John Tortorella might have bitten off more than he can chew Saturday night.
Or, to put it another way: The Columbus Blue Jackets head coach might have written a check that his ass can’t cash.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
In case you missed it, moments after losing Game 5 at TD Garden, Tortorella guaranteed his team would beat the Boston Bruins in Game 6 to force a Game 7 in their second-round Stanley Cup playoffs series. The Blue Jackets, trailing 3-2 in the series, will host Boston on Monday night at Nationwide Arena.
Watch the Massachusetts native issue his guarantee in the video below:
"We'll be back here for Game 7." -John Tortorella pic.twitter.com/xTbC0gkOzM
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) May 5, 2019
So, about the rear-end being incapable of supplying sufficient funds.
Tortorella made a similar guarantee last year with the Jackets facing elimination in the first round against the Washington Capitals. Same scenario: Tortorella lost Game 5, was prickly in the postgame and promised his team would win Game 6 on home ice to force a Game 7 on the road.
Take a look:
You know where this is going.
The Jackets eventually lost 6-3 in Game 6 to become the first victim in Washington’s run to a Stanley Cup championship, and Tortorella was forced to digest an incalculable amount of crow.
CBJ Coach John Tortorella after Gm 5 loss 2019 to Bruins:
“We’ll be back here for Game 7.”
CBJ Coach John Tortorella after Gm 5 loss 2018 to Capitals:
“We’ll be back here for Game 7.”
Capitals won Game Six 6-3.#StanleyCup #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/nHE6TTGBMy
— Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) May 5, 2019
Listen, we’re not going to knock Tortorella for having confidence in his team. And we’re certainly not going to complain about a head coach being entertaining as hell in a time when professional athletes and coaches are more boring than leftover pot roast.
That said, putting added pressure on a team looking to erase two decades of ineptitude feels a tad unnecessary.
