When it comes to fixing his offensive struggles this season, Tyson Foerster doesn’t have to look far for examples of how to find the solution.
Just last year, his rookie season with the Flyers, it took him 17 games to turn on his first NHL goal light but yet he managed to complete the season with 20 pucks in the net.
A lot of folks thought that because of last year’s powerful finish, this season might pick up where last year’s left off.
Nope.
He’s off to another tough year, this time with just two goals in his first 15 games (he was a healthy scratch for one).
Foerster has played well in stretches but there are times when he’s looked a little detached.
Coach John Tortorella said he did see some improvement in Foerster’s game during Monday night’s 4-3 shootout win over San Jose. Maybe Foerster is about to break out the way he did last year.
First, however, Foerster has to rediscover some of the intensity he displayed last year over those last 65 games.
“The last game against San Jose, I think it was one of his better games as far as being hard on the puck, winning battles,” Tortorella noted at Wednesday’s practice at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, N.J. “That’s what kept Tyson in the lineup last year and got himself going.
“It hasn’t been that way this year. It’s been a little bit of a different season for him. I felt better about his game after watching the San Jose game. He had some chances. I think he’s seeing more chances offensively.”
Foerster has been playing on different lines. If he can manage to find a steady set of linemates, maybe some chemistry will develop.
“I don’t know where it goes,” Tortorella said. “I know he knows, we’ve had conversations about his game. It’s not like last year. There has to be more to it or somewhere along the line you have to make decisions.
“I’m holding out he can find a way to score one. Try to get some confidence offensively. He was one of our best players along the boards last year, just hasn’t been this year.”
>Sanheim showing more leadership
While Travis Sanheim probably isn’t the loudest guy in the Flyers’ locker room in terms of leadership, he seems to get his point across when the time calls for it.
“The thing that’s impressive to me with ‘Sanny’ is I think he’s playing better on the ice but I think he’s made tremendous improvements in just the leadership that he brings,” Tortorella said. “He’s never going to be a guy to do a lot of talking, he’s just not built that way.
“But as I’ve said to him, any time he wants to step up in the locker room and say something, tell the coaches to step out and let him say something. Whatever he wants to do, he has the right to do that.”
Sanheim has remained a fixture on the first defense pairing and stepped up his game even more when Cam York went down with an injury.
“The way he’s carried himself and improved all facets on and off the ice, he’s turned into that (leader) for us,” the coach said. “I think there’s more there and more importantly, I think he thinks there’s more there.”
>Richard a revelation
Center Anthony Richard has been a pleasant surprise since he was called up from the Phantoms. He’s come up with a couple key offensive plays as the Flyers try to recover from their early slow start.
“He can skate, make some plays,” Tortorella said. “Brings in little small offensive things for us. I don’t think he’s had a ton of chances but he’s been involved in some of the chances.
“I think he’s a guy you can call up and bring some offense. That’s hard to do sometimes with callups. Usually callups are guys who make offensive plays down there, they’re just not able to take the next step here.”
>Luchanko stands out for Guelph
Jett Luchanko, the Flyers’ first-round pick (14th overall) in this year’s draft, made the opening night roster and stuck around for a couple weeks before he was sent back to his junior team, Guelph.
He didn’t get off to a real fast start there but finally found his groove the other night against defending OHL champ London.
In an 8-7 loss to the Knights, Luchanko produced four assists, including three of the primary variety. That doubled his season point production from four to eight points. He notched his first two goals in recent games against Brantford and Erie.
