Photo Credit: Rebecca McCormick
“He’s our most improved player,” John Tortorella said of Rasmus Ristolainen this week.
One player comes to mind with benefitting from new Flyers Head Coach John Tortorella. It is no other than Rasmus Ristolainen. “Risto” has become a work-horse, and has become a minutes eating defenseman that skates particularly well.
Ristolainen, 28-years-old, is a Right-Handed Defenseman that can be physical and pot a goal as the Flyers found out right before the break. He entered the break on a three game point streak (1g,3a), and Ristolainen has seven points in his last 10 games played (2g,5a).
This Flyers Defenceman has become reliable, and is playing a really sound two-way game. He is a strong and well-balanced skater, and Ristolainen plays with a physical component to his game. Ristolainen stands at 6’4, weighs 218 pounds, and can clear the porch in a big way. He blasted Filip Forsberg with a clean hit yesterday, to which Forsberg did not return back to the game, “I thought it was a clean hit, and an unfortunate result.”
Ristolainen, plays with an edge and he possesses solid puck moving skills as he likes to be involved with the play. John Tortorella is on record saying, “He’s just played well defensively.”
“He’s our most improved player. He deserves to be put in all situations.” – John Tortorella on Rasmus Ristolainen
Risto has logged an average ice time of 18:08 for the orange and black this season, and he could be a top pairing/middle pairing defenseman. Ristolainen has also tallied two goals, and chipped in seven assists in 44 games played. He’s just a confident player, and one can sense it, “I think my game has been getting better every game. I like where my game is at now,” Ristolainen said.
It’s great to see Ristolainen playing well. He’s actually a good player finally, and has battled well. Risto is in the right position to block a shot, and he has been using his stick well to break up a play. In the same process he drives the player into the boards to ensure no damage is done against the Flyers. His quick zone exits have been timely, and it has fueled the Flyers offensively. All in all it’s good to finally see Ristolainen playing like the player he was supposed to play like when Chuck Fletcher obtained him from Buffalo.
