How about we keep these good vibes going?
How about we keep these good vibes going?
The Flyers seem to be casting off the exhaustion that caused them to sputter into the All-Star break, getting back-to-back victories against the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets in their two post-break games. While two wins in two games is as good as anyone can ask for, there's been some frustration over their general performances, which they'll hope to remedy against the Seattle Kraken in the second of their three-game home stand.
The Locker Room Can Police Themselves
When asked about how the locker room and John Tortorella reacted to the Jets' Cam Atkinson said that Tortorella "would be the first person to tell you he doesn't like to hear himself talk too much" at this point in the season. Tortorella agrees.
"I haven't spoken one word to them about the game, I haven't showed them one clip of the game," he said during morning skate. "We trust them. We know how they felt about it even during the game, where they were trying to get themselves out of it and they didn't—sometimes, when it snowballs, you don't. We move right by it and prepare for our next game."
Tortorella said that the locker room's reactions to the Jets performance is an "opportunity" for them to strengthen their accountability.
"You have to give them opportunities and not be in there holding their hands all the time," he added. "I've said it right from the get-go—I thought we had a great summer, we've grown as a locker room, and I feel very comfortable with it. This is how you build...we're still fighting here."
Cal Petersen Gets the Start
Sam Ersson has had the start in every game since assuming No. 1 goalie responsibilities, but Tortorella confirmed that Cal Petersen, who was called up from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to back Ersson up, would get the start in net tonight. Petersen has played in three games so far this season, starting two, credited with a win and a loss, along with a .889 SV%.
With the Flyers' goaltending options thrown into uncertainty yet again, his display against the Kraken will be a crucial test for Petersen. Tortorella has stressed on multiple occasions how important it is to not burn Ersson out, especially now that he's had time to adjust to making more consecutive starts and is back to his standout ways. While it will take more than one game to fairly assess Petersen's ability to be a solid backup for Ersson, he won't have a luxurious amount of time to get his feet under him and prove himself.
Three's A Streak
ICYMI: The Flyers were on a five-game losing streak going into the All-Star break. No need to re-hash everything. But two wins in their first two games back, not to mention they look to have reignited the fire that made them a "wagon" in the first place this season. Travis Konecny is back to scoring and antagonizing anyone and everyone. Joel Farabee is breaking personal point records left and right, and has consistently been one of the Flyers' most reliable producers. The same can be said for Morgan Frost and his cinematic redemption arc. Tyson Foerster and even Noah Cates have gotten in on the scoring fun.
The chemistry is as strong as ever. The desire to win and see the playoffs is there. They hit a skid, but the train (no pun intended) is righting itself. The coaching staff trusts the team wholeheartedly to handle business and focus on the tasks in front of them.
Playing a 12/6 system against he Kraken, the game should still be manageable for the Flyers, and getting back on a win streak is just what this team needs to get right back going.
Flyers Projected Lines:
Forwards:
Tippett - Couturier - Atkinson
Farabee - Frost - Konecny
Foerster - Poehling - Cates
Deslauriers - Laughton - Hathaway
Defense:
Sanheim - Drysdale
York - Walker
Seeler - Ristolainen
Petersen
Kraken Projected Lines:
Forwards:
Tatar - McCann - Eberle
Tanev - Wennberg - Burakovsky
Tolvanen - Gourde - Bjorkstrand
Schwartz - Beniers - Kartye
Defense:
Dunn - Larsson
Oleksiak - Borgen
Dumoulin - Schultz
Daccord
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