PHILADELPHIA – It’s no secret the Flyers need to show some improvement on defense if they have designs on making the playoffs this season.
Last season they surrendered 261 goals, which ranked only fifth in the Metropolitan Division and resulted in a plus-minus number of minus-26.
Of course, defense is a five-man responsibility but a lot of the focus is on a team’s backliners. These six players can make or break a game without even touching the score sheet.
Associate coach Brad Shaw, who oversees the Flyers’ defense, had a chance to discuss the state of the blue line crew during Saturday morning’s skate at the Flyers Training Center.
One of the first subjects was the play of Jamie Drysdale.
Drysdale played with a sports hernia injury last season and he’s hoping offseason surgery will cure the problem.
Drysdale wants to be a hundred percent healthy because he likes to do almost everything at full speed.
Actually, Shaw has advised Drysdale to slow it down a bit at times and give himself a moment to make smart plays.
“He’s moving better and knows he’s moving better,” Shaw said. “He looks like he’s having more fun on the ice. A lot of his options open up and he feels like a more complete player. It’s fun to see him have that much energy.
“He wants to try to do everything as fast as he can. It’s great. There’s a lot of the game where the faster the better. But there are times when you’re in the exact perfect position and you shouldn’t move at all.”
Putting the brakes on Drysdale, who came over from Anaheim in the Cutter Gauthier trade last season, might not be easy unless he sees the advantages.
“Learning to slow down basically, learning to recognize when that full speed gear isn’t necessary, it only takes you out of good ice,” Shaw said. “He’s aware of it. I said to him he looks like he wants to do everything as fast as he can. He started laughing.
“We watched some clips on (former Chicago Blackhawk All-Star defenseman) Duncan Keith. A guy with incredibly good feet. He won his share of puck battles, his ‘gap’ was exemplary. Jamie’s a more offensive guy for me but there are some lessons there. I said to Jamie some of his (Keith’s) best plays were when he was just standing still.”
That caught Drysdale’s attention.
“That comes with experience and building that data base of seeing what works and what doesn’t work,” Shaw said. “He (Drysdale) is a great young man to work with and it will be fun.”
>Praise for Luchanko
One of the top storylines of this camp has been the play of 18-year-old center Jett Luchanko, who continues to impress the coaching staff, including Shaw.
“There’s upside in almost every element of his game,” Shaw said. “He’s an exciting guy, at his age, for what he’s done here the last couple weeks. And he’s opened a lot of people’s eyes. He’s proven he’s going to be a formidable player at both ends of the rink for as long as he plays.
“He’s going to be a great penalty killer because he can skate. His instincts are off the charts. He’s only going to get stronger, he’s only going to get smarter. That combination, that’s a pretty enticing thing to think of two or three years down the road.”
>Camp competition intensifies
The Flyers have moved past the halfway point of their training camp and as the number of players dwindles and competition intensifies, the energy level seems to go up.
“As the roster gets cut down, the guys here get pretty tight (close),” Joel Farabee said. “I think a lot of young guys are pushing for spots here. I think it’s great, there’s a competitive nature going on.
“Just try to get the kinks out and get ready for the season to start (Oct. 11). Time to stop the summer hockey style and start the stops and starts.”
