As the hockey world prepared for the 4 Nations Face-Off Final in Boston last night, most Flyers players returned to the practice rink for the second day of resumed NHL activities. Head Coach John Tortorella, forward Travis Konecny, and defenseman Travis Sanheim were all still north in Boston for last night’s United States vs. Canada winner-take-all. Philadelphia now has just over 24 hours before NHL action resumes at Wells Fargo Center against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday afternoon. So, it’ll be a quick transition back to the NHL for Coach Tortorella and the two Flyers players following the cinematic clash.
The pace and intensity of Thursday’s practice ramped up a notch from Wednesday’s return-to-ice activities. With 25 games remaining in the NHL season, the team(s) that get back up to speed the quickest after the two-week break will give themselves the best opportunity to secure a playoff position in a densely packed Eastern Conference playoff race. While Philadelphia currently occupies the last position in the Metropolitan Division, they re-enter the NHL campaign only six points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the final wildcard spot in the East.
Ersson returns to Flyers’ crease
One change from yesterday’s practice was the return of Flyers starting goalie Sam Ersson. The Swedish netminder earned Sweden’s lone victory at the 4 Nations Face-Off. “It was big for me,” Ersson said. “To not just be part of the tournament, but also get a game and get to play. A very fun and big experience for me. I feel like I’ve found a good rhythm in my game, and I’m confident where I’m at right now.”
It was a rough start for Ersson in Sweden’s 2-1 win over the United States on Tuesday. The only goal he allowed in the contest came 35 seconds after the opening puck drop to New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider. The 25-year-old goalie battled through the adversity, leaning on a game from a month ago when he allowed a goal in the opening minutes to New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton.
“I think you have experienced things from the past,” Ersson answered about the early USA goal. “Like there have been times (and) situations where letting goals early on and turn it around… (the) New Jersey game … first shot and then so you kind of have that in that in the back of your mind.” In the game he referenced, Ersson stopped the 12 remaining shots in a 3-1 Flyers win at the Prudential Center on January 18 after allowing the opening score.
Rocky Thompson Suggests Penalty Role for Pelletier
With Flyers head coach John Tortorella still away at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Assistant Coach Rocky Thompson spoke with the media on Thursday. While unsure how John Tortorella will construct the lineup, he fully expects Jakob Pelletier to make his Flyers debut this weekend. “So, I would assume,” Thompson started. “We haven’t talked about Pelts (Pelletier), but we know he’s going to play. The kind of role that it looks like he would play, potentially, (a) penalty killer. Get a look and see how that goes.”
The 23-year-old winger scored four goals and seven assists during 24 games for Calgary before his trade to Philadelphia. Pelletier has experience with this role in the Western Conference, where he averaged 1:24 per game on the penalty kill with Calgary. “Our PK has been better since he’s been on it, so I do think that’s a huge thing,” Flames General Manager Craig Conry told Sportsnet shortly after Pelletier’s AHL call-up. “He’s clearing pucks, he’s clearing lanes and using quickness to help us.” Those are the attributes that make up a successful penalty killer at the NHL level.
Coach Thompson touched on the difficulty of climbing up the standings it will take for Philly to secure a postseason position for the first time since 2020. “It’s going to be a grind for us,” Thompson claimed. “We’re on the outside looking (and) last year was different. I thought they tried their hearts out last year, and it just didn’t work out for us. We’ve played playoff hockey since day one because we’ve had to. That’s why our fans support us the way they do. They get frustrated, but they also see the effort that’s being put forward and how our guys have each other’s backs.” The Flyers will need that total team effort over the next two months to get back into the Stanley Cup Playoff picture this Spring.
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
