PHILADELPHIA – When your hockey team is pulling up the rear in the Metropolitan Division, no lineup change should be off the table.
So it really didn’t come as a surprise when the Flyers made a few eye-opening moves to their starting unit against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Both players were listed as healthy scratches.
In their place, forward Nick Deslauriers was slated to see his first action of the season and wing/center Noah Cates was back in the lineup after playing only one game in the first five.
There had been speculation that Scott Laughton might miss the game after getting banged up in Saturday night’s loss to Vancouver and not participating in Monday’s practice. But Laughton wound up dressing for this game.
Also, defenseman Nick Seeler returned to play after missing the first five games due to a nerve injury in his leg.
The Flyers were hoping to get a little more energy from the additions of Deslauriers and Cates. The Flyers began the night with a 1-3-1 record, last in the Metro.
>Poehling’s assessment
After a tough trip out west, the Flyers looked off their game in the defeat by Vancouver. They were hoping Sunday’s day of rest plus a good practice on Monday might help turn things around against Washington.
“Just acclimated with things back here is a big thing for us,” Ryan Poehling said. “Piggybacking off last year, the last game (against the Capitals), we’re kind of similar styles in the same position, I think.
“I always enjoy playing Washington. It’s definitely a big game for us.”
>Fedotov needs turnaround
With the Flyers back-to-back vs. the Caps, it’s likely goaltender Ivan Fedotov will be the starter in Wednesday’s game two at Washington. Tortorella started Samuel Ersson on Tuesday night and seldom plays a goalie for consecutive games.
Fedotov appeared to struggle in a 6-3 loss at Calgary in the second game of the recent road trip. The Flyers did not exactly play a textbook game in front of him either.
What needs improvement in the Russian netminder’s game?
“I don’t know,” Tortorella said. “We’re going to have to see. Whether it’s him, I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m going to do with him. I’m just worried about the first game.”
>Power play good so far
Before the start of the season, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said his team would be pretty much satisfied if it could improve the power play from last year’s last-place finish, (32nd and a percentage of 12.2), up to 22nd this season.
Well, so far it looks like the Flyers are off to a pretty good start.
In their first five games, the Flyers scored five power-play goals, good for 12th in the NHL with a percentage of 22.7 percent.
Along the same lines, the Flyers are killing penalties even better than last season. Prior to Tuesday night’s game, the Flyers were stopping power plays at 85.7 percent.
