[ad_1]
The Philadelphia Flyers have improved over the final two weeks as they’ve misplaced only one recreation since their West Coast journey. Granted, three of their wins have come towards a few of the worst golf equipment this season in the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, and Arizona Coyotes however they’ve proven indicators of progress below head coach John Tortorella. Two of their victories had been towards stable golf equipment, the Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals, which is encouraging since they’ve been able to beating good groups. They have improved their goal-scoring per recreation throughout the final couple of weeks, too, after struggling mightily earlier this season in that class.
Latest News & Highlights
Travis Konecny has excelled main the Flyers in factors this season together with 9 objectives and 5 assists throughout their final eight video games. The Flyers’ uptick in goal-scoring has generated extra offensive manufacturing, and it is going to be attention-grabbing to observe who else emerges as a constant goalscorer going ahead. They have additionally continued to have robust goaltending led by Carter Hart. Players corresponding to Konecny, Hart, and Owen Tippett are having good seasons to date and may proceed their robust play this 12 months. Veterans corresponding to Kevin Hayes and James van Riemsdyk are anticipated to contribute as properly. Let’s take a take a look at 4 younger gamers who’ve the potential for a large second half of the season.
Joel Farabee
Joel Farabee managed to make it again for opening evening again in October after present process disc alternative surgical procedure in his cervical area final offseason. He is certainly one of 5 Flyers to play in each common season contest to date in 2022-23. He is aiming to proceed progressing below Tortorella after present process some ups and downs throughout the first 41 video games. He is at present benefitting offensively from their current success with no less than one level in 5 of the six contests they’ve performed to date in January.
Assuming he performs the majority of the season’s second half, Farabee is prone to set a new profession excessive in factors throughout his fourth 12 months in the NHL. Despite the franchise’s struggles throughout the final two years, he confirmed the potential of being certainly one of their high playmakers. After a promising 20-goal season throughout the shortened 56-game schedule in 2020-21, he agreed to a six-year, $30 million extension which can preserve him below contract via 2027-28.
Previously in December, Farabee underwent an offensive drought which drew criticism from Tortorella, “He had some good shifts the last game. I think he has been very inconsistent. I’m not going to let him hide behind his injury, I think it’s plenty of time to get through that. I just think he has been inconsistent.” If he can keep away from falling into offensive slumps for a substantial interval, he can emerge as one other of the Flyers’ premier gamers in whole factors.
Wade Allison
Since debuting with the Flyers two seasons in the past, Wade Allison has proven potential to be a good complementary participant for the membership. Unfortunately, he has been tormented by accidents over the course of his younger profession. He handled a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) whereas taking part in school hockey at Western Michigan earlier than being sidelined with two ankle illnesses and a sprain to his medial collateral ligament (MCL) over the course of his NHL profession. He performed in solely 28 contests for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL) and solely appeared in one NHL recreation final season attributable to accidents.
It was truthful to query what Allison’s future held attributable to the frequency with which he missed time attributable to accidents. He made an impression on Tortorella throughout coaching camp for the coach to maintain him with the franchise heading into the season earlier than sustaining one more damage. He suffered an indirect pressure and hip pointer throughout a Nov. 12 contest versus the Ottawa Senators and remained out of the lineup till the Dec. 20 recreation towards the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Related: Flyers’ Wade Allison Continues Big Strides into NHL
He has contributed three objectives throughout the Flyers’ six video games performed to date throughout January and is benefitting from their improved offensive play. Allison is a participant who not solely can contribute offensively however commonly demonstrates physicality and performs properly away from the puck. Tortorella seems for constant effort from his gamers when they don’t have possession and the 25-year-old has proven that he can succeed in his system.
Allison must keep away from one other damage this season that may trigger him to overlook important time so he can proceed his development in the NHL. If he does that, he might be a ahead price awaiting the Flyers throughout the the rest of 2022-23.
Sam Ersson
Sam Ersson made an impression on the Flyers throughout the preseason whereas Hart missed time with an damage. Tortorella thought he deserved a chance for extra taking part in time as soon as he rejoined the membership in December. Felix Sandstrom was unavailable attributable to an sickness and the 23-year-old netminder acquired a likelihood to play after Hart sustained a concussion throughout the Dec. 23 contest versus the Carolina Hurricanes.
With Hart unavailable, Ersson began in objective on the West Coast journey and he improved steadily in every of the three street video games. His most up-to-date begin was on Jan. 9, a 4-0 shutout of the Buffalo Sabres, certainly one of the league’s greatest goal-scoring golf equipment. The Flyers’ enchancment on offense over the final month has given extra objective assist for his or her goaltenders however the Falun, Sweden native has proven his capabilities albeit his small pattern dimension taking part in in the NHL.
Ersson’s potential with the large membership hinges on if he stays on the roster for the majority of video games remaining throughout the common season. He has made it harder for the Flyers to ship him again all the way down to the Phantoms together with his robust play. He is waiver-exempt not like Sandstrom, whom they danger dropping to a different NHL franchise if the group decides to position him on waivers sooner or later to maintain the 23-year-old as their backup. However, if he continues to play properly in the begins he receives, they could be extra comfy with him as their number-two goalie.
Cam York
Cam York offered hope at the Flyers’ defensive place via the 30 video games he performed for them final season. After Tortorella mentioned he deliberate throughout the preseason to play the kids, the younger defenseman didn’t make the opening evening roster, which was stunning. The veteran head coach thought he may benefit from beginning the 12 months with the Phantoms to work on his recreation.
York impressed in his 20 video games with the Phantoms as he led all of their defensemen with 10 assists. He acquired one other likelihood with the Flyers as he made his season debut again on Dec. 9 versus the Vegas Golden Knights. Tortorella has observed the 22-year-old’s enchancment as he has earned his spot taking part in on their high defensive pairing just lately with Ivan Provorov. The head coach selected the pairing beforehand earlier than the Dec. 29 recreation versus the Sharks and believed the Anaheim, California native may assist his new defensive accomplice enhance upon his personal recreation.
Tortorella talked about beforehand that he wanted York to rove, “I want him to be a rover. He has shown us that he is willing to defend. I think he’s done some good things around the net; he’s closed people out in corners, and has worked on the hard part of playing defense.” The head coach made the right name at the time to ship him to the Phantoms, and he has rewarded the Flyers together with his stable play since rejoining the staff again in December. He is in good standing with the veteran coach and has a ceiling to be a top-two defenseman for a number of years with the franchise if he realizes his full potential.
The Flyers have discovered themselves taking part in in addition to any membership over the final two weeks, a refreshing and much-needed change of tempo for them. They have struggled mightily the previous couple of seasons together with throughout most of the first half of this 12 months. While they’ve overwhelmed dangerous groups, they’ve received towards some good groups together with a residence and residential towards a veteran Capitals squad. They look to be turning a nook as a corporation with every recreation they win throughout this stretch. They haven’t performed this properly since earlier than the 2019-20 season was placed on maintain attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic. The roster is comparatively younger with the alternative to develop additional in the event that they preserve higher offensive manufacturing than they did throughout November and December.
Matt contributes content material about the Philadelphia Flyers for The Hockey Writers. Matt has coated the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, and the Pittsburgh Penguins throughout his time writing for THW. For interview and podcast requests, observe Matt on Twitter which seems at the finish of his articles.
[ad_2]
Source link
