VOORHEES, N.J. – With just eight wins in 20 games at the Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers look like a team which needs some new motivation.
Maybe the return of former first-round draft pick Cutter Gauthier will turn the trick.
Gauthier, the Flyers’ former No. 1 draft pick who pretty much talked his way out of Philadelphia, and the Anaheim Ducks arrive in Philadelphia on Saturday night.
The two teams played out in California a couple weeks ago (a 3-1 Flyers win), so the players have already had a chance to renew old acquaintances.
But the Wells Fargo Center faithful? That’s a different story.
There should be plenty of boos raining down from the stands and not all of them will be generated by the Flyers’ last-place position in the Metropolitan Division standings.
Perhaps it will be a way for the fans to release some frustration. Even though the Flyers did pretty well by getting defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in this year’s draft from the Gauthier trade, the team’s loyal following can’t be too pleased with Gauthier’s decision to spurn the Flyers.
Sean Couturier, the team’s captain, indicated the Flyers can use the crowd noise aimed at Gauthier to elevate their game.
“Yeah, there might be a little more emotion in the building,” Couturier said. “I hope we take that to our advantage, play better, play the right way, be hard on them, not give them anything from the start. Trying to play with the lead would help.”
Indeed. The Flyers are just 5-15 when an opponent scores first.
The team didn’t really concern itself with any reasons why Gauthier, taken fifth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, wanted out of the City of Brotherly Love.
“I think we just moved past it,” Couturier said. “This is a first-class organization. They’ll do anything for us, get you anything you want. It’s a passionate fan base. This is the kind of market you want to play in. I feel fortunate to be here and I don’t take anything for granted.
“He might have had his reasons. I’m not too worried about it. It’s kind of behind me.”
Cam York expressed similar thoughts.
“Hopefully they’ll cheer for us this game,” said York with a bit of a wry grin. “We know it’s going to be lively. It’s going to be a great environment, something the guys are ready for.”
Gauthier has five goals/18 points with a minus-1.
Like Couturier, York said he’s moved past this controversy for the most part.
“We got Jamie and we’re really happy that he’s here,” York said. “He’s a great player. I don’t think anybody looked into it. We’re moving on and moving on with the guys who want to be here.”
York was asked if a louder crowd could change the Flyers’ fortunes on their home ice.
“It’s going to be great energy,” he responded. “We play better when the crowd is into it. I don’t think the past few games at home have been great environments so it (Saturday) is something we’re looking forward to. We’re excited.”
Coach John Tortorella really doesn’t concern himself with these sorts of things. He’s more worried about what’s happening on the ice.
“I’m not in that conversation,” he said. “I don’t even think about that. Players may think differently. Nothing will be brought up in a meeting about that situation. Quite honestly, it has nothing to do with the game, nothing to do with the result.”
>Three-goalie drill
At one point in Friday’s practice, the Flyers lined up three goal nets spaced about 20 feet apart in a line and ran a drill with all three goaltenders (Samuel Ersson, Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov) involved.
Tortorella has been juggling goalies all season long so this exercise seemed to make perfect sense.
Getting all his netminders playing time has been challenging to say the least.
“It’s not a struggle, it’s different,” Tortorella said. “You’re not usually carrying three goalies as long as we have. As it turned out, we needed it (due to injuries).”
For the moment, Ersson is still ranked No. 1 and the two Russians seem to be rated about even for the backup post.
>Lycksell to play Saturday.
Olle Lycksell, who’s been back and forth from the Phantoms, will play on Saturday, according to Tortorella. The coach wouldn’t disclose who is coming out of the lineup.
Lycksell seems to be getting more comfortable with each call-up.
“I think camaraderie is a really big thing for athletes,” Tortorella said. “Just feeling comfortable getting dressed next to a guy, feeling part of a locker room. I think that’s all part of preparation to be the best you can be.
“There’s nervousness. These athletes have pockets full of money, a huge ego and all that but they’re nervous. They care. They want to perform, perform for their teammates. All that comes into play. Having lunch together, I think that just calms them down and allows them to play better.”
