John Tortorella letting Blue Jackets play

EDMONTON -- A revised version of John Tortorella is hitting all the right notes with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
More patience has been the centerpiece of the coach's updated approach.

But a kinder, gentler Tortorella?
He said that might be an overreach.
"Don't think I've just changed completely here," Tortorella said before the Blue Jackets defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 on Tuesday. "I wouldn't say that at all. How can I answer that? My job is to push athletes and try to get them to a level they don't think they can get to. That's not going to change.
"I think the adjustment I have made with this team here and this year from last year, let's say, is that with some of the skill that has come in and the way the game has gone, I think you need to allow them to play."

Tortorella said he's trying to be more patient when mistakes occur, and that he's trying to dial back what he sometimes deems to be an information overload on players.
"[Players] get on the ice and they can't think straight because there's so much information," said Tortorella, who has the Blue Jackets at 18-5-4, the best start in franchise history. "I think that's one of the biggest adjustments all coaches are making now, including me, is to let them play. Give them a foundation but let them play and get out of their way.
"But if it's the same mistake and it is constant and if it's something you can control through laziness and just not the will to play, that's part of my job to lean on them that way. It's ever-changing. We're just trying to go about our business."
The Blue Jackets hired Tortorella on Oct. 21, 2015. He replaced Todd Richards, who was fired after starting the season 0-7-0. The Blue Jackets missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs, unable to recover from the start, and with 76 points (34-40-8) finished eighth in the Metropolitan Division and 15th in the Eastern Conference.

"I think after last year … listen, I'm honest, I'm not the easiest guy to figure out right away," Tortorella said. "And I think that was a little bit of adjustment period with the team last year. And for me to them too. I didn't even know their names when I got in there last year. We're still in that area of trying to figure one another out, but we're much more comfortable.
"I've made adjustments in my coaching to the youth of this team. We've tried to, as I say, 'turn away' from mistakes and allow them to play because I think we need to play a different game, especially with some of the skill that's been brought in to our team."
Tortorella said he recognized a need to adjust and change.
"Absolutely. I readily admit that I make my bed in a lot of different situations where I've made some huge mistakes in stunting the growth of a player because of not being patient at certain times," he said. "I'm constantly re-evaluating myself in trying to handle that.
"You go through a number of these situations and just as players [do], you learn. I'm constantly learning as a coach. I have a couple of coaches that I'm learning from daily. I was graced to have the World Cup [of Hockey] coaches, some youth there on a coaching staff that I learned a ton from. I'm trying to bring that into my philosophy also.
"I still am who I am. I'm not going to change that. But I also understand and learn from some youthful guys that bring a whole different demeanor and thoughts into coaching."
Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno endorsed Tortorella's new approach
"I think he's done a great job of practicing what he's preached," said Foligno, who has 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 25 games. "It's not easy, I'm sure, but he's allowed us to play the game and have that free-flowing mentality when we're doing things the right way. He understands there are mistakes that will happen, but that if he jumps on them every time, that's when you're not going to see your team do the things you want them to do.

"I think he understands that and we've appreciated it. It's been a two-fold kind of relationship; as much as we've screwed up, we've understood we're going to get back out there and make sure we do the job the right way next time.
"I think it's been really good for the young guys and the old guys, given us some confidence."
Blue Jackets general managaer Jarmo Kekalainen said he had a hunch in the offseason that Tortorella was going to get it right.
"We got a fresh start after what we went through last year," Kekalainen said. "We all thought we were much better than what we showed, but an 0-7 start is pretty hard to battle back from even though we went .500 the rest of the way.
"That part was decent but not good enough and we ended up 27th [in the NHL standings]. Internally we thought we were not the 27th-best team in the League. But it has to be shown on the ice. We've had a good start but we still want to do our talking on the ice and prove ourselves every night."
Kekalainen said Tortorella deserves credit for the work he's done this season.
"He and his staff have done an excellent job preparing the team to play this way," Kekalainen said. "A lot of different areas have improved. We play fast, the way the coaching staff and John have wanted us to play. We're coming out of our end fast. Our transition has been fast. Our forechecking has been fast."
Kekalainen said the bottom line is that Tortorella is a quality NHL coach.
"Some people love him, some people not as much," he said. "Anybody you talk to, they wouldn't say he's not a good coach. He gets into hot water now and then and it's part of his personality and his passion for the game.
"Generally, people over the years who have worked with him all say the same things, that he is a good coach."