NEW YORK – If there happened to be any doubts about Flyers coach Rick Tocchet’s faith in rookie Cam Knuble’s level of play, they were removed on Thursday night.
Tocchet decided to put Knuble at center for the first time in a Philadelphia uniform.
Knuble had played in the middle quite a bit when he competed for Notre Dame and briefly with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Why Knuble in the middle now? And why put him with two highly offensive players in Porter Martone and Owen Tippett?
“Just the speed,” Tocchet said at the morning skate at Madison Square Garden. “I just wanted to try it. I think we were talking to (general manager) Danny (Briere) when he first got called up. (He said) ‘Hey, he can play center.’+”
Tocchet tried Knuble in the middle in the second half of the Minnesota game and liked what he saw.
“I knew he played a little bit of center (in college),” Tocchet said. “I thought he really added speed to it.”
>Zegras thriving at wing
Trevor Zegras has moved back and forth from center to wing over the past year-plus. He’s been piling up the points lately at wing. Would there come a point he might go back to the pivot?
“Well, I think his play the last two weeks has improved,” Tocchet said. “He’s getting a lot of points. It’s the chicken or the egg. Would I like to put him at center eventually? Yeah. But I think he’s feeling comfortable (at wing) a lot more.
“For him it’s less defensive responsibility. When he gets in trouble, he has to play defensively. So we’ll see. But I definitely want Cole to go over there.”
>Drysdale proactive
Defenseman Jamie Drysdale has been creating more offense lately and that’s a positive for Tocchet.
“I think his recent success, he’s delivering pucks to the net,” the coach said. “That shot-pass to Tyson (Foerster, in the Minnesota game), for the goal, that was a heads-up play. He’s not trying to score there, just going for that second play. That was a very intelligent play by Jamie.”
When he’s paired up with Travis Sanheim, Drysdale’s play looks like he’s more confident.
“When he doesn’t defer, just goes,” Tocchet said. “He was great last year at that. I think right now he’s saying ‘I’m playing my game. This is what I’m going to do and everyone can adjust to me.’ I like that attitude.”
>Ristolainen getting closer
Rasmus Ristolainen, still not quite ready to play after aggravating a previous injury, did take part in the morning skate and Tocchet said he’s getting closer to a return.
“That (skating) is a step in the right direction,” Tocchet said. “He didn’t go full bore but he’s getting a little more each day.”
>Praise for Barkey
Denver Barkey scored his first goal of the season recently and the coaching staff has noticed an uptick in his play.
“He’s a dog-on-the-bone type of player,” Tocchet pointed out. “That’s when he’s at his best. Let him go and chase down pucks. He’s really good at entering the zone and turning up with the play. Controlling the play, not throwing the puck away. He’s one of our better players when it comes to that.”
>Martone fired up at MSG
Martone had good things to say about playing at a history-filled place like Madison Square Garden, which opened in 1968.
“It’s really cool,” he said before the game. “It’s my first time being here. I’ve heard a bunch of great things. It’s one of the places where, when you’re in college, you want to play in.”
The Rangers-Flyers rivalry kind of coincides with that aforementioned date.
“There’s such a rich history with both teams,” Martone said. “I think you could look back at all the games that have happened, all the things these two teams have accomplished. . .for me to be in it, I’m looking forward to it.”
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