PHILADELPHIA – Bobby Brink is no longer just finding his way in the NHL.
He’s making it.
Brink was a big part of the Flyers’ 3-1 win over the New York Rangers on Friday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center. It was the Blueshirts’ fifth straight loss and evoked a lot of cheers from hometown fans when the final horn sounded.
“I thought it was one of Bobby Brink’s better games,” coach John Tortorella said. “Away from the puck, with the puck. Created a lot of jump.”
Brink’s overall game has improved this season. He’s getting more involved from a physical standpoint, even though he only checks in at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds.
“He’s checking better,” Tortorella said. “I think he’s more aware of his play away from the puck. The puck follows him offensively. I’m not worried about his offense. It’s is he going to allow me to play him in certain situations.’
“He’s going to instill that confidence in me with his play away from the puck.”
Brink, a former NCAA Division I scoring champion, knows his way around the net at any level. The 23-year-old looks more sure of himself even now in the NHL.
The line of Cates, Brink and Tyson Foerster enjoyed success at both ends of the rink.
“We’ve played together for the last couple games,” Brink said. “We know what we’re going to get from each other every night. I believe we’re going to forecheck hard, limit mistakes. I think that’s led to success the last couple games for us.”
It’s taken a year or so for Brink to reach this point but now he’s letting his skating speed do a lot of the talking. For a Flyers team in a big rebuild, it’s a key weapon to have.
“I’m just trying to work hard,” he confirmed. “If I start making mistakes, I start losing confidence. Stuff was going right for me today. It was a good game as a line.”
Foerster was exceptional on Brink’s goal. He outraced defenseman Adam Fox to a loose puck in the neutral zone, then spotted Brink heading fast to the net. Goalie Igor Shesterkin never had a chance.
“He makes a great defensive play,” Brink confirmed. “It was a great pass, great play.”
Cates seems to have built some chemistry with Brink.
“From the get-go, I think, we were on our toes,” he said. “And dictating the game. That’s kind of how we always want to play. Play a full 60 (minutes), play the way we want to play, aggressive. We chip the puck, get on their ‘D’ and suffocate them. Make them give it right back to us.
“It’s just his (Brink’s) skill set. As a younger guy, sometimes he gets down on himself. When he’s confident and making those plays, cutting to the middle, he’s such an effective player. We need him with that confidence all the time.”
>Over the .500 mark
For the first time since the season opener at Vancouver, the Flyers are over the .500 mark.
How much has this meant to the team’s overall good vibe?
“That’s a great feeling,” Cates said. “Today was a day game and we kind of struggled in those last year. We got through a tough stretch in November and to come out of that, getting our record over .500 is huge for us.”
