Glendening at center gives Flyers’ fourth line flexibility

It’s not too often a hastily assembled fourth line turns out to be a team’s most effective one at both ends of the rink in a crucial stretch.
Leading up to Saturday night’s game at Detroit, that might have been the case for the Flyers.
Coach Rick Tocchet recently put together a unit of Luke Glendening at center, with Sean Couturier on the left side and Garnet Hathaway on the right.
That line has been effective in all situations that it’s been placed.
Glendening is a righty shot (Couturier is a lefty) and you can’t have too much of that sort of platoon at center. Especially when you’re trying to win faceoffs on both sides of the ice surface, plus the offensive and defensive zones.
“Yeah, it really has added a lot to our team,” Tocchet said after the morning skate in Detroit. “I think since I put that line together, they’re an identity line for us, but it’s also on the PK having that right hand shot gives ‘Coots,’ (more) you know. . . Coots all year’s done a nice job. It’s hard to play both dots all the time so it is a luxury.”
The Red Wings are one of the teams the Flyers are chasing in the standings and the teams play each other three times in these closing weeks of the seasons. So each meeting is extra important.
Detroit played Friday night at Buffalo so the Flyers, who were off, had the rest advantage.
“They did get the win but they’re in a back-to-back,” Tocchet acknowledged. “It’s one of those games where you try to take advantage of the situation. I don’t know how much of an advantage that is anymore but if there is one, we have to take advantage of it.”
One of the reasons the Flyers picked up Glendening off waivers was because he once played for coach Jon Cooper down in Tampa. Tocchet has a lot of respect for Cooper’s talent assessment.
“ ‘Coop’ always loved him,” Tocchet said. “He’s a leader and, yeah, I was focused on getting him because he’s a right-hand veteran guy, a penalty kill guy, blocks shots. He’s a systems guy and you love to have those in the room. And he was here in Detroit for seven years, too. That was kind of the reason for (GM) Danny (Briere) grabbing him.”

>Barkey at his best

Rookie Denver Barkey and Owen Tippett have been playing together of late and Tippett likes what he sees of the youngster.
“He uses his feet really well, plays the game at a high level,” Tippett said. “And you know, he doesn’t shy away from anything. He gets in battles and gets pucks back. And he plays with a lot of pace, which is good. He keeps things moving and you know, he’s fun to play with.”

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