Playing their second preseason game in as many nights and again facing a stacked NHL roster while fielding a lineup missing most of their regulars, the Flyers lost 5-1 to the Boston Bruins.
Nothing to fret over, as preseason scores are virtually irrelevant. As Owen Tippett told the team’s website after the game, “You try not to worry too much about the score and just focus on details.”
Coach Rick Tocchet said in Hershey on Monday night his focus is on concepts and guys showing they can play tired — 11 players played both ends of the back-to-back games. The Flyers did get tired as the game wore on, with Tocchet saying that he thought the team played OK in the first period, better in the second, and struggled in the third.
The biggest storyline Tuesday night in Boston was Flyers goalie Dan Vladař leaving the game with an upper-body injury in the first period. Here are five more things we noticed:
Cole Knuble is good
In Monday’s game against the Washington Capitals, Knuble showed off his high-motor, high-pressure game, and grabbed a goal and an assist. Despite taking a bus back to Voorhees and then hopping on a plane less than 24 hours later, he looked fresh as a daisy on Tuesday.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the 22-year-old forward led the Flyers in individual shot attempts (seven) — six at five-on-five — individual high-danger chances (two), individual expected goals (0.51), and was the only player with a rush attempt. He tied Jack Studnicka in individual scoring chances (four) and Danila Klimovich in takeaways (two).
He had two giveaways but generated a ton of offense, notably when he came off the bench in the third period, smartly streaked down the center of the ice, and stepped into a pass from Noah Cates out of the corner that hit the post. Less than a minute later, Knuble drove to the net with Carl Grundström but couldn’t beat Boston’s Jeremy Swayman.
“[Knuble’s] a really good, tenacious player, is good with the puck, not afraid to take the puck to the net,” Tocchet said after the game. “There’s definitely a lot of growth in that guy’s game.”
His line, with Jett Luchanko and Grundström, generated offense with 11 shot attempts to the Bruins’ nine, outshot the opposition 7-4, had two more scoring chances (7-5), and had three high-danger chances while not allowing high-danger chance to NHLers David Pastrňák, Pavel Zacha, Morgan Geekie, and JJ Peterka, who were playing for Boston.
Remember Gaucher
Jacob Gaucher doesn’t want to be forgotten. Typically not mentioned among the center depth, Gaucher scored a nifty goal to tie the game 1-1.
The Quebec native got the puck in the Flyers’ end, carried it up the left side wide, cut around defenseman Maxence Guenette — his former teammate with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League — and buried it past Swayman. Gaucher won 50% of his faceoffs (6-of-12) but was on the ice for two goals against.
“Trying to make an impact, showing what I can do,” Gaucher said afterward.
Vets back
Cates and Tippett, who each had their postseason cut short due to injury — Cates suffered a foot injury in the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes, and Tippett missed that entire series with an “internal bleeding issue” and an unrelated sports hernia — got their first game action of the preseason.
“Good to get back into it,” Tippett told the team’s website. “Obviously it’s the first one of many. So, it’s nice to get the reps in and get my legs back under me.”
Tippett showcased his speed and physicality across 14 minutes, 25 seconds of ice time. He had two shots on goal, five individual shot attempts, and three hits. Cates played 15:36, lost 12 of 18 in the faceoff dot, had one shot on goal, and two individual shot attempts.
They played on a line with Alex Bump and, while the trio allowed more shot attempts (6-14), shots (4-7), and scoring chances (2-7), they did not allow a goal against.
Breakaways
Originally slated to play the third period, Aleksei Kolosov came in for Vladař with under seven minutes left in the first and had a strong showing until the third. He finished with 14 saves on 18 shots. Vladař had looked sharp before leaving, stopping five of six. … Defenseman David Jiříček played a team-high 22:46 and blocked a game-high four shots. … The Flyers still have work to do to clean up their defensive game. Brian Halonen made it 3-1 from atop the crease on the rebound of a point shot with Hunter McDonald nearby; Elias Lindholm buried one on a quick shot from the slot despite being surrounded by Flyers; and the Flyers overcommitted to the left side of the ice, giving Michael Eyssimont space to fire home the puck from just inside the right circle.
Up next
The Flyers finish their preseason schedule with two home games, beginning with a rematch against the Bruins on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP). They close out the slate on Saturday when the Capitals visit (5 p.m., NBCSP).