The experimenting continues.
For Saturday night’s game at the Carolina Hurricanes, Flyers coach Rick Tocchet made some personnel moves as many anticipated.
Into the lineup went forwards Jett Luchanko and Nikita Grebenkin. Out came Rodrigo Abols and Nic Deslauriers.
Also, after starting Dan Vladar in goal for opening night at Florida, Tocchet went to Sam Ersson to play in game number two.
The Flyers lost at Florida on Thursday but even a win might not have changed Tocchet’s thinking against the Hurricanes. The Panthers have a rather large, physical lineup and the coach didn’t want Luchanko and Grebenkin to be tested this early in the season.
To start the game, Luchanko centered a line with Grebenkin on left wing and Garnet Hathaway on right.
At the morning skate, Tocchet was asked what he was looking for from Grebenkin.
“From the hash marks down, in the Florida game, there were a lot of opportunities to make plays,” Tocchet said. “The middle was open. I think a guy like Grebenkin can help us with net front. We’re playing another man-on-man team (defensively). So can you beat your check and get to the net? If you can beat your guy to the net, you’re going to get your opportunities. I think he (Grebenkin) is an inside player.”
Tocchet said Grebenkin (acquired in last year’s Scott Laughton trade) is a “coachable kid.” There’s still a language barrier to work on with the young Russian but things seem to be coming along in that department.
Luchanko has made the Flyers’ roster as a teenager for a second straight season. He’s beginning a nine-game trial to see if he can stick in the NHL. Last season he lasted four games – all consecutive — before being sent back to junior.
This time around it looks like Tocchet is going to spot-start Luchanko, depending on the opponent and circumstances.
According to Tocchet, the one thing Luchanko needs to do is keep a steady speed to his game and not slow down when he crosses the blue line.
“When he gets over the blue line, he needs to continue to use that speed,” Tocchet said. “Whether it’s attacking inside for a shot or if it’s a deep delay. I think once he gets over the blue line he stops skating. I think that’s youth. His speed through the neutral zone is great but keep it going everywhere else. I think he has to continue that aggressive style in the offensive zone.”
Although this line might be perceived as the Flyers’ fourth, Tocchet indicated he doesn’t want a drastic dropoff in ice time between his top two lines and his bottom two.
“For me personally, I think this is a team that ‘is it a four-line team?’. . .I don’t think we have the personnel for a 22-minute line. I think we have a lot of good players that need to get on the ice. With a balance, we can play a harder game. We have to get some other guys some ice time, too. I think we have to play a more balanced lineup.”
>Work in progress
Even though Matvei Michkov led the Flyers in goals (26) last season and, for that matter, all rookies in the NHL, there still might be some work to be done in his overall game.
“I think you have to let him be who he is,” Tocchet said. “But there are parts of his game that he has to improve on. I think sometimes he likes to slow the game down a bit, take the puck back. I’d like to see him play a little more north-(south) style.
“You look at the great players in the league, it’s a north-south (movement). I have to let him be creative and do all that stuff but he also knows that he has to push the pace north-south. You know, he’s been great to work with. He comes to the office, wants to watch video, which I like. He wants to be coached, which is really good.”
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