Well-Rounded and Rolling Into the Playoffs
As the Flyers are starting to solidify themselves as a playoff team this season, there are many different points that we could discuss that have gotten us to a 36-20-7 record thus far.
One of the greatest points that could be easily missed would be the upgraded play of the bottom of the lineup, especially players we did not expect to give as much of an impact for the club.
First up is Tyler Pitlick, who has 17 points so far this season, and has shown a lot of hustle when he’s on the ice. One great indicator of his positive play is his career-high PDO of 103.2, and a team 15% shooting percentage while he is on the ice.
This means that while he’s out there, his linemates are getting open for good looks and finding each other often. The other advantage Pitlick brings is he has a great shot for a bottom 6 forward that catches opposing goalies off guard.
Up next is Nicolas Aube-Kubel (NAK), who was originally a second-round pick made by Ron Hextall back in 2014.
He’s been around the organization as a Phantom since 2015 and got his first call-up last year where he played 9 games but registered zero points.
This leads most of us to believe that he may end up staying as an AHL guy, but once he got his chance this season, he’s been able to make his mark to stay with the team. He has 19 points in the 30 games he’s played for the big club this season and has been consistent as of late. NAK has shown he can be a viable tool that Vigneault can use a night in and night out.
Our third highlight of the bottom six is Scott Laughton, who we have seen in the orange and black since 2012. It seems like he’s already an old veteran since we’ve seen him on the team for so long, but he’s still only 25.
Laughton scored 12 goals while playing all 82 games last season, and has already tied that career total this year playing 43 games. He’s also been great in faceoffs winning 54% and has worked well on the penalty kill. He’s been making a lot of smart plays as seen in the below video against the Winnipeg Jets earlier this month, showing patience and getting the puck to the net
With the two additions that Chuck Fletcher made on the trade deadline by picking up Derek Grant and Nate Thompson to add even more depth at the bottom of the lineup, the competition will stay high for these spots between players. Having these two on the roster will help especially if there are injuries that occur down the road as well. We didn’t lose any roster players at the deadline and got some guys that Vigneault can plug into the lineup.
With the bottom of the lineup firing on all cylinders, this has alleviated a lot of pressure on the top lines when they may have an off game. Having more of a balanced lineup is also going to pay dividends near the end of the season and into the playoffs when the team can roll four lines and be reliable.
As the Flyers have been hot as of late, the bottom of the lineup is doing its part to make this team take another step in the standings.
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