Insider calls out John Tortorella for his criticism of the Zegras/Milano lacrosse goal

Former NHL head coach John Tortorella is not exactly a man who's known for holding his tongue, so when he sees something he doesn't like, you're probably going to hear about it.

Earlier this week, during the Anaheim Ducks/Buffalo Sabres game, rookie Trevor Zegras and teammate Sonny Milano connected for one of the most sensational plays in NHL history, with Zegras faking "The Michigan" and flipping the puck over the back of the net to Milano, who batted the puck out of the air and into the net.

On Friday, during a segment of the NHL on ESPN, Tortorella was critical of the play, saying that if it was attempted 20 years ago, Zegras and Milano would have had their heads taken off.

"It's cool. It's cool to watch, and all that, but I'm not so sure it's good for the game, and I stand by that," said Torts.

It certainly didn't take long for someone to take issue with Tortorella trying to gatekeep what should and shouldn't be a part of the game.

Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli called out Tortorella on Twitter shortly after the unpopular segment, almost in disbelief of what Torts had to say on the subject.

"is this real? Not sure which part is more cringeworthy, @JohnTortorella2. Could you *imagine* feeling the need to "talk" to a player after a goal like that like he's in trouble? Or how about saying "our game" like it's exclusive and there's no room for Trevor Zegras in it?"

Tortorella is one of those coaches who has failed to evolve with the game. That's not to say that Torts is a bad coach, but he certainly doesn't have his finger on the pulse of what is good for the game.

Gone are the days of hack and slash hockey. The sport is not nearly as rough as it used to be. It has become much more of a skill game, where players rely on hockey IQ, speed and creativity to win games.

If Tortorella really believes that the Zegras/Milano play is bad for the sport, then it's probably a good thing that he isn't behind the bench any longer. Stifling your star players' creativity is definitely not a good thing if you're trying to win games in the modern NHL.

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