NEWARK, N.J. – Things are going so well for Tyson Foerster this season, nothing seems to stand in his way.
First there was the elbow injury suffered in the World Championships which became infected and threatened his ability to start the Flyers’ season.
That problem had a happy ending but there have been more recent hurdles. He blocked a shot with his foot and that cost him a few games. And coach Rick Tocchet also decided to break up the highly successful Foerster-Noah Cates-Bobby Brink line.
Foerster, however, hasn’t missed a beat. He scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season in Friday’s 4-3 shootout win at the New York Islanders.
At this rate, he could improve on last year’s 25-goal performance, which came after a slow start, and finish somewhere in the mid-30s.
What’s the difference with the quicker getaway this time around?
“Getting the bounces I think,” he said before Saturday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center. “I feel good. I just want to stay consistent throughout the whole year. That’s the plan.”
Tocchet mentioned Foerster is doing a better job of getting to the scoring areas. When he does, Cates seems to get the puck onto his stick. Or possibly even the new guy on his line, Travis Konecny.
“I feel like I can read off ‘Catesy’ and ‘TK’,” Foerster said. “TK likes to go high and I like to go high. Catesy is usually in the corner battling and getting the pucks up to us. If I see TK go high, I usually go to the net. Hopefully bang one in that way.”
Tocchet didn’t hesitate to put Foerster on the penalty kill this season. This duty could make him a more well-rounded player.
“Maybe for the confidence and stuff,” Foerster said. “But you still have to read off you linemates and my linemates have done a great job.”
As for Foerster’s quick start, Tocchet listed a couple things.
“His release of the shot is really elite,” Tocchet said. “He’s been banged up this year, didn’t get to practice much. When he gets that puck in the slot, his release is elite. He’s a hockey player. Scrappy. Even on that goal (at the Island), the Islanders had it but he knocked it off the guy and scored. Big goal for us.”
The coach likes Foerster’s versatility.
“He’s a guy that we really rely on,” Tocchet said. “He wants that responsibility.”
Tocchet even uses video of Foerster’s play to set an example.
“He gets to the holes quick,” Tocchet said. “I’m a triangle guy and he probably gets to that triangle fast. Because there’s not a lot of room sometimes. He gets the shot off but he also seems to arrive there on time for that pass. He’s one of those guys that gets what we’re trying to do.”
>Playing with the lead
The Flyers held an initial lead for more than half the game against the Islanders and then gave up the three-goal edge in less than 15 minutes.
Is this something the team has to work on, protecting leads?
“Yeah, I think for us it’s game management,” Tocchet said. “Don’t put yourself in situations where your stick isn’t down. I’m not blaming the refs but usually any kind of calls that go against you are when you’re up like three-nothing.
“There were a couple times when we have the puck, skate with it. Make a play. Sometimes, I think, you kind of wait because I don’t know if you’re playing safe. We’re trying to put our finger on it. We have to correct it. But I give these guys a lot of credit. They aren’t giving up. I’ll take a team that does that any day of the week.”
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