On Sept. 30, the Philadelphia Flyers fell to the New Jersey Devils, 3-2 in overtime following a tremendous third period effort to tie the game up late. Both the Flyers and Devils had many of their key players on the ice, so it was a small preview of what the regular season could hold.
Despite the loss, there were a lot of things that the Flyers should be happy about that came from this contest. Here are some of the notable developments in the match.
Flyers Encouraged to Take Chances
General manager (GM) Danny Briere was interviewed during the first intermission, and he had some good things to say about the play from some of his individual players. What was really notable about his thoughts was that he admitted that this is a “work in progress”, but he is ultimately encouraging his players to take chances. He isn’t necessarily worried about mistakes, but rather, executing on opportunities.
In this game, the Flyers had several bad turnovers and made the Devils’ job offensively rather easy. Forward Bobby Brink was guilty of a very egregious turnover on the power play that led to a 2-on-0 breakaway, while defenseman Emil Andrae took an aggressive shot on an earlier power play chance, leading to a 2-on-1 break and the opening goal for New Jersey.
Both of these happened in the first period, and Briere clarified that he was actively telling young players to take risks. Even though bad mistakes may be tough to watch, it at least shows that players are trying. Creating chances, regardless of whether it comes with risk or not, makes the team a more exciting product.
Noah Cates Impresses Again
After a very solid first preseason game against the New York Islanders a few nights before this game, Noah Cates was arguably the Flyers’ best player on the ice. In this one, he picked up right where he left off, generating numerous offensive chances for his teammates.
Cates wasn’t really much of a threat to shoot the puck, but his line was consistently dominating play. That was the case in his last matchup, too. His forechecking was very admirable, as he was winning nearly every puck battle he was in. When he did have the puck, he had several nifty passes to set up scoring chances.
After scoring just 38 points last season, Cates is a player that could use some offensive progression. The defense and competitiveness are there, but if he can continue to be a good player in the offensive end, he could be trouble for other teams to deal with. So far, the 24-year-old has been nearly flawless.
Flyers Have Several Offensive Depth Options
As opposed to previous years, the Flyers’ offensive depth is one of their biggest strengths. There was an idea that this would be the case during the summer, but this is something that has been developing over the course of training camp and during the preseason. There are numerous players for Philadelphia that are battling for a roster spot but will likely fall short. This is a good problem to have.
The goals scored in this game for Philadelphia were by forwards Wade Allison and Rhett Gardner. The former has a much better chance to make the team, as he appeared in 60 games last season, but having two solid options that can slot in if injuries occur is a positive.
Another forward who was impressive was Tanner Laczynski. He has had a few stints with the Flyers in the past, but it was ultimately a failed experiment. Now, he seems to be at his highest level. In addition, Olle Lycksell had a few nice shifts and began generating offensively. Brink was in the same boat, but he was more explosive as a skater. Samu Tuomaala was skating well, taking smart shots, and contributing offensively overall. The Flyers have not had this kind of depth in a very long time.
It won’t be an easy job for any of these players to win a roster spot, but at one point or another, each could slot in somewhere. Since the Flyers are a rebuilding team, trades could free up space. With the depth they have, trading some veterans wouldn’t exactly be the worst decision.
Andrae Has a Case to Make Flyers’ Roster
Emil Andrae easily had his best game of the preseason in this one. Not only was he making good plays offensively, but he was actually very good in his own end, too. With a particularly vulnerable Flyers’ blue line, these are the performances he needs in order to capitalize and make the team.
Head coach John Tortorella has held the philosophy that there will be some slots open for the defense, even if the Flyers signed a player like Marc Staal who could be a good teacher for the team. Andrae has certainly made the case that he should be one of the finalists for that spot.
Related: Flyers’ Emil Andrae is Ready for the NHL
Right now, the only thing going against Andrae is the performance of Egor Zamula, who is a left-handed defenseman who was also fantastic in his last preseason game. As of now, those two seem to be performing at the highest level of any Flyers’ prospect. There is a world where both of them could make the opening day roster. Tortorella has always preached about earning a chance, and both of them have to this point.
Carter Hart Stands Up to Big Test
The Flyers’ defense and several turnovers did no favors for Carter Hart in goal. This was no ordinary 19-save performance from him. It has become a theme in the last few years, but he was much better than his .864 save percentage (SV%) suggests.
Hart still being good should surprise no one. What was a bit surprising was that he showed signs of rust at all, playing at his typical level in this game. If Philadelphia was a bit better defensively, his numbers wouldn’t be as bad as they look. He’s been a trooper in taking the fault for some tough times. Hopefully, his teammates can back him up and make his job just a little bit easier.
The Flyers will return back to their home ice on Monday, where they take on the Boston Bruins in a rematch. Thus far, the Flyers have an overall record of 1-2-1 this preseason, with two games still left to go. Since their 6-0 loss to New Jersey in their opener, they have been much, much better.