Behind the Hockey Scenes: Philadelphia Flyers Versus New Jersey Devils April 13, 2024

(Pregame - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA - Sean O'Brien)

Introductions

The pregame retirement night ceremonies for Wayne Simmonds were low-key. He dropped the ceremonial first puck before the official faceoff. A video tribute was shown, with shots of many fans wearing his number 17 sweater in the stands. But he did not speak to the crowd, reinforcing his team-first, humble approach. Those who cheered for him during his career or had the opportunity to talk with him as part of the media were not surprised.

Simmonds signed a one-day contract this week to retire as a member of the organization. His eight-year career in Philadelphia began when he was acquired, along with Brayden Schenn, in June 2011 from the Los Angeles Kings for Mike Richards. He was traded to the Nashville Predators in February 2019.

On a personal note, I covered the Stadium Series at Lincoln Financial Field in February 2019. The Flyers hosted their cross-state rival that rainy night, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jakub Voracek tied the game with twenty seconds remaining in the third, and Claude Giroux won the contest (4-3) in overtime.

As part of a media throng, we spoke with Wayne about the game and the anticipated end of his time in the organization. Days later, he was dealt to Nashville.

The Flyers (37-32-11, 85 points) are in their second-to-last game of the season. They will play the Devils (38-37-5, 81 points) in the late afternoon, and Philadelphia needs assists from various other teams to qualify for the playoffs.

The Flyers recent eight-game winless streak ended in New York earlier this week with a 4-1 win over the Rangers. The Devils beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 that same night, Thursday.

Starting goaltenders – Sam Ersson for the Flyers and Kaapo Kahkonen for the Devils.

First period

The video scoreboard noted the recent eighth anniversary of team founder Ed Snider's passing. With the risk he took, there is no way to know what hockey would look like in Philadelphia.

It was a back-and-forth period with little action. Around the halfway point, The Devils took two penalties in close proximity to each other.

But the Flyers' bottom-ranked power play did not come through. There were no high-danger chances. What expectations are reasonable without the personnel to do so?  Of course, the same could be said for the team this season.

Shots: Philadelphia – 11 New Jersey - 6

Score: Philadelphia – 0 New Jersey – 0

Intermission: The Mites on Ice show was, as always, entertaining. Many of us have great memories of playing hockey with family members and friends in our backyards or on the street. How great for the young kids to play a game, in between periods, of a National Hockey League game. Of course, if you fall onto the ice and score a fantastic goal, as one of the Mites did, that memory becomes indelible.

Second period

It is an understatement to classify the first half of this period as slow-moving. Credit to the Flyers for keeping New Jersey, the ninth-highest-scoring team, stymied.

A nifty backhand pass from Scott Laughton, who was cutting through center ice, was delivered to Travis Konecny (his 33rd overall goal of the season). He entered the zone and sent a wrist shot past Kahkonen at 10:50 into the period. It was also his sixth shorthanded goal of the season, with the magic he and Laughton produced reminding old-school fans of Dave Poulin and Brian Propp. Nick Seeler had the other assist.

Shots: Philadelphia – 6 New Jersey - 5

Score: Philadelphia – 1 New Jersey - 0

Intermission: The Mites again. This sequel did not include a fabulous goal, but it was entertaining.

Third period

A loud “Let's Go Flyers' chant surrounded the stadium with about four minutes to go.

As was true at points earlier, Simmonds' rough-and-tumble game continued during this period. This was fitting, as he scrapped with the best of them during his career. Cutaways to Simmer in his suite, cupping his ear to hear the crowd, upped the electric moment higher. 

Devils head coach Travis Green elected not to pull the goalie after a stop in the offensive zone with three minutes left. However, he did make the call with approximately two minutes left.

A third chant carried the team to victory with seconds left. The tight win kept hopes for a playoff berth alive.

Shots: Philadelphia - 4 (21total) – New Jersey 9 (20 total)

Score: Philadelphia – 1 New Jersey – 0

It was the Flyers' first shutout since Jan 13 when the Flyers shutout the Winnipeg Jets 2-0. Ersson was in goal that night during a five-game winning. The shutout was the team's fifth and his fourth of the season. 

After the horn sounded

Flyers head coach John Tortorella said he was pleased with the team's performance during the postgame presser. The head coach also said the goaltending situation impacted the team, and Ersson, who played his fiftieth game today, was not projected to play anywhere near that number of games.

