If it is broke, do fix it.
With the Flyers struggling to generate offense, coach Rick Tocchet decided to switch some lines around at practice in Calgary on Saturday as his team prepares to play the Flames on Sunday.
It looks like Noah Cates will be centering Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone and Christian Dvorak will be flanked by Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster.
The Flyers have scored only two goals in each of their last two games (losses to Minnesota and the New York Rangers), so maybe some new units will get some offense going again.
“Just put ‘em back together,” Tocchet said after practice at the Saddledome. “Switch it up. When you’re losing you want to try different things. It’ll take a little pressure off.”
Aside from Michkov, none of the Flyers has really gotten untracked on the offensive side of the game. It’s one of the main reasons they’re bringing up the rear in the Metropolitan Division.
“Sometimes it’s good to give everyone a break every once in a while,” the coach said. “For most of the (Ranger) game I thought most of the lines were pretty good. We just couldn’t nail it down.”
Tocchet was asked why the Cates-Martone-Michkov grouping has worked well together in the past.
“There’s a lot of give and go to their game,” Tocchet said. “A lot of stuff around the net. Shooting the puck a lot, which is great. A lot of Matvei’s goals are around the net, rebound goals.
“And I thought Porter the last couple weeks has really been getting pucks to the net, which makes a big difference.”
What went into the thinking behind the Dvorak-Foerster-Konecny line?
“Just trying to get more offense with other lines,” Tocchet said. “We need another line that can control the puck. Just a subtle change.”
The Flyers’ young players have been finding their way in the NHL since about the middle of last season. It’s a learning experience and one best taken with teammates of a similar age involved.
“These young guys are growing together,” Tocchet said. “It’s a group of them.”
For instance, Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk have developed a pretty strong bond.
>Bad timing
Over the past couple weeks, the Flyers have been giving up goals at inopportune times. The coaching staff is working on that.
“The last couple weeks we’ve been in a lot of these games, we’re just on the wrong side at the wrong time,” Tocchet said. “We’ve tried different things. We want to be different.”
>Michkov’s overall improvement
Michkov’s great start is partly due to the improvement in his overall game. He might still be a minus player but he’s coming up with some breakups in the defensive zone to make up for turnovers.
“A hundred percent,” Tocchet said of the better numbers. A lot of his goals, he’s coming to the net as a third guy. More in the middle of the ice than he was last year. And he’s reaping the benefits. Scoring off those rebound goals.”
>Positive review for Knuble
Tocchet has been experimenting with Cole Knuble at center and so far the results have been encouraging.
“There was a play against the Rangers, his speed, he almost got a breakaway,” Tocchet said. “That’s the stuff that we need from the middle position and he can supply it. Like (Trevor) Zegras, they both have that breakaway speed.”
>Missed opportunities
On a number of occasions this season, the Flyers have had a chance to put a team away late in a game and couldn’t. That was the case late in the game with the Rangers.
“We were up 2-1, we had a breakaway, a slot shot like right on top of their goalie,” Tocchet said. “If we score on one of those three opportunities the last seven minutes it’s 3-1.
“How do you (fix it)? . . .it’s working on your game. Shooting the puck after practice. It’s deception. It’s a lot of different things.”
Going into Sunday play, the Flyers had just 39 goals in 18 games. As of Saturday morning, only Chicago (37) had fewer and they had played one less game.
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