The Philadelphia Flyers remain on home ice to take on the Boston Bruins, hoping to continue the energy established by their 2-0 win against the New York Islanders on Thursday.
Fans will get to see Jamie Drysdale in action again, along with star prospect Oliver Bonk also returning the defense. Matvei Michkov and Jett Luchanko will also get looks against the Bruins, continuing to ramp up the excitement around their performances in preseason so far.
Jamie Drysdale
Everyone has been anxious to see how a fully healthy Drysdale can impact this Flyers team, and although he’s only seen action in one other preseason game, it’s become immediately apparent that his offseason core surgery has made all the difference in helping him showcase his full range of abilities.
Drysdale’s skating enthralled audiences even when he wasn’t operating at 100%, but to see him move completely comfortably and unrestricted brought a whole new level, not just to his performance, but to the team in general.
It will also help the Flyers’ play immensely to have Drysdale back in the mix, as he looked great quarterbacking the man advantage against the Capitals—which is a role the Flyers envision him getting more experience in during the season.
Mix And Match
The Flyers haven’t shied away from mixing up their lines and pairings, and even though everything they throw at the wall might not stick, it’s encouraging to see that the team is willing to try new things and experiment with different combinations.
Head coach John Tortorella emphasized how, this year, it’s crucial to not let players get too comfortable. He wants to keep them on their toes and ensure that there isn’t any complacency in a team that has sky-high potential. It may not always work out perfectly, but to already be seeing that they’re not afraid to think outside the box in order to squeeze every last bit of production from their players.
A Grain Of Salt
It’s safe to say that the Flyers have not faced much top-level opposition this preseason, as the teams they’ve faced have not really put their NHL regulars on the ice. This isn’t uncommon for any team to do during preseason, but while it’s important to get fans excited for the season, it’s also important to keep in mind that this isn’t the most accurate measurement of how these players will look once the NHL season starts up again.
Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News
Tortorella has made a point of saying that he doesn’t put a lot of stock in these exhibition game results—win or lose—and as the hype train starts gaining serious speed for the Flyers, the expectations do need to be in check in order to combat any overreaction to the first sign of imperfection.
With two wins across the three games they’ve played and some pretty impressive performances by individual players, it’s good to feel excited and optimistic about what this season could bring.
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