Carter Hart's departure from the team changed the trajectory of the season. That explanation will be used and arguably valid if the team is knocked out of the playoff picture before Game 82 is played on Tuesday. The Flyers host the Washington Capitals that night.

On a personal note – I saw former NHL referee Kerry Fraser on the press level after the game ended. It was good to catch up. My interview with him in 2011 was a memorable, wide-ranging conversation. 

Philadelphia Flyers: Potential Scott Laughton Trade Partially Telegraphed Through Two New Letters?

 

Naming Sean Couturier the Philadelphia Flyers' twentieth captain in team history makes sense. The longtime center has proven healthy following his extended rehabilitation from injury.

So, the organization believes he will be on the ice regularly. That factor played into him being named captain.

Travis Konecny was named assistant captain, joining Scott Laughton, who wore the team's lone designated leadership letter. That elevation also makes sense, as the Flyers forward and recent All-Star has come into his own. But strategy may also be part of the timing of Couturier and Konecny's elevations. 

Laughton's current contract runs through the 2025-26 season. The March 8 National Hockey League trade deadline can be counted in days, with this assistant captain widely believed to be a hot topic among various NHL brass.  

Ryan Poehling recently signed a deal that extends him through the 2025-26 season. Securing the first-year Flyer allows the organization to deal Laughton for a likely good return without creating an extra hole on next season's roster.

Add to the Poehling news, it can only be assumed that President Keith Jones, General Manager Danny Briere, and Head Coach John Tortorella did not want to elevate one player (or two) to the official leadership group due to a trade. While they could have gone without any assigned letters, the leadership announcements, only weeks before March 8, could imply that the organization anticipates trading Laughton. 

Jones, Briere, and Tortorella have routinely shared the same message. The rebuild is on, and the plan will remain unchanged, even if the team continues to play toward a playoff berth. Using that logic, trading Laughton (who turns 30 on May 30) for a solid return would further the rebuild. 

Like Couturier and Konecny, Laughton has only ever played for the Flyers, doing so since he was 18 in the 2012-13 season. Couturier and Konecny first played when they were 19.

Because the team now has a new captain and assistant captain, dealing Laughton would only reduce one A, rather than leave the Flyers with no lettered sweaters. 

Inside Access: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Winnipeg Jets - February 22, 2020

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Winnipeg Jets

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

February 22, 2020

Game Time – 1 p.m.

Pregame

Philadelphia Flyers (34-20-7, 75 points)

Winnipeg Jets (32-25-5, 69 points)

Starting goalies: Flyers – Carter Hart. Jets – Connor Hellebuyck.

Other pregame tidbits – Philadelphia lost 7-3 to the Jets in Winnipeg in December. Today's game is the final contest of the season against this Central Division opponent. Brian Elliott started that game, surrendering six goals before he was replaced by Hart, who handled third period duty.

This is the final contest before the National Hockey League trade deadline. Philadelphia in the best position to qualify for the playoffs in a number of years. Head coach Alain Vigneault's influence is noticeable, as he and his veteran coaching staff, including new additions Michel Therrien and Mike Yeo, along with holdover Ian Laperriere, have combined to produce 200-foot stability.

The Flyers aren't an elite team. They could use another impact forward and defenseman. Their goaltending situation is stable, but hasn't produced a standout to-date. So, it's fair to put Philadelphia near to the top 10, if not at that mark, in the League.

Philly's fourth-best NHL home record is good, but they'll need to prove better on the road down the stretch to convince hockey loyalists that they are playoff ready. The Flyers are 5-2-2 in their last nine road games, which is an improvement, as the team is 14-15-3 away from the Wells Fargo Center overall this season.

The Jets enter the tilt on a three game winning streak in fourth place in their division and in the seventh playoff position in the Western Conference.

On a personal note...

The transformation of the interior of the Wells Fargo Center is nearing it's completion, as Steve Coates was telling me while we were heading toward the press elevator on the event floor prior to the game.

Coates joined the Flyers broadcast team in 1980, following his professional playing career. He worked on the television side for a number of years before becoming a part of the team's radio broadcast, along with Tim Saunders, in 2014-15.

Coatesy, which is the fond nickname everyone knows him by, has sustained a long career off the ice due to his affable nature. His love of the game and hockey sense is detectable to all who listen to him during broadcasts, or have the opportunity to talk to him in person as I have on multiple occasions.

