Tocchet still has faith in his all-rookie line for crucial Game 3

No room for error.
The Flyers know they have to win Thursday night’s Game 3 against Carolina to have any realistic chance of eventually coming out on top in the best-of-seven series, which they trail, 0-2.
Successful comebacks from that deficit come along about once every 20 years so it’s obvious the odds are stacked against them.
For awhile in Game 2 on Monday night, it looked like Philadelphia might have the possibility of tying the series at 1-1. The Flyers took an early 2-0 lead and were still leading 2-1 well into the third period.
Then things began to unravel. The Hurricanes scored a tying goal in regulation time and then won it in overtime, 3-2.
Although the stakes will be high in Game 3, coach Rick Tocchet doesn’t plan any lineup changes and that includes his all-rookie line of Denver Barkey centering Alex Bump and Porter Martone.
That line ended up with minus-2s across the board but during a media Zoom call on Tuesday, Tocchet gave the impression he’s going to stick with this trio for now even though it was on the ice for the late tying goal by Seth Jarvis and the overtime winner by Taylor Hall.
“I think from the first game to the second game you saw improvement,” Tocchet said after choosing not to have his team practice on Tuesday (with two days until Thursday’s game). “You play at this kind of pace, you play at this kind of high stakes, it’s really huge for the development of the guys.
“Just imagine if we didn’t make the playoffs and these guys never got the experience. I mean this is just huge. Going into Game 3 I think you will see more improvement. I think the team improved from the first game to the second and I think the young guys were in that boat.”
Even with the minus-2 from Game 2, Martone is still a plus-2 for all nine games of the postseason so he is definitely not a liability.
“I’m really excited for those guys to play in this kind of atmosphere,” Tocchet said.
The Flyers only had one lengthy (five-game) losing streak, which came in January, during the regular season. Tocchet has said on numerous occasions how pleased he is that the team seems to bounce back well after a loss.
And the young players are certainly part of that.
“I’m really encouraged by it throughout the year,” Tocchet said. “Even when we called up those guys. They’ve taken the information after a game that didn’t go well for whatever reason and then applied it.
“That’s maturity. I think this team has grown in those kind of aspects. Other than January I think it’s been a pretty consistent team and it’s no different in the playoffs, bouncing back after a tough game. When you have a chunk of young players on your team, these guys are mature.”
There’s nothing worse than being on the defending team when the overtime winner is scored. Bump, Barkey and Martone looked more than a bit frustrated as they skated off the ice after the Hall goal.
“I know the kids were upset last game,” Tocchet said. “A couple guys were upset because they were on the ice for the two (goals). They can’t be upset because you know what, they’re going to get another shot at it, they’re going to go right back on the ice, they’ve got a lot of support from the organization. That’s going to help their development also.”

>Couturier’s role

Captain Sean Couturier has readily accepted his new role as the center for the fourth line after spending most of his career on one of the top three units.
He scored a big goal in Game 2 and has really been one of the Flyers’ better players in this series, dishing out some hits and grinding his way to the netfront.
Are there any plans to move him back to one of the top three lines or is he too valuable with his role on a checking squad?
“I’ve put him on the power play, he’s getting more ice time,” Tocchet pointed out. “Throw him with different lines every once in awhile. He’s in a groove. I don’t know if I really want to screw with him.
“He’s been terrific for us. What really impresses me is there was a lull there in the game and he actually drilled a guy. I thought that was awesome. Even the young guys got a little juice. He’s done that all playoffs when there’s been a little lull in our game. He’s done something, whether it’s a defensive block or a hit. Just terrific in that role.”