The new motto for the Flyers and their rebuilding program this year is “brick by brick” and that’s kind of how they took the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers to the limit in their season opener on Thursday night.
Florida had its hands full against new coach Rick Tocchet’s team at Amerant Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
Ultimately, the Panthers pulled out a closely contested 2-1 victory over the Flyers.
The Flyers played a tight defensive game and, following Tocchet’s instructions, kept the Panthers’ sharpshooters, for the most part, out to the perimeter.
Florida needed a long, wide-angle shot by Brad Marchand at 2:19 of the third period to break a 1-1 tie.
Tocchet took many by surprise by starting Dan Vladar in goal and that move paid off. Vladar was sharp throughout the match.
“There were pockets of good stuff,” Tocchet said in a televised postgame interview. “It was a good measuring stick. The one thing I respect about Florida, they believe in what they do. They’re a great forechecking team. We have to make sure we believe in what we’re doing.
“Pucks turned over, things like that, we have to clean up. But the effort was there. Can’t really get too upset.
A goal by Noah Cates with 2:12 left in the second period pulled the Flyers even at 1-1.
Following a faceoff win, Tyson Foerster fired a short shot which Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky couldn’t quite handle. Cates, rushing the net, flipped the puck over the sprawled goaltender.
Tocchet was impressed with Cates, clearly the Flyers’ top player in the game. Also, Cates’ line is playing well.
“They’re invested,” Tocchet said. “Cates is invested in what we’re doing. He’s around the puck. He was really good tonight. They (the line) are connected.”
Cates has been playing well right from the start of training camp.
“At the end of the day, if you can get to the net. . .try to beat their center,” Cates said in a second intermission televised interview. “That’s what we tried to do and how we executed.”
Florida took the initial lead on a power-play goal by Anton Lundell. With time winding down, Lundell wound up with the puck at the right hash marks and beat Vladar far side at 5:29.
Cates liked the way the Flyers competed over the first 40 minutes.
“Great time for us,” Cates said of the Panthers. “It’s a team that’s proven that they’ve won. They play a hard style. It’s a style we’re trying to emulate. They’re a measuring stick across the league and to get started against them was great.”
Vladar had to be at his best in a busy first period. He was able to turn aside all 13 Florida shots on net.
>Couturier talks strategy
During a first intermission televised interview, Couturier talked about the difference between the styles of Tocchet and former coach John Tortorella.
“I think the last couple years we’ve been a real aggressive hockey team,” the captain said. “We’ve been trying to create a lot of turnovers and risky ones at times. I think we’re going to be a little more calculated right now. We’re still trying to get on the same page and learn the systems. It’s a building process and so far guys are learning and catching on.”
It’s Couturier’s 14th NHL season. Only two Flyers (Bob Clarke, Claude Giroux) have at least that many.
Any butterflies still floating around on opening night?
“Still get excited every year to get going,” Couturier said. “Had some butterflies before the game. But once we got that first shift going, it was back to business and it felt good.”
>First night positions
Since they were facing a rather physically imposing Florida lineup, the Flyers chose to not dress rookies Jett Luchanko and Nikita Grebenkin.
Tocchet used Couturier to center a top line of Matvei Michkov and Christian Dvorak. Trevor Zegras played the middle for Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett. The Cates-Foerster-Bobby Brink line returned from last season. And Rodrigo Abols centered Garnet Hathaway and Nic Deslauriers.
On defense, Nick Seeler filled in for the injured Cam York (lower-body, did not make the trip) and played on the top pairing with Travis Sanheim. The second pairing found Jamie Drysdale with Adam Ginning and on the third tandem, it was Egor Zamula with Noah Juulson.
>Short shots
The Flyers return to action on Saturday night when they visit the Carolina Panthers . . . Tocchet entered the game with a career coaching mark of 286-265-87 (.516 winning percentage.
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