First Period

Quick start, with Scott Laughton (11th goal) lifting a puck over Hellebuyck's left shoulder at 2:06 into the period. Ivan Provorov raced down the left side boards, tipping a short pass to Laughton. Justin Braun also received an assist.

Laughton got his second goal of the period (12^th goal) as he crossed over in front of the net and potted the puck past Hellebuyck, while a number of players were in and around him. Braun received the lone assist.

As Laughton moved up the ice later in the period, thoughts of a natural hat trick and one occurring in one period, in this case the first came to mind. A brief internet search revealed that the Great One, Wayne Gretzky had 50 (FIFTY) hat tricks in his career, including ten hat tricks in the 1981-82 and another ten in the 1983-84 season for the Edmonton Oilers. Mike Bossy had nine hat tricks in the 1980-81 season for the New York Islanders. Different era? Sure. Incredible performances regardless? Yes, without debate.

The Flyers last natural hat trick occurred on January 16, 2019. Sean Couturier scored two in the second and one in the third against the Boston Bruins in a 4-3 home win.

Shots Flyers – 12. Jets – 10.

Score: 2-0, Flyers.

Second Period

Flyers only had two shots through just over ten minutes of a lackluster period for both teams. Jets had ten shots, with no real threats.

Konecny took a shot off what appeared to be his sternum that resonated throughout the building. He doubled over and slowly glided toward the bench, where he remained bent over for a few minutes. However, a video review showed that he was hit in his left hand.

Couturier (19th goal) took the puck and back away from the net toward the face off circle, before he wristed a shot into the net, over Hellebuyck's left shoulder at 14:15. Assists to Jake Voracek and Matt Niskanen.

Josh Morrisssey (4^th goal) took a slap shot, over Hart's left shoulder, while falling to his knees at 18:04. Assisted by Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers.

Shots Jets – 15 Flyers – 4

Score: 3-1, Flyers.

Third Period

Patrik Laine (26^th) blew a power play slap shot past Hart at three minutes into the period. Assists to Neal Pionk and Blake Wheeler. Robert Haag was in the box at the time with an interference penalty.

After avoiding disaster through heavy pressure and then killing off a power play a few minutes later, Tyler Pitlick (7^th) scored a one bounce pinball shot, with assists to Justin Braun and Haag.

Third period shots: Flyers – 14 Jets - 4

Final shot total: Flyers – 30 Jets – 29

Final score: Flyers – 4 Jets - 2

Next up - The Flyers host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.

Postgame Quotes

Responses to media scrum questions, postgame in the locker room and at the press conferences of both head coaches:

Philadelphia Flyers RW Scott Laughton

How are you feeling after that one?

What one?

A little beat up?

Yeah, it was a good win. Always fun to play an afternoon game here, I think. It was a good win for a club, and we will continue to move forward.

Was Brian (Elliott) laughing with you on the bench?

He was good all night. I always look to him when I score. He always has a smile on his face. Good to see there.

How much does it mean to have a game like this one?

It was big. We came out and got a lead early and rode it all the way to the end of the game. I thought we had a better job of closing gaps and not giving them as much space in the third. I thought in the second we weren’t really giving our D support, so we had a tough time getting out of the zone. Other than that, clean game I guess and continue to move forward.

Have the goals of the team changed now that you are only 3 points out of 1^st place?

Day by day. I think we just continue to grow as a team. Wherever we finish, we finish. Take it day by day, continue to grow and try to get wins. We are at home a little bit this month, so continue what we have to do at home.

How badly did you want that 3^rd goal?

Pretty bad. I don’t know if it touched Wheeler there, but I talked to Raffy and he said he was going to try to find me. Obviously it didn’t go in, but it happens.

Winnipeg Jets W Blake Wheeler

Looked like you guys did a number of things well tonight, generating chances. Did you feel that the momentum shifted at all in the third period, or how did you see this one play out after you guys got it to 3-2?

I think we played a pretty good hockey game. The bounces didn’t go our way tonight, obviously they’re a good team in this building. It was tough for us to get those. We weren’t very opportunistic tonight, I guess would be the right way to put it. They had a couple bounces go their way around the net. You go down 2 in this building, it’s tough. We fight back to 3-2 and then a bad bounce on the fourth one.

Theory at all on the slow starts, 7^th game in a row you guys have been scored on first. Efforts there obviously, but tough to play from behind with that much regularity?

We just won three straight, we were 4-2 on the home stand, 5-2 overall in our last 7. So if anything, it’s worked well for us.

