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John Tortorella Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella said that his team “showed some balls” in their Game 3 win over the Colorado Avalanche.

The Golden Knights entered the Western Conference Finals against the Avs as the underdog, but they have taken a commanding 3-0 lead in the series and are on the verge of not only pulling off a major upset but sweeping the Presidents’ Trophy winners, something that no one saw coming before this series started.

John Tortorella Praises Golden Knights Players

Speaking to reporters following Game 3, Tortorella praised his players for their effort in the game as they came back from a 0-3 deficit in the first period to win the game 5-3.

“This is a game where we showed some balls. I want them to feel it for a little bit as far as what they just did against a really good hockey club, but then we get back to work tomorrow,” Tortorella said.

“Conference final, I’m not sure if they’ve been in one like this, they’ve been in a few of them, but yeah, two good teams going at it, and I’m proud of our club.”

Will John Tortorella Return to Vegas Next Season?

The Golden Knights made a shocking move when they fired former Stanley Cup-winning head coach Bruce Cassidy with just eight games to go in the regular season and replaced him with Tortorella. Given that Cassidy led the Knights to the cup just three years ago, it was extremely surprising when the team fired him just ahead of the playoffs.

But it appears the Knights’ willingness to make a bold move is paying off big time, as Tortorella has the team on the verge of making it back to the Stanley Cup Finals.

For Tortorella, this is a big opportunity for him to get a contract extension from Vegas and prove he’s the best coach for this team long-term. After all, he’s just the interim coach right now, as his contract with Vegas was only for the rest of the year and the playoffs. But after guiding the Knights this far in the postseason, they need to seriously think about keeping him behind their bench going forward.

As one of the NHL’s longest-tenured and most-traveled coaches, Tortorella has been there and done that, and he’s seen it all, including winning the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. But for whatever reason, he’s bounced around the league since then, coaching for six teams overall and not sticking around anywhere for the long haul.

Given that he’s shown to be a strong fit for this Vegas club, the team needs to seriously think about retaining him for next season, regardless of what happens the rest of the playoffs. If Vegas does not sign Tortorella to a contract extension, then every other NHL team that has an open coaching vacancy will need to consider bringing him in after the incredible job he’s done during his time behind the Knights’ bench in the regular season and now in the postseason.