Photo Credits: FNG’s Rob Windfelder
The Philadelphia Flyers met up at their training facility for the final practice of the regular season. Tuesday night they will face the Washington Capitals at home in what will be the most important game the team has played in quite some time. In recent years the final game of the season has basically been a formality. That is not the case this year, not by a long shot. The race in the East is so incredibly tight. This thing is going down to the wire and the Flyers are still in the mix.
The mood at the Flyers Training Center was energetic and upbeat. Head coach John Tortorella and his staff were running the team through a number of drills at a very high pace. The Flyers looked crisp and competitive as they went through a number of different on ice situations. The team seemed present and engaged but they also seemed to be having a good time.
All things in moderation
Everyone in the entire building is more than aware of just how important this contest against the Capitols truly is. It could be the difference between going to the playoffs or cleaning out your locker. That being said there was an overall loose feeling to things. Not sloppy or laid back, they were putting in all the hard work it just looked like they were enjoying it.
Of course you want your team to grasp the importance of things but you don’t want them so tight that they can’t perform. Ice hockey requires a constant balancing act. You need to harness the nervous energy without being too nervous. When pressure and emotions take over teams fall apart. You start holding your stick too tight, rushing things, shooting pucks wide, losing track of the fundamentals. Confidence is great, over confidence is a disaster waiting to happen.
The Flyers seemed to be finding just the right balance as they made their final preparations. The last time I was in a locker room with this team was immediately following last week’s crushing blowout in Montreal. To say the contrast in mood between then and now is like the difference between night and day would be an understatement. There are no misconceptions here, the Flyers know what they are up against but seem eager to face the challenge.
Samuel Ersson
When you talk about pressure it is hard to imagine any player that is more key to this upcoming game than the goaltender. Barring any unforeseen circumstances you would have to imagine it will be Samuel Ersson starting against the Capitals in the Flyers net. Ersson has been asked to carry a whole lot on his shoulders this season.
Ersson was never expected to start as many games as he has, but the plot lines kept twisting and turning during the course of this tumultuous season. He went from reliable back-up to one of the NHL’s busiest starters. The 24 year old rookie netminder has already played 50 games this season. The organization has been worried about playing him too much and not giving him enough time to rest and recuperate. But they haven’t had much choice, they’ve really needed him. He has been the difference in so many winning efforts this year.
I had a few minutes to speak with Ersson after practice. I asked him in part about how he is preparing for this final game of the season. First I asked him about the razor tight standings in the East and if he pays much attention to the developments in the playoff race.
“Ok no, I mean I think obviously you kind of look a little bit, but you try not to focus too much on it. Just try to take this time that we have to kind of relax and take my mind off of hockey for a little bit and then when it is time for us to do our job and go out and play then I’ll put my full focus on that“.
I asked, goaltending is such a mental position, “Yes“, leading up to a big game like tomorrow night which is huge, do you try to focus on it? …or try not focus on it? “I think I try to, like today just take my mind off it completely, do other things, try to relax and when it’s time to go tomorrow then that’s when I’ll start focusing on that“.
I said it looked pretty lighthearted out on the ice this morning, not easy, they were running you guys but the mood looks good? Ersson replied, “Yea, I think just what we’ve been doing all year, like you say when we’re here we’re working hard but at the same time we’re going to have some fun with it as well“. Samuel seemed calm and even tempered as he prepares for the most important game of his young career.
John Tortorella
The Flyers coach met with the press after practice and he touched on some of the same themes. When asked about their final regular season game he said “we know the importance of it” and “they’re ready to play“. He readily admits that the team is still building but said “we haven’t been afraid of situations”. “I am happy that the team has the opportunity to be in this situation”.
When asked about Noah Cates saying that the team is comfortable competing as the underdogs. Tortorella said, “I think that’s what you say when you’re the underdog“.
Next up: Flyers vs Capitals Tuesday April 16th Wells Fargo Philly 7PM
