This might be the wrong town to make this analogy but having a reliable No. 2 goaltender is like having a good backup quarterback. It’s nice to have dependability at the most important position.
Brian Elliott is getting the start for tonight’s game against the Islanders (7 p.m., NBCSP) as the Flyers close their second of eight back-to-back series of the season. Elliott also started the second game of the first set, and shutout the Sabres on Jan. 19.
The performance helped steady the Flyers a night after being ripped by Buffalo, 6-1.
Elliott is 2-0 with a 1.98 goals against average in three games this season. He played well in his only start against the Islanders in last season’s playoffs, making 30 saves in a Game 4 loss that put the Islanders up 3-1.
Islanders rookie backup Ilya Sorokin also is expected to start. New York has yet to score a goal for Sorokin, who is 0-2 with a 3.57 GAA. He was roughed up in a 5-0 loss to the Rangers, but was steadier in a 2-0 loss to New Jersey.
Thomas Greiss, who shutout the Flyers in Game 7 and was the better Islanders goalie in last season’s playoff series, signed with Detroit in the off-season.
“It’s like a mother or father sometimes making tough decisions with their children,” said Vigneault, 59. “It’s not that they don’t love their children, they’re trying to get them to do the right things. That is what I am doing with TK. I want him to play the right way.”
His kids have been winning, but their 6-2-1 record is deceptive. They are one of the worst teams in the league in the 5-on-5 metrics and Konecny, who had no goals in the 7-game playoff series against the Islanders, was in a three-game slump heading into the back-to-back set with New York.
He had one shot on goal in his last three contests.
Konecny, 23, will be back in the lineup on Sunday. The hunch here is that Sam Morin, who played just 5 minutes, 31 seconds on Saturday, comes out. Morin needs some games in the AHL as he transitions from defense to left wing.
Vigneault will meet with the media two hours before tonight’s game, so check back for an update.
“I think [Konecny] is in our top three forwards,” Vigneault said on Saturday. “He’s not the only one that needs to play better 5-on-5. I expect him, when he comes back, to play real strong for us and to play the right way.”
In doing so, Gostisbehere picked up the only assist and became the sixth Flyers’ defenseman to register 200 career points.
Gostisbehere, in his sixth season, has missed 72 games in his career due to injury and sometimes ineffectiveness. He had to sit out the first six games of this season as he battled COVID-19.
“He’s playing really good right now,” said Claude Giroux who was on the ice for Laughton’s goal. “I’ve been through it. When you have an injury, sometimes it takes a little longer to get back to the player you want to be.”
Gostisbehere has not been perfect defensively, but he is improving. He was in and out of the lineup last season, struggling mostly with knee injuries and competition for the final spot on the game-day roster.
“There’s no doubt the Shayne that I’m seeing on the ice right now has more confidence and is making more plays,” Vigneault said. “I can only think it’s going to get better.”
There’s a lot of reward to Gostisbehere’s game (see Laughton’s goal), but there’s plenty of risk, too. Playing on the top pair alongside Ivan Provorov will require mitigating that risk to some degree. They’ll be up against better players, who can convert turnovers with demoralizing efficiency.
Through three games, Gostisbehere is +3. He was -4 in 42 games last season when he was in the third pairing, usually with Justin Braun.
“Right now, you can see he’s powerful [skating],” Giroux said. “He’s playing great defensively with his stick. He’s one of our best D. To see him play the way he’s playing right now, after being off for two weeks, it’s pretty impressive.”
- The Flyers entered Sunday having killed off nine consecutive power plays to move from 29th in the league to 16th. The streak stretches 16 minutes, 55 seconds and includes 14 shots on goal turned away by Flyers’ goalies.
- Phil Myers returned Saturday after missing four games with a rib cartilage injury and played 23 minutes, 17 seconds. It’s a regular-season career high for Myers, who lobbied on Saturday morning to be put back into the lineup. “He knocked on my [office] door and said he was ready to go,” Vigneault said. “So, trust the player that he’s making the right call and that he’s going out there to help you win a game.”
- The Flyers next play on Wednesday when Boston visits. Note the 8 o’clock start time for NBCSN.
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