TAMPA, Fla. — Don’t anticipate to see defenseman Justin Braun get one other stint enjoying on the correct wing any time quickly, as he did on Feb. 24 in opposition to the Montreal Canadiens.
Coach John Tortorella has been rolling with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen within the Flyers’ final two video games, however 13-year NHL veteran Braun has resumed his commonplace defensive duties. Relatively, with one much less ahead, Tortorella is aiming to present extra enjoying time to a few of his forwards to assist together with his evaluations because the season nears its finish. For now, a type of gamers is 24-year-old winger Owen Tippett, who’s operating with the chance. Tippett has scored three targets within the final 5 video games.
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Of their March 1 extra time loss to the New York Rangers, Tippett racked up 27 minutes and 40 seconds of ice time, the crew excessive that evening and a profession excessive.
“It was a type of ones the place I didn’t even give it some thought till after I bought off, I used to be simply sort of operating on adrenaline,” Tippett stated.
The next recreation on Sunday in opposition to the Detroit Pink Wings, Tippett posted 24:09 of ice time, simply 17 seconds shy of defenseman Ivan Provorov’s workload. Whereas Tippett didn’t rating a objective, he had 5 shot makes an attempt, three scoring probabilities, a takeaway, and three blocks at five-on-five, in keeping with Pure Stat Trick.
Tippett will proceed to get appears on the penalty kill because the season winds down, a brand new accountability that he hasn’t undertaken since late in his junior profession. However Tortorella’s largest emphasis with Tippett down the stretch will likely be his energy recreation, from bringing pucks to the online to taking defenders on one-on-one. Tortorella has already seen a few of that from Tippett, however he stated he thinks there’s extra there.
“I wish to see him stick his leg out sometimes and convey issues to the paint,” Tortorella stated. “And I haven’t seen quite a lot of that. I feel he’s had alternatives to do this. So I feel that’s the subsequent development.”
To take that subsequent step, Tippett might want to break an outdated behavior. Tippett stated he’s accustomed to capturing the puck the second it lands on his blade in sure conditions. Now, he’s making an attempt to give attention to taking the puck to the far publish and getting a shot off, whether or not it’s on internet or within the neighborhood of it.
As Tippett navigates the remaining 19 video games of the season, Tortorella received’t consistently be in his ear with solutions. As a substitute, he desires to get out of Tippett’s method and let him play his recreation, a method that varies case-by-case.
“I feel we over-coach,” Tortorella stated. “I feel you might want to go away it alone and let him expertise it. That’s a choice I’ve to make. Did he perceive what I stated? And if you happen to suppose he did, then go away him alone. And let him determine it out. I feel you be taught extra by making some errors and taking some ideas and making an attempt to appropriate it.”
Laughton reaches a profession milestone
No quantity of snow may cease Craig and Bonnie Laughton from attending to Philadelphia for Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Pink Wings.
Their son Scott, the Flyers’ No. 20 decide within the 2012 draft, was set to play his five hundredth NHL recreation that evening. Regardless of seeing their flight from Toronto canceled as a result of climate, Laughton’s dad and mom made it to the Wells Fargo Heart to observe their son attain a prestigious milestone and notch an empty-net objective within the Flyers’ 3-1 victory over the Pink Wings.
“That’s sort of what it’s all about,” Laughton stated. “You consider all of the people who have affected you. They gave me a lot alternative as a child. So take into consideration these individuals and my spouse and all the pieces. I loved that and good to get a win, too.”
In his tenth yr with the Flyers, Laughton is having the best season of his profession. He’s racked up a career-high 36 factors (15 targets and 21 assists) whereas averaging a career-high 19:00 of ice time.
“Proper from the beginning of the yr, simply the chance that has been given to me, I feel, has been completely different from earlier years,” Laughton stated. “Just a little bit extra of an offensive function. Once you’re enjoying that a lot, you’re within the recreation, and also you’re at all times concerned.”
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Breakaways
Goalie Carter Hart (17-19-10, .908 save share) will begin in opposition to the Lightning. … Tortorella stated that there are not any modifications to the lineup from Sunday, so ahead Kieffer Bellows is predicted to be a wholesome scratch. … The Flyers signed former Bemidji State defenseman Will Zmolek to a one-year entry-level contract starting with the 2023-24 season on Tuesday. The 6-foot-3, 194-pound defenseman will report back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the rest of this season. Zmolek, 23, registered 4 targets and 17 assists in 36 video games this season and was a a Hobey Baker Award nominee. He’s the son of eight-year NHL veteran Doug Zmolek, who performed for the San Jose Sharks, the Dallas Stars, the Los Angeles Kings, and the Chicago Blackhawks. … Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman will not play against the Flyers. He was injured on Sunday in opposition to the Carolina Hurricanes and is taken into account day-to-day.
