Scott Hartnell is back.
And Tye McGinn is gone.
That's the crux of the news out of Flyerdom on Friday.
I can't ever recall the Flyers under Paul Holmgren sending their "leading" scorer down to the minors but with 3 goals, McGinn got bounced to create a roster spot for Hartnell.
And while you can scoff at the move, it makes sense because McGinn had not gotten a single shot or point since scoring three goals in his first two games. He more or less disappeared within the lineup and got bounced off the top line.
“It’s not like he played bad. he was competitive," coach Craig Berube said. "He scored three goals for us. He’s just got to learn to be a little bit more consistent – especially when you’re trying to crack it all the time. He’s got to be hard on pucks and be a consistent player all the time.”
Berube is correct. The reason Michael Raffl is still here even though he doesn't have a point is because he's more active on the ice. He's harder on the puck. He battles, especially, one-on-one. He's been creating even though the Flyers, as a team, can't score goals.
“I think he’s got size and skill and can skate,” Berube said of Raffl. “He looks good to me out there. I think he’s only gonna get better. It’s gonna be up to him to be a consistent player night in and night out to do all the little things right.
“That’s what players like him, young guys, have to be consistent in all the little things, all the details of the game.”
Hartnell will play on Brayden Schenn's line with Jakub Voracek on Saturday against the Islanders in Uniondale, N.Y.
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Overlooked in Thursday's 2-1 victory over the Rangers was that Flyers defenseman Mark Streit played in his 500th NHL game.
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