"Throw your goalie under the bus" "Gotta love this": NHL fans divided by John Tortorella's reaction to Felix Sandstorm question

Following the Philadelphia Flyers' disappointing 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Sunday, coach John Tortorella's reaction to a question about goaltender Felix Sandstorm's performance sparked debate among NHL fans.

Tortorella didn't say anything when asked about Sandstrom's performance, but appeared to gesture in frustration. He later said, through the team's vice president of hockey communications Joe Siville, about Sandstrom:

"(He was) trying his ass off."

Sandstrom himself expressed dissatisfaction with his performance:

"I need to be able to step up and keep us in it."

Sandstrom stopped 11 of 14 shots on goal in this third start of the season.

The loss snapped the Flyers' three-game point streak, leaving them with a 2-3-1 record in a grueling six-game stretch against top teams. Despite the setback, the Flyers still hold a playoff spot with 10 games remaining, closely pursued by the Washington Capitals in the division race.

John Tortorella's handling of the entire situation has come under scrutiny, with some fans concerned about its impact on the goaltender's confidence. One tweeted:

"Yea throw your goalie under the bus to the media. That's genius"

Here's a look at the top reactions on X:

Other fans were happy with John Tortorella's response:

Some fans insisted on singling out the goalie, believing that with a better one, the Flyers could have won the game easily:

With the playoffs approaching, the Flyers face the challenge of regaining momentum:

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John Tortorella's Flyers fall short as Reinhart's milestone goal secures Panthers win

Sam Reinhart opened the scoring for the Panthers at 10:34 into the first period, driving home a shot from the slot on the right side. In the early stages of the second period, Vladimir Tarasenko capitalized on a power-play opportunity, assisted by Reinhart, to extend the Panthers' lead.

At 4:43 into the third period, Carter Verhaeghe widened the gap with a shot from the left side. It deflected off the top of Sandstrom's glove and found the back of the net.

At 12:54 of the third period, Bobby Brink scored for the Flyers on the power play, making it 3-1. With Sandstrom pulled for an extra attacker, Ryan Poehling delivered a pass through the crease to Brink at the left post, who converted the opportunity.

Reinhart sealed the victory for the Panthers by netting his 50th goal of the season into an empty net at 18:48 of the third period.

Reinhart became only the second Panthers player to achieve the 50-goal feat, joining Pavel Bure, who scored 58 and 59 goals in 1999-2000 and 2000-01 respectively.