What didn’t maybe work well tonight then?

I think we played a pretty good hockey game. I think we had a difficult time sometimes moving the puck up the ice, but outside of that, I thought our forecheck was right. For the most part we were trying to make plays with speed. Spent some time in their zone, had some chances and that was basically my first answer. I don’t want to take away from a good game that they played, but sometimes when two teams are playing well, it’s a matter of that bounce of the puck here or there. They cashed in on their chances, they played well tonight.

Philadelphia Flyers G Carter Hart

Did you feel pretty much locked in, especially for the second period on?

They made sure they didn’t get too many second opportunities and a lot of big blocks. The one in the first period Braun blocks a shot on the line and then we go down and score. That’s the hockey that we’ve been playing lately. It’s sometimes not always pretty, but it’s effective and the guys are really buying in right now.

Talk about playing at home. You’ve been on top of your game when at home.

I just prepare the same as any other game. We for sure love having the fans support us and when we’re not playing well, they get on us and let us know about it too. We just prepare the same as any other game no matter who we are playing.

What did it mean to see Oskar.

It’s great to see him, I haven’t seen him in a couple weeks. I’m sure he was happy to come to the rink and see the boys and all of us are happy to see him and he’s looking great.

Philadelphia Flyers C Sean Couturier

Kind of similar to that first Columbus game. Not your best, but you got a win. How big is that?

I thought the first was either way. It was tight. Second, obviously we didn’t play too good. We gave them a lot of opportunities. I thought the third we kind of took over. We had some great goaltending when we needed today. Hartsy was big today, making saves, making it look easy. That obviously helps us out front. We have to stick together through those tougher times and find a way to win.

Do you feel your line is starting to really click?

We are creating stuff. Maybe not finishing as much as we would like, or getting extended o-zone time, but I think we are smart enough to figure it out and get going. Obviously, you saw it both ways when we aren’t finishing, I’m sure it will come.

AV said Oskar is here. Did you get to talk to him?

Yeah, he looks good. It was awesome seeing him. He’s going through a lot, and we are there for him. Anytime we can hang out with him, it is always nice.

How important are the other 3 lines?

Yeah, I think we have some good depth this year compared to the past. Different guys are stepping up in different moments. That is what you want. When you make a playoff run or go deep, usually the depth players, role player guys have big impacts on games, and we need everyone every night. That is the kind of team we are.

Philadelphia Flyers RW Tyler Pitlick

What did you think of the way Scott Laughton played tonight?

He was great. He came out flying and got a couple of big goals for us right away. He played great all game.

What was the key for your line?

I think it was just playing simple, getting pucks in deep, skating hard and doing simple stuff and the plays open up.

All the lines have produced, what does that do to the team? AV’s trust in bottom two lines increasing?

Yeah, for sure you can see it at home and on the road. You can’t get the matchups as much on the road, so we just try to role 4 lines and whoever gets whoever, it is what it is. He is trusting us to go out there and play the right way and get the job done.

What was it like to see Oskar today?

It was great. He looks great. We are all very happy for him. Things are going good, so we are happy they are going that way.

Philadelphia Flyers D Justin Braun

Feel good to be back?

Yeah, that was a good way to come back after a little sickness. Not the prettiest of outings I’ve ever had, but you’ll take them.

Did this feel like the Columbus game where you aren’t at your best but still find a way to win?

Yeah, I thought at first, we were all right, pretty even matched. They came out in the second and took it to us a bit. In the third we woke up and we outshot them pretty good and out-chanced them. I think that was huge. We didn’t want to fold going into the third, and we locked it down.

AV said Oskar was here, what does it mean to see him?

It’s awesome. That smile you know. He is a great guy to have around, just brightens your day. The fact that he is doing well and able to come to the rink to see the boys is just fantastic.

Was it a surprise?

Yeah, I didn’t know he was coming today. It was awesome. It always cheers the boys up to see him.

Winnipeg Jets Head Coach Paul Maurice

Paul, after you get down two goals, did you see more of what you liked from your hockey club as this one went on this afternoon?

We gave up a goal on the first shot just off a misread. But at 1-0 through the first period, I liked our chances better than theirs. I mean at two, I liked our second an awful lot. And then we get behind it a little. They got a big long flurry there and cracked two posts. Which the problem was that it’s an offside play, so that was coming back.  I think we needed to get the puck to the net a little differently. I think that some of our best opportunities, we didn't get to the net. We missed and other than that, I’m not going to complain about the game.

