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There was an Actual Flyers Game on Wednesday Night – and Jamie Drysdale Looked Good
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In a minute, you’ll have an opportunity to read a cute little Flyers story – you know, one about the current team involving players on the current team.
In a rational world, that’s what you’d expect to read over your morning coffee.
But welcome to 2024, where what should be the story isn’t, and what shouldn’t be is.
Kinkead asked me to address getting undressed by Flyers coach John Tortorella in his Wednesday night press conference, so I’ll give it a few words here – and just a few, because the media should never be inserted into the story that everyone is talking about.
Here’s John Tortorella UNLOADING about the Kevin Hayes report. #Flyers pic.twitter.com/vecN6KvK20
— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) January 11, 2024
I don’t know if this comes as a surprise or not, and maybe if you know me, it doesn’t, but I have zero problem with Torts laying into me at his press conference like that.
Good on him. He’s a players’ coach. Most people think he’s not, but he really is. He did that for players past, current, and even future. He has their back, no matter what.
What he did is good for the Flyers organization. The last thing the Flyers wanted out of all of this, Kevin Hayes being inserted into it or not, was to be viewed as a team where nobody wants to play. As a team that is disorganized. As a team that is facing a serious rebuild and questions abound whether that can be accomplished by a group that is being run by a first-time sports CEO, a first-time President and a first-time general manager.
They needed the optics to hit, and hit right.
Dan Hilferty, Keith Jones, and Danny Briere did their part with a coordinated message on Monday night and Torts stepped to the plate with all three men on base and hit his grand slam 48 hours later.
Hilferty, Jones, and Briere’s message was for the fans. Torts’ message was for players.
As for me, it’s not my first rodeo. I’ve been F-bombed far worse in the past for something I’ve written/reported. Will it happen again in the future? Who knows. But I’d place a bet on whatever odds are available on “probably.”
Other than that, nothing changes. I’m back to my usual grind today and every day moving forward. I’m still writing here at Crossing Broad and I’m still going to do that silly podcast at the Wells Fargo Center every home game.
And if a certifiable source or three give me a story, I’m going to share it with you.
Back to the actual Flyers….
Jamie Drysdale barely slept.
After being traded to the Flyers in a surprise move Tuesday that had the whole sport buzzing, Drysdale had little time to say goodbye to his teammates and coaches, pack his things and board a cross-country red-eye flight and make it to practice in time for Tuesday.
He had a bunch of stuff thrown at him by coaches, had a lot of anxiety about playing his first game for a new team, and then went out there Wednesday and gave the Flyers a strong effort.
The team beat Montreal 3-2 in a shootout, with Sean Couturier scoring the lone goal shootout goal and Sam Ersson making every save in the win.
But it was Drysdale’s night, and it was capped with an assist on a power play goal that tied the score at 2-2 in the second period.
JAMIE DRYSDALE WITH THE ASSIST ON A MORGAN FROST PP GOAL!!!!!!!!! #FLYERS pic.twitter.com/haLyFWBbvb
— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) January 11, 2024
It wasn’t anything really special. But it’s a play with a little nuance. He is able to draw the Canadians penalty killers out of their lanes and creates the time and space for Morgan Frost to get that shot.
“He makes a lot of nice, subtle plays,” Travis Sanheim told me after the game. “He’s a really good skater who gets up the ice and likes to join, like I do. I thought we played pretty well together, created a few chances and I thought it was a good pair.”
Torts said he could even do it more.
“He’s a candidate to be like a rover,” he said. “Not a defenseman. A rover. Just because of the way he’s on top of the ice – the way he skates. There were a couple times where he was up the ice and we didn’t get him the puck, so he was aggressive. We’re just going to stay on top of him and push it. Push it and take a chance, and I think he’s more than willing to do that.”
Drysdale almost picked up a second assist on a beautiful pass to Frost in the overtime period, but Canadiens goalie Cayden Primeau, son of former Flyers captain Keith Primeau, had a very good game in goal and made a save on Frost. Torts added that Drysdale is going to be a real weapon in the 3-on-3.
After the game, in the Flyers season-long tradition after a win, they identify a player to be their star of the game and Drysdale was it. As such, he had to don the underdog mask made popular by the 2017 Eagles and the junkyard dog neck chain and do a dog impression.
“I barked a couple times, which was pretty cool,” Drysdale said. “That’s a new thing for me. It’s all fun. It’s great.”
With the ovation Drysdale got when Lou Nolan announced him picking up the assist on Frost’s goal, he could be beloved in this city if he pans out as the Flyers hope.
— Anthony SanFilippo (@AntSanPhilly) January 11, 2024
But the thing he’ll probably remember most about the game is not that it was his first as a Flyer, or that they won the game, or that the Flyers flew his parents in to see his first game in the orange and black, but rather the response he got from a very good crowd when public address announcer Lou Nolan announced he had the primary assist on Frost’s goal.
“I mean, that was pretty awesome,” Drysdale said. “I mean, I didn’t see it coming. I haven’t heard a crowd that loud. It’s pretty cool to play in front of them. So yeah, it was awesome.”
Roster Juggling?
The Flyers played with seven defensmen and 11 forwards Wednesday. Torts said in the morning that he didn’t feel any of the regular defensemen deserved to come out of the lineup, so he scratched Marc Staal and Nick Deslauriers.
It’s not an ideal situation for the Flyers to be carrying a roster of eight defensemen and just 12 forwards and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see something give sometime soon.
The Flyers head out on a three-game road trip playing in Minnesota, Winnipeg and St. Louis in the span of four days. It’s likely they will add a forward to their roster for the trip, so they don’t get caught in a bad spot if an injury occurs, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Olle Lycksell is back from Lehigh Valley for the trip. But I also wouldn’t be surprised if the Flyers send someone down either. The only defenseman who can be sent down without having to clear waivers is Cam York, and that’s not going to happen.
Do the Flyers put a defenseman on waivers? Do they part with Marc Staal in either a trade or waive him? Do they move one of their other defensemen? How long can this go on, having eight D?
I also wonder if a forward like Bobby Brink, who had a better game Wednesday than his previous few games, might be sent down to the AHL short-term.
One thing we have learned about Briere as a GM is he always has several irons in the fire. It’ll be interesting to see which one he chooses to strike while it’s still hot.
Anthony SanFilippo writes about the Phillies and Flyers for Crossing Broad and hosts a pair of related podcasts (Crossed Up and Snow the Goalie). A part of the Philadelphia sports media for a quarter century, Anthony also dabbles in acting, directing, teaching, and strategic marketing, which is why he has no time to do anything, but does it anyway. Follow him on Twitter @AntSanPhilly.