A young rising star, Travis Konecny was sitting in his locker stall, calm, cool, and collected this past January. He wasn’t as vocal as he has been in the past, he was just taking everything in. Fast forward to the bubble at the Scotiabank Arena, and a big game against the Washington Capitals on Thursday, one can bet Konecny will be ready to go, “You’ve just got to get traffic to the net and get pucks to the right areas,“ Konecny said, “You’ve just got to play the same way and wait for your opportunities.”
Konency is an electrifying player. It’s like he’s doing the electric slide all night long on the ice. He was everything and then some this past season. Moreover, it’s great to see that Alain Vigneault and the rest of the coaching staff trusts Konecny, whether it be late in the games, 3-on-3 overtimes, or in shootouts as the coaching staff continues to trust him in all situations.”
The young rising star in Konecny does a little bit of everything. He will chip in on the power play, lay a big hit, block shots, and most of all do anything to help the team win. Featured on a high flying line at the moment with Kevin Hayes, and Scott Laughton, this line just appears to be clicking on all cylinders. Konecny, and All-Star, set new career highs in every offensive category. He has blasted 24 goals, and chipped in 37 assists (Tied him for second on the team with Sean Couturier) for a total of 61 points. Moreover, Konecny has issued out 63 hits, blocked 30 shots, and has fought at times in defense of his teammates. Simply put, Konecny does it all, as he’s learning the game the right way.
With all these career highs in every offensive category, the one thing that needs to start clicking is the Power Play, “Just a matter of getting back to being comfortable and getting used to each other and where we’re going to be on the ice,” Konecny said, “Just going to keep working at it every day. The PK, they’re doing well right now. It’s easy to get frustrated when the power play’s not going well, but if you look at it from the other side of the coin that means our PK right now is right where it should be and improving. So it’s good to see.” Hopefully, the Power Play starts clicking against the Washington Capitals, as it’s a must to have a successful special teams unit for an extended playoff run.
Konecny just has the knack of knowing where to be and when. He is lightning fast, and before a player can blink their eyes, more often than not he’s blown by them. However, one of the most underrated parts of Konecny’s game is sacrificing his body for blocking a shot. This catches the eyes of his teammates and the coaching staff alike, so it’s not crazy to see Konecny in same pain following the game.
His stats show he’s lethal, but it’s intriguing to know that Konecny will play on either wing, which really shows his versatility. Konecny has filthy hands, and has learned to play a really smart game. He wanted to shake the rust off after a coaching change, and also with a new General Manager…and boy did he ever do it. Konecny found a new attitude, and it has appeared to rub off on his teammates.
Konecny is becoming a rising star in Philadelphia. His heart and soul has won over the proud orange-clad fans of Philadelphia, and the new coaching staff. It’s great to see just how hard this young man works on a nightly basis, as he is one of the most unselfish players on the ice, “First of all, it was awesome for Oskar to get that deal and well deserved for him,” Konecny stated, “It’s nice to know we’re going to have him around again, have him around the team. We’re not looking too far forward at the possibilities and stuff. I know Oskar and he’s going to do whatever he can to be healthy as soon as possible.”