Is it difficult though when you get down one or two or three?

It’s difficult when you get down one. When you get down three, it's real difficult. That's a problem, you’re in behind it for sure. Like I said, we came out of that first down. We don't like the first one because it's a read. You don't want to get on the power play and get a shot blocked and now they come out of the box and the timing goes against you on that one. But other than that fact, I didn't think we moved some pucks as clean as you'd like to. And they're going to say the same thing, because we knocked a bunch down their end of the ice, it was pretty even.

Was neutral zone an issue again tonight?

A different look. A lot of stretching in their game. So on the times that we held it right, we countered back, so it looked really good. And the time we couldn't hold, we had a problem.

What did you see from that top line?

There is your line, right? They were they were good. They had opportunities, good puck control. They released it when they should, didn't over handle it. They were our best, probably the best line on the ice.

Decision to make on Connor back-to-back or going LB [Laurent Brossoit]? Would you have a sense of this game at this point?

Not yet. Wait, Wade will talk to him, see how he’s feeling. We put ourselves in a position to do it if we want to go back to back with him. Doc will talk to him and see how he’s feeling.

Winnipeg Jets RW Patrick Laine

Patrick, you and your team had a lot of opportunities but couldn’t get more than 1 past Carter. How did you see this one play out?

Yeah, we had a sleepy start. We knew that they were going to come hard right out of the gate, especially here. So they score 2 right in the beginning, so it was a rough start. After that I think we played better. The second we were controlling the game. In the third we had a couple mistakes and it was a tough loss.

What was better by your club in the second?

I think it was try to play simple. Try to get as many pucks to the net as we can. Try to create some O zone time and that is where we are going to win games, if we are going to win. I think that was one.

You haven’t had the first goal in a while. Is that a concern?

It would be fun not to be down right away every game. That is something we need to work on, to get the opening goal. It can’t be just that. We can’t just give up if we end up giving up the first goal. We still have to battle back and hopefully score a couple. Two wasn’t enough this afternoon and we have a new chance tomorrow.

What do you think of what your GM has done?

I think hopefully they will bring a lot of energy to the locker room and on the ice. I think we have made some good moves for the team, and something we need for the playoff push we are in right now. Hopefully, we can spark this team, get a couple in a row and make the playoffs.

Philadelphia Flyers Head Coach Alain Vigneault

“mentions about Oskar*

Big smile and I knew he was coming tonight. I just saw him after the game, he smiled and looked beautiful. It makes everybody feel good when he comes around and there is no doubt that we’re all behind him and his teammates are obviously checking up on him on a regular basis and so is the whole staff but to see him live is beautiful.

Is this one like what you spoke about the other day in that winning when you’re not exactly playing the best.

I thought in the first period it as a little sloppy on both sides and in the second they had a real strong push. When you look at their top two lines, they are big skilled, fast, lines so they were tough to handle in the second but I thought in the third once they made it 3-2 on their powerplay goal, we played the best we played all night. When the game was on the line, we played the right way, we make the right plays defensively, we made the right plays with the pucks and we were on our best when the game was on the line tonight and I thought that was a real positive sign.

You’ve moved Scott Laughton around, scores two goals tonight. What have you learned about him and his versatility and his importance to this group?

I thought he played one of his best games tonight, the 200-foot game real solid defensively and both our first two goals are his line, driving to the net, going hard. Him going to the net on the second one, Pitlick stopping there. They did a lot of right things and got rewarded for it and he blocked a couple of big shots. You need your team to do that and he obviously did that tonight.

What have you seen from the top line? It seems as they are building towards an exploding game.

I expect this from our group, and I’ve said this many of times that teams that improve during the season are the ones that get in and we are improving. We are getting better and, in that line, those three veteran players are playing the way that you have to play to win and to win against good opponents in tight games. I thought when the game became 3-2, we didn’t get tight, we played and that’s what you got to do. We were on our toes; we were checking when it was time to check and we made some real good plays with the puck.

Are you able to point out where you are finding balance in your former lines as you have now?

This rotation right now is permitting me to play a good four-line rotation, to have a good pace. In the third in the last five I went down to three a little more. For the most park we do have good balance. The fourth line with Raffi, Bunny and Q when they get the puck deep and they get on the forecheck they are tough to handle.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(My photo - Overhead shot from press level, pregame.)

Let's connect on Twitter @SeanyOB and on Facebook.