After a 3-0 Game 1 trouncing at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, the Philadelphia Flyers must recognize that the game has changed for them in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A mediocre Flyers offense was already cooling off in the second half of the Round 1 matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins and, by the end, needed a Cam York prayer to beat an injured Arturs Silovs.
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The Flyers’ staunch defense, which was initially tasked with marshalling and silencing the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson, now faces an entirely new task altogether.
Instead of worrying about defense and fundamentals, the blueline corps now has to learn how to play fast under pressure. It’s the only way they’ll bypass the Hurricanes’ disruptive forecheck and subsequently retain possession and create offense.
The problem, though, is that they aren’t built for that, and the Flyers will have to adapt.
Veteran defenseman Noah Juulsen, who has done a solid job for the Flyers in limited action, struggles to move the puck and isn’t capable of using his legs as a weapon.
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The same, to a lesser extent, applies to Nick Seeler, too.
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Juulsen, in particular, was victimized by the Hurricanes’ intensity in Game 1, as he was forced into an error with the puck in his own zone that led to Logan Stankoven cashing in for his second goal of the night, making it 3-0 and effectively burying the Flyers where they stood.
The Flyers have options, though there is risk involved.
Youngsters Emil Andrae and David Jiricek each boast premium puck-movement skills; Andrae is more nimble, while Jiricek is overall more talented.
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The Flyers probably won’t want to throw someone like Jiricek, who has yet to make his playoff debut despite playing in 85 NHL games, into the fire, but other prospects who are considered important parts of the franchise’s future have felt the flames already.
Players like Denver Barkey, Alex Bump, Porter Martone, and Matvei Michkov are all 22 or younger and going through this for the first time, but that isn’t the case on defense.
Jiricek, 22, is virtually penciled in for a roster spot on the Flyers next season, if for no reason other than being unable to be sent to the AHL without passing through waivers first.
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The recent trade acquisition is the Flyers’ most talented defender with the puck on his stick, and it isn’t close.
Will Jiricek struggle with defending and the pace of play in the playoffs? Sure, but didn’t everyone else in Game 1?
If the Flyers want to have a fighting chance for the rest of the series, they would be wise to turn to Jiricek, who can at least buoy the disgraceful power play and help the team move the puck up the ice in transition with his passing skills.
Juulsen has done a solid job defensively, but he’s played more than 12:29 just once this postseason–the Game 6 win over the Penguins that went deep into overtime (14:46).
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Those minutes should be going to a player who needs the experience, if they’re going to be so limited.
It’s clear the Flyers are going to need more juice to weather the Hurricanes, and Jiricek has the ability in spades.
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