Tocchet isn’t Tortorella-lite, but perhaps for Flyers, he’s Tortorella without all the parts they didn’t want

PHILADELPHIA -- In the lead-up to and immediate aftermath of the Philadelphia Flyers' hiring of Rick Tocchet to be the club's 25th head coach, a simplistic and somewhat derisive narrative emerged from certain corners of the hockey ecosystem: that in Tocchet, the Flyers were functionally hiring John Tortorella-lite.
It's an understandable leap to make. Tortorella, of course, still casts a shadow over the Flyers as Tocchet's immediate predecessor. And the two do share similarities: they're both unapologetically old-school hockey lifers who stress the importance of grit and defensive play. They're also both, in their own ways, a bit on the intimidating side.
But that's not what was presented on...