VOORHEES, N.J. – Keeping the same lines together game after game can be important for developing chemistry from an offensive standpoint.
But it can also have its benefits when it comes to defense as well.
Knowing where your forward linemates are going to be on the backcheck can be vital. There’s not a lot of time to think out there. Decisions have to be made on a split-second timetable.
The Flyers’ top line of Sean Couturier-Travis Konecny-Joel Farabee might be a good example.
Couturier and Konecny know each other’s moves from way back when. Each knows where the other plans to be almost by instinct.
Which is why it’s a bit curious that the Couturier line has struggled a bit in recent games.
After Monday’s practice at the Flyers Training Center, coach John Tortorella explained why the team needs to concentrate on this important aspect of the game, namely “rush defense.”
Entering Wednesday night’s game at Detroit, the Flyers are 2-3-1 in their past six games and been outscored, 23-20. For the season, they’re minus-13 (93 goals for, 106 against).
Some of those numbers are rooted in defensive play by the forwards. Although they appear to have cut down on the number of odd-man rushes and breakaways this season, there are still times when the forwards aren’t quite in sync.
“It’s something we work on all the time,” Tortorella said. “It’s hard to simulate it in practice on the ice so we do a lot of tape as far as certain teams in rush coverage – there are so many looks that come your way, (you) handle things differently. But it’s something that we show quite a bit.”
Whether that message is getting through on a consistent basis remains to be seen.
“I think the communication, the talking through that is very important,” the coach said. “Because things happen so quickly and differently each time it comes at you. The talk has to be there.”
The fact that Couturier and Konecny haven’t been on the same page all the time is a little unsettling. Not just with the puck but without it.
“There’s work to be done with all our guys,” Tortorella said. “It (play away from the puck) is one of the things we coach the most. That’s a way of getting it back quicker within coverage.
“If you handle your rush coverage the correct way, that’s where your transition comes into play. It’s something we’re always coaching. No one’s immune from just letting them go because there are so many looks that come our way.”
What about Couturier and Konecny? What seems to be the trouble?
“I think they’ve been awful defensively,” said Tortorella, going with one of his trademark evaluations. “Not so much on the rush, I think they make me dizzy, they spend so much time in our end zone. They need to stop in our end zone.
“How you arrive on that rush coverage is key to coverage. Key to getting it back. If you’re sprinting all over the place, no one knows where you’re going to be. That’s where they’ve really struggled because they don’t want to stop, they keep on spinning.”
Tortorella is confident the players will work that out on their own.
“They’re smart enough people and good enough players that they’ll rectify that,” he said.
For the record, Couturier is currently a minus-10 and Farabee a minus-13. Plus-minus stats are subjective but the players with the best “plus” numbers seem to be on the strongest contending teams which play good defense.
“ ‘Coots’ and I have played together for so long, I can read off him when I’m coming back into the (defensive) zone,” said Konecny, who’s a plus-4. “We look at each other and we know immediately to go to the other side.”
It’s a sophisticated defensive scheme which players need to adhere to if they’re going to achieve success.
“Coots has all these switchoffs where somebody goes low and he replaces us high,” Konecny said. “It’s just like anything, penalty kill, a power play. . .when you’ve been together for a long time, it can only help you.”
Couturier became the captain of this team partly because he has a good defensive mind for the game. He won the Frank J. Selke Trophy for NHL’s best defensive forward in 2020.
“We (he and Konecny) have been together the past couple years in different situations,” Couturier said. “Chemistry is not only important offensively but defensively. Be in the right position, trust your guys, so you don’t have to duplicate jobs.
“We’re playing some good defense. We’re tight. Guys are getting on the same page. Trusting each other. We’re getting more chemistry.”
But it can also have its benefits when it comes to defense as well.
Knowing where your forward linemates are going to be on the backcheck can be vital. There’s not a lot of time to think out there. Decisions have to be made on a split-second timetable.
The Flyers’ top line of Sean Couturier-Travis Konecny-Joel Farabee might be a good example.
Couturier and Konecny know each other’s moves from way back when. Each knows where the other plans to be almost by instinct.
Which is why it’s a bit curious that the Couturier line has struggled a bit in recent games.
After Monday’s practice at the Flyers Training Center, coach John Tortorella explained why the team needs to concentrate on this important aspect of the game, namely “rush defense.”
Entering Wednesday night’s game at Detroit, the Flyers are 2-3-1 in their past six games and been outscored, 23-20. For the season, they’re minus-13 (93 goals for, 106 against).
Some of those numbers are rooted in defensive play by the forwards. Although they appear to have cut down on the number of odd-man rushes and breakaways this season, there are still times when the forwards aren’t quite in sync.
“It’s something we work on all the time,” Tortorella said. “It’s hard to simulate it in practice on the ice so we do a lot of tape as far as certain teams in rush coverage – there are so many looks that come your way, (you) handle things differently. But it’s something that we show quite a bit.”
Whether that message is getting through on a consistent basis remains to be seen.
“I think the communication, the talking through that is very important,” the coach said. “Because things happen so quickly and differently each time it comes at you. The talk has to be there.”
The fact that Couturier and Konecny haven’t been on the same page all the time is a little unsettling. Not just with the puck but without it.
“There’s work to be done with all our guys,” Tortorella said. “It (play away from the puck) is one of the things we coach the most. That’s a way of getting it back quicker within coverage.
“If you handle your rush coverage the correct way, that’s where your transition comes into play. It’s something we’re always coaching. No one’s immune from just letting them go because there are so many looks that come our way.”
What about Couturier and Konecny? What seems to be the trouble?
“I think they’ve been awful defensively,” said Tortorella, going with one of his trademark evaluations. “Not so much on the rush, I think they make me dizzy, they spend so much time in our end zone. They need to stop in our end zone.
“How you arrive on that rush coverage is key to coverage. Key to getting it back. If you’re sprinting all over the place, no one knows where you’re going to be. That’s where they’ve really struggled because they don’t want to stop, they keep on spinning.”
Tortorella is confident the players will work that out on their own.
“They’re smart enough people and good enough players that they’ll rectify that,” he said.
For the record, Couturier is currently a minus-10 and Farabee a minus-13. Plus-minus stats are subjective but the players with the best “plus” numbers seem to be on the strongest contending teams which play good defense.
“ ‘Coots’ and I have played together for so long, I can read off him when I’m coming back into the (defensive) zone,” said Konecny, who’s a plus-4. “We look at each other and we know immediately to go to the other side.”
It’s a sophisticated defensive scheme which players need to adhere to if they’re going to achieve success.
“Coots has all these switchoffs where somebody goes low and he replaces us high,” Konecny said. “It’s just like anything, penalty kill, a power play. . .when you’ve been together for a long time, it can only help you.”
Couturier became the captain of this team partly because he has a good defensive mind for the game. He won the Frank J. Selke Trophy for NHL’s best defensive forward in 2020.
“We (he and Konecny) have been together the past couple years in different situations,” Couturier said. “Chemistry is not only important offensively but defensively. Be in the right position, trust your guys, so you don’t have to duplicate jobs.
“We’re playing some good defense. We’re tight. Guys are getting on the same page. Trusting each other. We’re getting more chemistry.”
