs Vinny to be even more," said Feaster. "He needs to get Vinny to go to another level. I think he's tried to find ways to accentuate the positive aspects of his game while also trying to demonstrate to him that if [he does] the things [he's asked] to do, he's going to have even more success."

In terms of approach and style, Taylor said Tortorella reminds him of coach Pat Burns, when Taylor played for Burns in Boston for two seasons (1997-99). "There's not a whole lot of difference," said Taylor. "When Pat Burns was there, he challenged Jason Allison. It's the same thing as what Tortorella was doing with Lecavalier, trying to make him a better player. Our coach is a younger coach and he was kind of going at it [with Lecavalier] at the start, although he really wasn't. He was challenging him to be a better player, and I think he has that personality that a lot of great coaches do, and that's to challenge the players and make the players better."

Just like his team, which has improved in each of his three seasons, Tortorella is a work in progress. The former Salem State and University of Maine standout, who is a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL coach of the year, also has a softer side, but Feaster said he does all he can to hide it.

"He can be barking at people one minute and a little kid comes in or a child with cancer comes in and he melts," said GM. "He's a totally different guy. He's a great family man. He's very tense with the hockey, but his family still comes first with him."

The banter between coaches during this series has helped raise Tortorella's profile in the hockey world. Even Philadelphia GM Bob Clarke jumped into the fray, referring to him as "The Great Tortellini," a sarcastic homage to Robert Duvall's portrayal as "The Great Santini."

However, when all is said and done, it won't be the hyperbole that matters. Taylor said he's seen his coach learn right along with everyone in the Tampa Bay dressing room, and they're all coming together at the right time.

"I think he has more of an understanding that players are really trying their best out there," said Taylor. "Sometimes, they might not make the play and he gets upset, but he understands. He gets a little hyped up at times and he asks you to calm him down. He likes when you can come back and try to calm him down and give him some advice, too. He's a great listener. If you want to go talk to him, if you aren't playing, he doesn't ignore you. He'll tell you what you need to do to get back in the lineup. That's what I admire most about him, he's very honest with his players."