November 12, 2024
Nothing's coming easy for the Flyers right now, even when they come out on top.
They beat the San Jose Sharks, 4-3, in the shootout Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center, but only after another spell where they suddenly couldn't hit the net anymore and after the Sharks closed a 3-0 gap to force the extra time.
It was their third straight game that went the full distance, and the second of three where stellar goaltending and a re-commitment to harder checking got them by until they could take the wins with penalty shots.
None of it's been easy – not through injury, the latest of which has Jamie Drysdale on injured reserve; not through scratchings, when Matvei Michkov's inevitable (and unpopular) turn in the press box came before returning to score pivotal goals in both the game and the shootout on Monday night; and not through general struggle, as the Flyers approached this week still floundering for any sort of regular offensive output.
But they did find out one thing over this last handful of games, through all the ups and downs: Emil Andrae is ready to be an NHL defenseman.
The 22-year old out of Sweden skated a career-high (by far) 25:40 of ice time Monday night, notching an assist on Travis Konecny's first-period power-play goal, and then getting stopped just short of another helper later on when Konecny whiffed on a wide-open net after Andrae threaded him a slick pass across the ice through traffic.
Andrae looked in control throughout. His skating is quicker, his puck handling is smoother, and his decision-making is sharper.
TK REMAINS ON 🔥 🔥 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BeurSG6PJh
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) November 12, 2024
The signs were visible in camp, but they've translated to the real thing ever since his recall from the Phantoms in late October: He's a far, far cry from the young defenseman who got quickly overwhelmed in his first taste of the NHL at the beginning of last year. He's equipped for the big time now, first-pairing minutes even, as Andrae skated at the top with Travis Sanheim on Monday night and thrived in the situation.
"Well, he's played so well that now he's on a better pairing," said self-aware veteran Erik Johnson, who formed a depth pair with Andrae in previous spots, after Monday night's win.
"Good for him. He played really well and deserved his ice time, deserved his time with Sanny. He looks like he belongs and has the confidence to make plays."
As a second-round pick from the 2020 draft (54th overall), Andrae came over from Sweden late into the 2022-23 season to join the Phantoms down in the AHL, then after a full summer to adjust to North America, had a good enough camp for head coach John Tortorella to offer him a look on the opening night roster for the next season.
But it was too much too soon. The raw talent as a tempo-controlling, puck-moving defenseman was there, but the NHL game was moving too quickly and Andrae wasn't reading the pace fast enough yet. It was clear he needed AHL reps to adjust and develop, and was sent down to Lehigh Valley after a four-game run up with the Flyers.
It was for the best, and now, well, he certainly came back better from it.
"He played good," Tortorella said of Andrae from the postgame podium Monday night. "Played some big minutes against their top line."
All as he's been getting continually trusted with more.
On the scoresheet, Andrae only has two points (both assists) on the season through eight games, and has stayed even in the plus-minus column.
But his play is keeping up, and in bigger spots, whereas it couldn't at all this time a year ago.
Over the past three games against Tampa Bay, Florida, and then San Jose on Monday night, Andrae's ice time has climbed up from 16:07 to 19:55 and then 25:40, respectively.
Trust is building and so is Andrae's case to stay in the NHL, which is going to force some sort of decision, Tortorella has previously hinted at, as another left-handed shooting blueliner once Cam York is ready to return from injury.
"I mean, just trying to do my best," Andrae said from the Flyers' locker room after Monday night's win. "Every game, it's trying to improve. I still think that I can improve stuff defensively just to be more reliable going forward.
"I had some ups and downs in the game, but I still feel like I deserve what I get, so I just gotta keep going."
But there have been a lot more ups now.
Nothing's been easy for the Flyers lately, but in the face of all it, Andrae has stepped up and shown he's ready for something greater.
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