By now they’ve become more than just some early season numbers.
The Flyers’ often heavily criticized – and justifiably so – power play has exceeded the expectations of even the most starry-eyed follower so far this season.
You know the ugly ranks in the past: 32, 32, 32, 30.
That’s where the Philadelphia PP finished over the last four seasons.
But now, 13 games into the current campaign, the numbers jump off the stats page: 14th in the NHL on the power play at 20.9 percent heading into Thursday night’s game at Nashville.
The Flyers have six power-play goals in their last six games, including a pair in Tuesday night’s come-from-behind win over the Canadiens.
After Wednesday afternoon’s practice at the Bell Centre in Montreal, coach Rick Tocchet took his somewhat usual matter-of-fact approach to this important aspect of the game.
“With power plays, during the year, you’re going to have ebbs and flows,” the coach said in a videotaped interview. “My big thing just from my history of coaching is you can’t be frustrated by it. Sometimes you have to (take) what a team gives you.”
Safe to say the Flyers are making the most of their opportunities. In the 5-4 shootout win on Tuesday night, the Flyers were awarded a two-man advantage for 1:32. They scored on the first one, then scored on the second and as it turned out, that was kind of the difference in the game.
“If a team is going to give you an up-top shot, take it,” Tocchet said. “If they’re playing high on our flankers, the puck is going to go low. Everyone knows it. . .we attack the net.
“Power plays don’t always have to be sexy. That (Bobby) Brink goal (on the power play) was not a lucky goal. That was by design by Trevor (Zegras) knowing we had two at the net. Is it bad luck sometimes when the puck bounces here or there? Yeah. Just take what they give you. I was really proud of that group doing that because we asked them to do it and they executed it.”
Travis Konecny sees a lot of playing time on the power play and can sense a difference this year.
“It’s great,” he said. “Guys look good, getting used to the spots and getting confidence. So it’s a lot of fun.”
Konecny liked the way his team bounced back after weekend losses to Toronto and Calgary.
“I thought we did a lot of good things,” Konecny said. “I think it’s good we stayed with it and finished it off. Good points, we needed them.”
>Michkov sophomore slump?
Last year’s team goal leader (26), Matvei Michkov, has registered only one goal/6 points so far. Tocchet was asked if there’s anything the young Russian can do to improve his numbers.
“Just keep preparing yourself everyday,” said Tocchet, who’s been shuffling Michkov around to different lines as he looks for a good fit. “Practice, watch video and playing it in games; that’s how you get out of slumps.”
Michkov did have an injury which hampered his offseason training but he’s healthy now and trying to recapture some of last year’s magic.
But a lot of young players (he’s only 20) go through this and so in some ways it’s not unexpected. They don’t call it the sophomore slump for nothing.
“I do believe he’s skating better,” Tocchet said. “It seems like he’s playing faster. That’s going to help. But you can’t get frustrated. Keep on managing the puck and keep working everyday.”
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