Quick Hits: October 20, 2022
1) The Flyers had to press the "comeback mode" button one time too many as they lost, 4-3, to the Florida Panthers in Sunrise on Thursday evening. For the fourth straight game, the Flyers trailed first -- by a 2-0 score for the second straight game -- and the team once again rallied back to draw even. This time, though, the opponent pulled away in the third period to restore a two-goal margin. A goal in the waning seconds by Travis Konecny (who earlier had a would-be tally overturned on a replay challenge for Joel Farabee sending himself offside) was too little and too late.
The Flyers were resilient but often outplayed and prone to coughing up odd-man rushes to aggressive puck pressure or, in the fatal instance of Florida's third goal, a communication breakdown on an initially routine 2-on-2 ended up in the net. Felix Sandström made some outstanding saves among his 31 stops on 35 shots. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 31 of 34 shots. Right after Rudolfs Balcers put Florida ahead, 3-2, Bobrovsky denied Morgan Frost on a breakaway that could have drawn the Flyers even again.
Carter Verhaeghe scored a pair of first period goals for Florida. On the first sequence, Sandström was on his knees throughout and Verhaeghe elevated a shot high to the short side. The latter was a counterattack. His two goals were sandwiched around the overturned Farabee/Konecny play (a correct call on replay). The Flyers did get one back in the latter stages of the first period. Zack MacEwen won a puck battle behind the net and Kevin Hayes chipped to an unlikely goal-scorer. Nick Seeler was wide open at the net and stashed it home.
In the second period, James van Riemsdyk dug a puck free in a power play scramble and put the puck past Bobrovsky to tie the score at 2-2. The Balcers goal that put Florida ahead to stay in the third period was a miscommunication between Seeler and Egor Zamula on a 2-on-2 play. Balcers had a gorgeous, backhanded finish upstairs when he was one-on-one against Sandström. The final Florida goal, scored by Josh Mahura from the top of the left circle, was a partially blocked knuckling shot that eluded Sandström. It wasn't an easy save, but it also was not unstoppable. Above all, it was desperately needed at the time.
On the whole, Sandström kept his team in the game. The Flyers gave up way too many counterattacking chances and were flat out lucky that they didn't yield at least one shorthanded goal on this night.
The Flyers conclude their three-game road trip on Saturday in Nashville. Before that, they will have an off-day on Thursday and a practice on Friday. On Sunday, they return home to play the San Jose Sharks.
For an in-depth recap, analysis, stats and highlights from Thursday's game, see the Postgame 5 on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com.
2). The Flyers made two roster moves on Wednesday. They claimed veteran checking forward Lukas Sedlak off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche. To be honest, I had not realized beforehand that the player had returned from the KHL to North America this season. The 29-year-old Sedlak played for John Tortorella in Columbus and was used fairly regularly as a fourth-line forward and penalty killer.
Sedlak is the type of role-playing forward that appeals to Tortorella: versatile (primarily a center but can play any forward position comfortably), has some physicality and heaviness, blocks shots, rarely gets caught on the wrong side of the puck, and can play limited minutes without altering how he plays.
Was my Center in Columbus for a year along with Sam Gagner. Such a solid defensive minded center (had to be!! Hahahahahah) will bring a lot to the PK like you said! Great guy!!!
— Scott Hartnell (@Hartsy43) October 19, 2022
3). It has been a strange trajectory through four games this season for Tanner Laczysnki. He was elevated in the second period of opening night (the Flyers' 5-2 win over New Jersey) from fourth-line center to third line right wing. He had a good all-around game including his first two NHL assists. Tortorella praised his two-way play afterwards.
Game two went just OK; nothing standout in a positive way or glaring in a negative way. Unlike the first game, Laczynski didn't get much accomplished on the forecheck. But he wasn't awful, either.
In Game 3 in Tampa Bay, amid a slew of line juggling, Laczynski was moved back down to the fourth line after the first period. He skated 9:13 over 15 shifts. As with the previous game against Vancouver, Laczysnki didn't really stand out one way either, and Zack MacEwen was the one who ended up getting moved up in the line rotation.
Two middling performances appeared to be enough for Laczynski to get out of Tortorella's good graces. The team claimed Sedlak off waivers but, with the player not yet with the team, Laczynski primarily remained as the fourth-line right wing on Jackson Cates' line. Laczynski played quite sparingly on Wednesday, skating 11 shifts (7:26 TOI). He was one of the Flyers on the ice for the first Verhaeghe goal (the right circle shot with Sandström on his knees) and was credited with one hit for the game.
In his pregame comments before Wednesday's game, Tortorella challenged Laczynski to do more to stand out, and directly cited Laczynski as a player whom the Flyers might send to Allentown (he is still waiver exempt) with Sedlak having been claimed off waivers.
Tortorella said pregame that picking up Sedlà¡k gives the Flyers the flexibility to potentially send a young player (mentioned Laczynski by name) down to the Phantoms. This is what he said regarding Laczynski's first three regular season games when I followed up: pic.twitter.com/YW1sJc4oPD
— Olivia Reiner (@ReinerOlivia) October 19, 2022
During training camp, Tortorella said that he'd be patient with players whom he sees making a concerted push to be a difference-maker whether or not they're getting positive results so far. For example, Tortorella said at the start of the trip that Joel Farabee's all-around game and "try" has been impressive. Farabee is still looking for his first point of the season after missing all of the preseason games while aiming (successfully) to come back from offseason neck surgery and be ready for opening night. Tortorella has been very complimentary of Farabee in the early going of the season.
Tortorella said during camp that he won't show patience if he thinks a player is content to just blend. In Laczynski's case, after seeming to be pleased overall with the player's training camp and first game of the regular season, the narrative seemed to have changed over the next two games. It is unlikely to have shifted after the Florida game.
4). Later today, Brian Smith and I will record the first 2022-23 season installment of the Prospect Pipeline podcast for the Flyers Broadcast Network. Topics will include Cutter Gauthier, the young contingent on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Emil Andrae and Samu Tuomaala. I will post the link here when the podcast is available for download.