VOORHEES, N.J. — The Flyers have failed to respond to a regulation loss with at least a point in the next outing only once this season.
That’s the challenge facing the team Monday night after Saturday night’s 7-2 loss to Tampa Bay.
Fortunately for the Flyers, the rematch is against the same Lightning squad that lit up Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Sunday’s practice at the Flyers Training Center looked and sounded fairly animated, and for good reason.
“It was one of those games where you’ve got to flush it down and move on as quick as possible,” captain Sean Couturier said. “It wasn’t pretty. Like we did all year, we responded pretty well so that’s what we have to do.”
The Flyers went through the usual video session to break down what went right and what went wrong, with plenty of footage reviewing things the Flyers need to work on. Philadelphia has suffered back-to-back regulation losses only once this year, so Monday night’s game should be a source of pride.
“That’s a hell of a stat after a loss,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “We gave them some information and we’ll see if it works tomorrow. We can hang our hat on something like that. I’ll think you will see much better decision-making.”
Nick Seeler said the video sessions were productive. He expects a much more competitive game on Monday.
“The score probably doesn’t reflect some of the good minutes we played,” said Seeler, mindful it was a one-goal game well into the second period. “We need to learn from the little details, what we need to fix. They’re a really good hockey team. We have to have a structured 60 minutes, not get loose and turn pucks over. Stay above their guys. So I think there’s absolutely motivation for tomorrow.”
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Travis Konecny, who missed Saturday’s game due to injury, practice Sunday but got dinged early in the session.
“He got a shot off his knee,” Tocchet said. “I think it was the first drill. Kind of a nerve thing. Hopefully it wakes up a little bit. Kind of a dead leg type of thing. So we’ll see about tomorrow.”
The Flyers have had their share of injuries. Jamie Drysdale and Bobby Brink were hurt Tuesday. Both skated Sunday. Drysdale is on IR and will not play Monday. Tocchet said he believes Brink will be ready.
“It seems like injuries come in bunches,” Tocchet said. “Like they don’t come every once in a while. You get like one, two, three, four in a row. So maybe it’s our turn now.”
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Goaltender Sam Ersson was in goal for all seven Tampa scores. It was the first time the Flyers had allowed more than five goals in a game this season.
“To me, it’s the mental part. I talked to him,” Tocchet said. “For me, you just have to roll up your sleeves and grind away. We all go through our ups and downs. He needs a support group and we’re here to support him. He’s an accountability guy. But we’re all embarrassed. It’s how you react. He’s a character guy. When his number gets called, he’ll be ready to go.”
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Garnet Hathaway might have played his best game of the season Saturday. He scored his first goal (and first point) of the season, had a fight and played with a scrappy attitude most of the game.
Tocchet said he’s had some talks with Hathaway, and the message seemed to be there’s no more time to waste. He has to be a productive player. His first point came in his 37th game of the season.
“Just from the conversations we’ve had, what he was saying to me was he’s a pro,” Tocchet said. “He said ‘I can’t waste any time. I have to practice with the coaches, watch video.’ If he’s not playing, he’s on the ice working hard.”
When his game is up to speed, Hathaway can be a valuable fourth-liner. An early fight can get the crowd and the bench into it. That was something the Flyers missed when he sat out about two weeks. But he stayed patient.
“I respect that a lot,” Tocchet said. “He wasn’t pouting. I told him ‘I hope you’re mad that you’re not playing.’ He said, ‘I can’t waste my time. When I get to the rink, I have to make sure I put good time in.’ I love guys like that. You can see he’s putting the work in.”