VOORHEES, N.J. – Unless the Flyers start finding ways to manufacture some goals, that last place spot in the Metropolitan Division will remain a rather familiar location.
Heading into Carolina for the first of a three-game swing through the U.S. southeast, the Flyers in their 12 games have scored just 31 goals, only three more than the New York Islanders’ last-place 28 in the Eastern Conference.
Players such as Morgan Frost (no goals), Ryan Poehling (none), Owen Tippett (one), Tyson Foerster (two) and Joel Farabee (two) need to get it going if the Flyers plan on getting back into contention before the holiday season commences.
Do the Flyers need to crash the net a bit more, get big bodies such as Foerster and Tippett to crowd the lower slot?
“I think we have improved defensively,” coach John Tortorella said after Monday’s practice at the Flyers Training Center. “Because we’re getting a lot of practice at it in the games. For Tyson and ‘Tipp’ to get their game going, they have to be strong on the puck.”
The trip through Carolina, Tampa and Florida, which commences Tuesday night, could be telling. All three teams are considered to be strong contenders this season.
The coach would like to get more out of Foerster, Tippett and most of the other forwards.
“I always look at it as if they’re not scoring goals – which we so dearly need – I look at why? I look at what’s going on at the back of their game,” Tortorella said. “The hardness of it, of playing in those areas and winning battles, is not there.”
Veteran center Sean Couturier suggested there’s a little bit too much one-on-one stuff going on rather than using linemates as a way of getting deeper in the zone and closer to the net for higher quality shots.
Tortorella indicated there’s more to that situation than meets the initial view.
“When you end up one-on-one, you lack support,” the coach said. “We talked about that the other night. I don’t think we’re close enough to the puck. Sustaining the forecheck. In the offensive zone, we’re too spread out. I don’t think we (our defensemen) are pinching in enough. We’re just a little much back on our heels. We have to be more aggressive.”
>Ersson on trip
Regular starting goaltender Samuel Ersson, who suffered a lower-body injury early in Saturday’s Boston game, did not practice on Monday. However, he was on the plane to North Carolina for Tuesday night’s game.
Tortorella said he wasn’t sure of Ersson’s playing status for any of the three games on the road trip but the injury does not sound too serious. If Ersson is unable to play at Carolina, Aleksei Kolosov and Ivan Fedotov will dress for that game.
>Andrae impressive in fill-in role
Tortorella is giving substitute defenseman Emil Andrae passing marks so far in his fill-in role for the injured Cam York. He’s playing well enough to keep Egor Zamula on the bench for the time being.
Andrae came up from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last week and had an assist on a goal in Thursday night’s 2-1 win over St. Louis.
“I think he’s struggled a little, just with the size of people,” said the coach, mindful of Andrae’s 5-foot-9, 190-pound frame. “He’s not a big guy himself. But the part of the game I like is his transition game.
“I like what he’s done on the second power-play unit, too. I love what he’s doing with the puck. He tends to be a little inconsistent and not on his toes as far as defending. He’s a willing kid. But he has to get better anticipation skills for him to get to pucks in the defensive zone.”
