Post-Practice Update (11:15 AM EST)
The Flyers had an early practice today as they prepared for back-to-back games on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center against Tampa Bay and Sunday at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers.
Matt Read (concussion-like symptoms) skated today in a non-contact jersey and did not participate in line rushes. According to head coach Craig Berube, Read stayed out a little longer than he had been scheduled to initially and was feeling a little better than in recent days. There is still no timetable for a return, but it's an encouraging first step.
With Read and Zac Rinaldo (high ankle sprain) sidelined, the team has recalled Tye McGinn
from the Phantoms. Jay Rosehill took most of the line rushes with the fourth line today, but Berube said the decision as to which one will play against Tampa will be made tomorrow. As of now, it seems more likely that Rosehill will be in the lineup.
Flyers assistant coach Ian Laperriere, who runs the penalty kill, pointed to a host of reasons for the success the team has had in that department of late (19-for-19 over the last six games).
For one thing, there has been good positioning and pucks are being cleared from the zone when there is a chance to do so -- as opposed to needing multiple attempts to get the puck to safety. For another, the PK forwards have been stronger of late in assist the defensemen and goaltender in not letting passes and shots get through. The defense has been doing a good job boxing out and blocking shots when there is an opportunity.
Of course, in many cases, a team needs its goaltender to be its best penalty killer. Defenseman Braydon Coburn noted that element has been in place in most of the games this season when necessary.
In general terms, Coburn said that the Flyers penalty killing units have been doing a good job of being the ones to dictate the play. The PK has not been letting other teams play to their own strengths on the power play -- which can vary based upon their power play systems and personnel -- and has been forcing them into areas where the Flyers penalty killers can get to the puck and get it out of the zone.
Kimmo Timonen said that even when the team was struggling early in the season, every one in the room knew they ought to be a considerably better club and would be if they put the talk into action.
At the same time, the veteran cautioned that there are still many areas that need ongoing improvement and there is no room for the team to relax and feel like the hardest work has already been done.
"It took a lot of hard work to get where we are now from where we were," said Timonen. "We are playing pretty well now, and our record has improved. But now we've got to work even harder to get where we need to get, and that won't get any easier."
***************
FRIDAY QUICK HITS
* The Flyers announced on Thursday that Zac Rinaldo, who recorded a goal and a fight in Wednesday's 3-1 home win over the Montreal Canadiens, sustained a high ankle sprain in the game. He will be out for the next six weeks.
The revelation of the injury was very surprising, at least to me. After Wednesday's game, Rinaldo seemed fine. He was in a jovial mood, joking around with the media in the locker room and was not noticeably limping, favoring a leg or even so much as wearing an ice pack (such that I can remember, at least).
* With Rinaldo joining Matt Read (concussion-like symptoms) on the sidelines, the Flyers are down to 12 forwards. The club will recall a player from the Phantoms before Saturday's home matinee against Tampa Bay, with the potential fill-in candidates being someone such as Kris Newbury or Tye McGinn.
* After Wednesday's game, I asked Steve Mason if he felt more on top of the puck and in better control of rebounds in the Montreal game than his previous start in Phoenix. He gave me a quizzical look and said, "I don't know. I guess my rebound control in Phoenix wasn't very good. Maybe better rebounds tonight. I don't know."
I was not trying to be flippant in my question to Mason. I think that his rebound control for most of the season has been superb -- as it was against the Canadiens -- but it wasn't quite up to its norm in the game against the Coyotes. Like a pitcher in baseball who works out of jams on a night where he doesn't have his best command, I thought Mason did a good job in Phoenix of fighting through some adversity, especially in the second period, when he didn't have his "A" game going. By the latter stages, he was locked in again and slammed the door.
That's what a top-flight goalie sometimes has to do, and he did it well.
Actually, one of the most encouraging things I've seen from Mason this season is the way he battled through a slight downturn in December and found ways to keep his team in games. He's been outstanding in most of his recent starts, including Wednesday.
Against the Habs, Mason may not have seen a lot of shots in quantity but he had to make some tough saves and looked very calm in making them. That kind of goaltending inspires a lot of confidence in a team.
* One of the best pieces of coaching that I think Craig Berube has done so far this season was in publicly noting the failure of Flyers' forwards to do their part in the defensive zone in loss to Columbus where multiple Blue Jackets goals were scored off point shots. Ever since then, the Flyers have been doing a much better job of contesting the points and blocking down shots.
If you want to find one big reason why team has been on such a good penalty killing roll of late -- they have killed off 19 straight disadvantages over the last six games -- this is one of the most dramatic improvements the team has made of late. Other teams are having a tough time getting pucks on the net.
There's more to it than just that, of course. The club is also doing a good job at preventing opposing power plays from even getting set up in the first place.
* Starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Flyers fans attending the matinee game against Tampa Bay will have an opportunity to meet Hall of Fame defenseman Mark Howe and Hall of Fame writer Jay Greenberg in the Wells Fargo Center concourse. They will be autographing copies of Howe's new autobiography written in conjunction with Greenberg.
* Heading into Friday's AHL action, the Adirondack Phantoms have allowed the fewest goals in the league (76) by a margin of a half-dozen tallies. They still have trouble putting the puck into the opposing net with any regularity but the teamwide commitment to defense that Terry Murray has instilled and the outstanding season that Cal Heeter is having in goal have been key reasons for the Flyers' farm team has been overachieving despite its modest goal output.
* Flyers 2013 first-round pick Samuel Morin missed last night's game for Rimouski against St. John. He is battling the flu. Morin's Oceanic team was still able to cruise to a 5-0 win.
* I will have a post-practice blog update from Voorhees on Friday afternoon.
*********
Click below to follow me on Twitter:
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»