Even though the Flyers’ next generation of standouts performed above expectations last season, that doesn’t mean they don’t still have stuff to learn.
That was evident when the schedule got underway on Wednesday night.
For example: In Wednesday night’s let’s-forget-it-happened game against Pittsburgh, Porter Martone bungled a line change in the first period which led to a Penguin goal.
Coach Rick Tocchet decided to bench the 19-year-old for the rest of the period.
Yes, he was trying to teach Martone a bit of a lesson. But he was also making it clear to the rest of the young players – and veterans, too – that sloppy work won’t be tolerated.
Things improved in Thursday night’s game at New Jersey but the fact that the Devils were able to bombard goaltender Joseph Boll with 44 shots still had to be cause for concern.
It’s reasonable to assume Tocchet saw these types of mistakes coming. He watched his team struggle in the preseason, albeit with plenty of lineup changes throughout the four-game (1-3) slate.
Maybe that’s why he accepted some of the excuse-making, like a shorter training camp and injuries to starting goaltender Dan Vladar and forward Denver Barkey.
The players kept saying there really weren’t enough September practices to get everyone in sync but guess what? All 32 teams had the same restricted amount of time to get ready for the season. So it’s a level playing field.
The good news is these struggles are taking place right at the start of the season and not in March or April, when the playoff races get hot and heavy. Tocchet and his staff can go back to the drawing board and make sure everyone is on the same page.
Eventually the nerves will settle down and play will pick up.
“Guys are squeezing it (their sticks), too,” Tocchet said at “The Rock” after the Devils game. “And it’s only our second game. I don’t know why we’re squeezing it.
“We gotta relax and if there is a play to be made, make it.”
The Flyers were off on Friday and that gave the coaching staff a bit more time to review some video about what needs correcting. Like a misplay which cost the Flyers the Devils’ winning goal in overtime.
“Mismanaging the puck,” Tocchet said. “And making plays is something we’re really going to have to hone in on here as a staff.”
Better now than six months from here when all the chips are on the table.
>Sad story
Andrei Kuzmenko, who was barely in Philadelphia long enough to get his suitcase unpacked in 2025, was back in the news this week when it was learned his father, Alexander, had died from an attack by a bear while on a fishing trip in Siberia.
Andrei, 30, decided to take a leave of absence from the Penguins.
The elder Kuzmenko was a highly regarded hockey coach in Russia.
Andrei, acquired from Calgary in a trade which involved ex-Flyers Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost, played only seven games in Philadelphia before he was moved to Los Angeles.
Flyers general manager Daniel Briere made the Calgary deal, in part, because he wanted to avoid paying the full amount of Farabee’s contract, which was set to run at $5 million through 2028.
>Power play woes
One thing the Flyers have really worked on in practice is the power play. They’ve been trying different combinations of players and a variety of setups.
Still, no goals through the first three games and it has to be frustrating. The Flyers have been at, or near the bottom of, power-play stats for the past five years.
This is an area which has to improve. Not only does not scoring with the man advantage hurt on the scoreboard, it damages the vibe on the bench. Some of the Flyers’ big sharpshooters need to step up.
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