A Gostisbehere breakout would be big for Flyers
The shot from the point hit the post, a shot that was never seen by the Braden Holtby, the leading goaltender in the NHL. For Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, it was a signal of his recent progress: not all there yet, but getting closer.
The shot from the point hit the post, a shot that was never seen by the Braden Holtby, the leading goaltender in the NHL. For Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, it was a signal of his recent progress: not all there yet, but getting closer.
Gostisbehere hit the post Saturday during a second-period power play during a 2-1 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals. The Flyers picked up a valuable point against the team with the NHL's best record.
That was the beginning of a four-game road trip for the Flyers, who came home for a day off Sunday and a practice Monday.
With 18 games remaining, the Flyers have 68 points, three behind the New York Islanders for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Buffalo (66 points) is Tuesday's opponent, followed by Toronto (70 points) on Thursday. The trip ends Saturday in Boston, which entered Monday's game at Ottawa with 74 points.
In Gostisbehere's last six games, he has a goal and four assists and has taken 19 shots while posting a minus-2 rating.
The string began with a 3-2 win at Vancouver on Feb. 19 when Gostisbehere had three assists.
For the Flyers to make a playoff run, the Gostisbehere of last year, the one who was runner-up for rookie of the year, will have to emerge.
After practice Monday in Voorhees, he was asked if he feels the Vancouver game began turning things around for him. Gostisbehere took it back even further.
"I don't know if it was the Vancouver game - it was probably being a healthy scratch three games in a row that was a big factor," he said. "You get to refocus and go out there with a clean slate and clear mind and go out and have some fun."
He was a healthy scratch in the first three games in February. In his first four games back, he had an assist and a minus-3 rating, but beginning with the Vancouver game, he has seemed to be a different player.
Coach Dave Hakstol also feels Gostisbehere's time away from the lineup was well spent.
"There were some things addressed through that week that Ghost just went out and worked on," Hakstol said. "He had four to five great workdays in a row and added a little sandpaper to his game."
Hakstol feels the sandpaper worked.
"Especially of late, I think his confidence with the puck has been a step above what it was early in the year," the coach said.
Gostisbehere, who also hit the post Thursday in a 2-1 shootout win over visiting Florida, has made a conscious effort to shoot on goal more.
"I am trying to get the puck to the net as much as I can," he said. "Obviously, we are not scoring a lot of goals five-on-five and the more pucks you get to the net, the more opportunities you have."
The Flyers are 29th of 30 teams in percentage of goals (41.7) in five-on-five situations.
Last season, Gostisbehere had 17 goals and 29 assists in 64 games and was plus-8. This season in 58 games, he has five goals and 22 assists and is minus-24.
"Last year, everything was going his way and I experienced the same thing my second year," goalie Steve Mason said. "I came in that second year with certain expectations of myself and others have expectations and it is a growing process."
Mason won the Calder Trophy in 2008-09 with Columbus, sporting a 2.29 goals-against average in posting a 33-20-7 record. The next season, his GAA rose to 3.05 and he was 20-26-9.
"Every player is different and it's a matter of keeping your confidence when things aren't going your way, which is easier said than done," Mason said. "You can see he is starting to play with that confidence we saw last year and we need that from him."
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