Shayne Gostisbehere is a defenseman that has had his fair share of criticism these past few years. Rightfully so, with his poor play due to injuries, but now he is finally healthy and the Flyers are reaping the benefits of his good play, “I think it is pretty obvious I’m healthy,” Ghost said after I asked him if his confidence was at an all-time high following the 5-4 victory to the Buffalo Sabres about a month ago, “I think that’s one of the biggest attributes to that. When you get in the groove, you’re in the groove. I’m seeing the plays before I get the puck and I’m making them without hesitation. That’s when you know you have the confidence. It’s going out there, knowing who you’re out with, make the plays and hopefully it goes good for you.”
He seems to have his old swagger back, and that was made evident after another Ghost bomb after another Ghost bomb. Ghost now has eight goals and eight assists on the season. Talk about redemption after being waived, as Ghost is a Veteran that hails from the great state of Florida. For three years Ghost attended a very good hockey college of Union College in Upstate New York, until he eventually he found himself playing for the Adirondack Phantoms in 2013-14, to which they became the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2014-15. Ghost quickly became an integral part of the Flyers Power Play in 2015-16, which was his first full season with the orange and black. For his rookie campaign, Ghost tallied eight PP goals, as he owned a rocket from the point. Moreover, the way he is able to hold the puck in on the blue line while on the Flyers are on the man advantage, cannot be taken for granted either. Since his coming out party in 2015-16, Ghost has registered 21 PP goals, which includes the 2018-19 season, as well.
Ghost, now 28-years-old was primed and ready for a big season last season. Unfortunately, it was anything but blissful, as he only registered nine goals (4 PP goals), and 28 assists for a total of 37 points in 78 games played. These numbers are way down from the career year that he set in 2017-18 when he finished 10th in the league in the Norris Trophy Voting (Awarded to the Best Defenseman). For the 2017-18 season, Ghost tallied 13 goals (7 PP goals) and registered 52 assists in 78 games played.
To put the 2018-19 season into perspective, Ghost’s production was nearly half of what he produced in 2017-18. To make matters worse, he was placed on the 2nd PP at times last season, and Ghost just wanted to get better, but he appeared to be hurt at times.
Ghost struggled mightily last season. There is no denying that Ghost’s reduced production was in large part due a knee injury that may have never recovered. He played in two games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on a conditioning stint last season tallying one assist in the process. His injury hurt with the man advantage, and it also hurt while transitioning out of the Defensive Zone to the Offensive Zone.
When healthy Ghost is an integral player on the Power Play. Head Coach Alain Vigneault and Assistant Coach Michel Therrien are using him on the top power play unit, mainly because of his heavy shot.
The 28-year-old in Ghost played a solid hockey game while logging 19:47 of ice time, and registered two shots on net. He was also a +1 for his efforts with this game in March, “It was good for us to breakthrough there and tie the game up,” Ghost said following the win. “I think it was more important for our team to tie the game up, come back. We didn’t have the best game out there, but you find a way, good teams find a way to win.”
The defensive unit has struggled mightily this season with transitioning from defense to offense. There just hasn’t been good puck support by the defensemen to lead the rush up the ice, coupled with bad breakouts/exits. Hopefully the defensive unit becomes a consistent one in the near future, as the team is dependent on such, however, Ghost and Samuel Morin seemed to have some good chemistry, “Ghost is one of my really good friends here,” Samuel Morin said the day after Ghost passed through waivers. “I’m happy he’s still here. I’m sure he’s going to help us in the long game.”
“I think the O zone, we don’t need to touch that,” Ghost said. “We had some good chances. I know the shots don’t speak for themselves. We had our chances. We were moving the puck. We were sustaining pressure. I think just down low we need to be a 5-man unit and be on the same page. It’s these little bumps here and there behind the net that we have to trust our guys there and have our wingers do their job to get the puck out.”
There is no doubt that Ghost has rebounded in a big way this season. Whatever the case maybe Ghost may have his swagger back, which could only spell good news for the orange and black.
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I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ghost play worse than in that last NYR game. Turnover machine, not physical. But we will keep him over Hagg which is how this team keeps ending up with defensemen who can’t play defense. (See also Street,.MacDonald, Gustafson, etc.).
Adam, I think Hagg is a player the Flyers can’t afford to lose, but may lose to Seattle in June. If I were picking a player off of the Flyers, Hagg would be my choice. Physical defensemen who are still fairly young and improving with experience are hard to find. Hagg is getting better as a player every year and is going to be an asset on the penalty kill. The Flyers can’t afford to lose a player like Hagg, but they can’t protect him either. We can only hope Seattle sees him as a plain vanilla type player and takes Ghost, or a forward instead.
My protected list 7/3
Forwards: Giroux, Hayes, Couturier, Konecny, Patrick, Laughten, Aube Kubel
Defense: Provorov, Sanheim, Myers G: Hart
Protected list 8 skaters: Giroux, Hayes, Konecny, Couturier, Provorov, Sanheim, Myers, Hagg G: Hart
If Flyers protect 8 skaters, they lose Scott Laughten. If they protect 7 fwds, 3 defensemen, they lose Robert Hagg
Gregg Lorenz. Bucks Co.
Gregg — agree completely. I thought they were playing Ghost a lot lately either to hope he rediscovers his form OR showcase him to maybe get Seattle to take him. I think that effort has failed on both counts.
I think the Flyers have to go 7/3. I like that you kept Aube-Kubel and Laughton and I do absolutely think they will protect Laughton (as they should) after he re-upped. But I think after G and Hayes, it’s Coots. Laughton and Konecny, which leaves just 2 more forwards. I can’t see how they protect both Lindblom and Patrick, but if they do, Kubel is likely to go. I thought Lindblom would be protected for sure after they extended him, and thought they wouldn’t give up on Patrick yet. But now I think I’d rather they protect Kubel, and expose either Lindblom or Patrick — whichever they think is less likely to be drafted by Seattle. If I had my druthers. I think I would expose Patrick and take my chances.
Also difficult on the D-end after Provorov and Sanheim. Yes, Myers seemed a definite third, but that leaves Hagg in the danger zone. If they end up losing Hagg, they absolutely have to replace him with a big body D-man who can control the front of the net. The current pairings often look like a group of spinning tops in front of their own net, desperately searching for the puck and completely not being physical while they chase and chase. It would solve a lot of problems if Seattle just took Ghost off our hands and I think I’d be willing to sweeten the deal if to induce them.