Can Voracek Duplicate His Success from Last Season?
Amidst a forgettable 2013 season for the Philadelphia Flyers, the play of Bobby Clarke Trophy winner Jakub Voracek was the biggest positive. Building upon his strong play during the 2012 stretch drive and playoffs, Voracek, who turns 24 today, led the team with a career-high 22 goals in 48 games. The Czech winger was one point behind Claude Giroux's 48 points for the team's overall scoring lead.
Over his last 74 regular season and playoff games as a Flyer, dating back to March 2012 through the end of this season, Voracek has produced 31 goals, 40 assists and 71 points. While it is still a somewhat small sample size, the fact that it was accomplished over parts of two seasons -- and not just in the lockout-shortened campaign of last season --is a positive sign that he's reached the next level of his development. Of course, continuing to play on the same line with Giroux can only help as well.
Two areas to watch for the 2012-13 season: Voracek's 17.05 percent shooting percentage may be tough to duplicate next season. Even if the pucks don't go in at the same rate, he will need to keep on shooting to build upon his full-season goal totals. Until last season, he was always somewhat reticent about shooting the puck. He often passed up open shots in favor of looking to set up teammates.
Secondly, I thought Voracek took a little bit of a backward step in his defensive game at five-on-five last season as his offensive production picked up. He was more likely to leave the defensive zone early and to look to cherry pick in the neutral zone to get breakaway opportunities. One of the Flyers' main goals for next season will be to improve both ends of their goal differential at five-on-five. As the team's two top offensive forwards, Voracek and Giroux will have to be tone-setters in more consistent two-way play at even strength.
All in all, however, there was little to complain about in Voracek's 2013 season. There is plenty of reason to expect that he will produce points at a similar -- or even superior clip -- to last season.
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Thursday Quick Hits
* In addition to Voracek's 24th birthday, today is also former Flyers goaltender Martin Biron's 36th birthday, while Edmonton Oilers general manager and former Flyers center Craig MacTavish turns 55 today. The late Jim Cunningham would have turned 57 today.
Cunningham, a minor league tough guy who became a fan favorite while a member of the AHL's Maine Mariners, played his lone NHL game for the Flyer on Feb. 28, 1978, when the Flyers visited the Boston Bruins. Looking to make an immediate impression, he made a beeline for Boston's Terry O'Reilly. The linesmen pulled them apart before a full-fledged fight developed, so the two were sent off on double roughing minors rather than fighting majors. Cunningham finished the game, which ended in a 4-4 tie, as a plus-one. He did not register a point.
On April 29, 2011, Cunningham died near his home in Shoreview, Minnesota, after being struck by an oncoming train. The 54-year-old was walking along the tracks, possibly trying to take a photograph. He had regularly taken walks on the same path since childhood, and did not feel endangered going along the tracks.
After playing hockey at Michigan State University, Cunningham spent four-plus years in the minor leagues, including parts of four seasons over two stints with Maine. As with many players who were once scoring-line players at hockey's lower levels (he collected 36 points in 34 games for Michigan State in 1976-77), Cunningham had to find a different niche at the pro level. In the AHL, he was mostly an agitator and secondary enforcer. His best season for the Mariners came in 1978-79, when he racked up 223 penalty minutes and 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) in 78 games.
Cunningham's pro career came to an end in 1981, although he made a three-game return to pro hockey in 1983-84 for the IHL's Toledo Gold Diggers. He spent the remainder of his life in his native Minnesota.
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Former Flyers forward Ian Laperriere, now the organization's Director of Player Development, will be participating in the Ironman Mont-Tremblant: North American Championship on August 18. Apart from competing in the triatholon, Lappy is raising funds for a variety of charitable causes: the IRONMAN Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation and Go4theGoal Foundation- Tunes4Teens. For more information or to make a donation,
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