97.5 The Fanatic Flyers Roundup: Charities Carnival, Tortorella Suspension

The playoff race has tightened. The Philadelphia Flyers have hit another skid, as opponents outscored them 15-5 this week. They are clinging to a four-point lead for the final Metropolitan Division playoff spot with 15 games left on the schedule. They’ll head north to face the dynamic Boston Bruins before the annual Flyers Charities Carnival on Sunday.

The bottom fell out against the Lightning on March 9. The Flyers went down 4-0 in the first period, and John Tortorella took an early exit down the tunnel. Wes McCauley ejected the veteran coach, who briefly refused to leave the bench in a bizarre standoff.

The NHL fined Tortorella $50K for “unprofessional conduct directed at officials” and suspended him two games. The maximum amount players can be fined under the current CBA is $5K. 

Tortorella’s fire is no secret. Watch any postgame press conference following a loss. He’s paid 13 fines over parts of 23 seasons as an NHL head coach.

However, the venom doesn’t come without its advantages. His leadership has steered the direction of the organization’s rebuild, and he’s demonstarted impactful insight at plenty of points during his two seasons in Philadelphia. Some NHL officials have even learned to appreciate Tortorella for his sincerity.

Dan Hilferty said before the suspension that he’d pay Tortorella’s fine. The players also echoed the sentiment of solidarity and appreciation for their head coach going to bat for them at ice level. 

Brad Shaw and Rocky Thompson held down the fort for two games.

The Maple Leafs outclassed the Flyers with superior offensive firepower in the 6-2 laugher. It was the first of a seven-game stretch all against the other five teams occupying division playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, and it came just five days after the nightmare in Tampa Bay. Can the Flyers show resilience and rebound?

Meanwhile, the New York Islanders have emerged past three Metropolitan teams sinking in the standings to become the biggest threat to Philadelphia’s playoff chances.  

Injuries have crushed a patchwork blue line. Rasmus Ristolainen, Nick Seeler, and Jamie Drysdale remain out of lineup while Sean Walker sports a new uniform. Tortorella now faces the challenge of upholding the battered unit using replacements like Ronnie Attard, Marc Staal, and Erik Johnson.

The Flyers now face their biggest adversity of the season. The hurricane of the schedule doesn’t bother Rocky Thompson, however. He spoke about how the Flyers can beat a great team or lose to a bad team because of their style. Will they be a hit or a miss in the upcoming stretch?

97.5 The Fanatic will broadcast from the Flyers Charities Carnival at the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday, March 17. Kevin Cooney and Ray Dunne will go live from the East Food Hall from 12pm-3pm. John Tortorella, Dan Hilferty, Keith Jones, and other guests will join throughout the show.

The carnival offers fans the opportunity to enjoy meet and greets and photos with current and former players, carnival games and rides, and the notorious dunk tank. 

The Flyers Charities Carnival focuses on the three pillars that define the organization's charity mission:

The Flyers will in all likelihood enter their next six games as considerable underdogs. Can they travel to Boston and get the "simple, disgusting road win" that Scott Laughton called for after the loss to Toronto?

The Flyers Charities Carnival took place at the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday.

Fans of the Orange and Black had an opportunity to interact with the players and enjoy games, prizes, and everyone’s favorite mascot to benefit the great causes that the organization supports.

Connor Thomas and Tom Alvord broadcasted live from the arena on 97.5 The Fanatic from 11am-3pm. They hosted special guests all afternoon, including interim general manager Danny Brière and head coach John Tortorella.

Long-time Flyers broadcasters Tim Saunders and Jim Jackson also joined the broadcast to talk about the state of the team and optimism for the future after a tough season in 2022-23.

Tortorella discussed his passion for animal welfare with the “Hockey & Hounds” initiative through the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and The Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA).

The Flyers Charities Carnival focused on the three pillars that define their charity mission: