The preseason is now in the books for the Flyers. Let’s recap the Top 3 things we learned about this team:
3. Tortorella likes what he’s seen in camp
Torts has said throughout camp that he has liked the energy and compete level in camp. Seemingly, he’s been OK with guys being worn out and the team having some disastrous 3rd periods.. Tortorella did not appear overly concerned about the rash of 3rd period collapses. Let’s all hope he’s right and that the most important thing is for this team to be ready to skate. From the player-despised, Skate-Test on day-1 of camp, Torts has seemingly been focused on skating ability and working those leg muscles into mid-season form. We can see this focus from his support of prospect Jett Luchanko, where Tortorella said:
“I think one guy that has stood out with pace, and I don’t really think he’s been affected too much is Luchanko. I think he continues to skate. I checked with him today, how his legs were, he said they feel pretty good. Maybe that’s the youth, I don’t know, but he’s hung in there really well.”
As for Luchanko, it remains to be seen if he can make this opening not squad, or if his future career is better served with top-line minutes back in juniors. After a strong camp and pre-season, Luchanko has not looked out of place and has appeared more ready than most prospects, faced with the same junior-eligible windows in past years. He looks ready to contribute on the top 6 today. Even if the Flyers decide to have him on their opening night roster, the Flyers will still have the option to give him as many as 9 regular season games before being faced with the decision to send him back.
2. The Goaltending
ERSSON
Head Coach, John Tortorella stated that he’s ‘very confident’ in Sam [Ersson’s] readiness to be prepared. “It’s a new spot for him, being a #1”. Ersson was very good early on during Tuesday’s 4-1 pre-season loss to the Bruins, stopping 30 of 32 shots. In fact, Ersson’s excellent play between the pipes kept the Flyers in this matchup far longer than they should have been.
Ersson’s has made 67 saves on 69 shots (.971% ) faced during the preseason, including notching a shutout. Ersson was put into an ‘interim’ starter position last year. Torts indicated that his resiliency in net toward the end of the year, was ‘really important’. Ersson’s pre-season play shows he’s confident and ready to get started. A .971% is certainly not achievable, as there have been years where a .940% is dominant in the league. It is a short body of work and too small of a sample size, but it is what Sam needs to do, stop the puck just a bit more than last year.
FEDOTOV
Fedotov had a strong start to camp and the pre-season. In his first game, he finished with 25 saves on 27 opportunities (.926%). Unfortunately, the next game was a bit rougher for the young Russian netminder. After making the pre-season start in net, Fedotov finished with 13 saves on 16 shots, surrendering a pair of goals on the power play. On the entire pre-season Fedotov finished with 55 saves on 63 shots (0.873%).
KOLOSOV
In an unexpected development, Alexei Kolosov, the 3rd round pick in 2021, changed his mind and showed-up to camp. Shortly thereafter, he got his first in-game action this preseason, relieving Fedotov and stopping 7 of 8 shots. On Thursday night, Kolosov split time with Fedotov, and finished the pre-season with 17 saves on 21 shots (.809%). Following a drama-filled summer, it remains to be seen what the plan is for Kolosov, and if he would report to the AHL at the end of camp. The Flyers are happy to have another potential NHL prospect in the fold. Kolosov has posted a +.910 save percentage playing for Dinamo Minsk in the KHL.
1. MICHKOV IS SPECIAL
Michkov has the chance to be something special for the Flyers, something this team has seemingly lacked for a long time. A player that has a hockey-IQ and plays the game at a pace that keeps defenses on their heels at-all times, while making those around him better.
It’s impressive to watch the 5’10 forward use his frame to shield the puck from defenders. As a result, he’ll be able to make that extra pass that sets-up a teammate for a great opportunity. This is not the ‘extra pass’ of the Flyers of old, making one too-many passes and missing chances. Rather, Michkov sees the game and the flow on the ice, he can easily find a teammate creeping down into the slot while he curls around the end boards.
His presence already makes the Power Play more dangerous, contributing to a unit which has flirted with the top 10 this pre-season after years being at the very bottom of the league. The early eye test shows that Michkov has gifted hand to go along with his hockey IQ and vision.
Michkov’s two goals lift Flyers over Bruins is a demonstration of how this kid has the potential to be a game breaker, each and every night.
The Philadelphia Flyers regular season kicks-off with a 4-game road trip beginning in Vancouver on Friday, October 11th @ 10:00PM EST.
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