October 25, 2016
Like his teammate Wayne Simmonds, Jake Voracek wasn’t too pleased with the officiating in Montreal last night (Montreal Typical!), particularly an offside whistle that went against the Flyers in the third period:
The Flyers didn’t play a terrible game against what it the hottest team in the league out of the gate, but they just lacked a little something in the third period. And because of it, the Orange and Black are off to a not-so-great start at 2-3-1.
There is a silver lining hidden within another slow start, though: Voracek looks like he’s back to the level that originally earned him an eight-year, $66 million contract. Check this move out:
After making Andrei Markov look silly on that zone entry, Voracek was rewarded with a goal:
Through his first 16 games last season, Voracek managed only five points, all assists. This year, finding great chemistry on the second line with Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny, the 27-year-old winger already has eight points (three goals, five assists) in six games.
As you saw on the play above, Voracek is skating at a high level and making the power moves we saw fairly routinely when he put up 81 points in 82 games two seasons ago.
“I’m pretty confident since the World Cup, so I know what I am capable of when I feel good,” Voracek said. “I feel strong in the skates which is important for me. In the one-on-one battles it’s really important so it feels good.”
Voracek again finds himself as one of the team's best possession drivers at five-on-five, something that the coaching staff is noticing.
“He is pretty consistent all the way through,” Dave Hakstol said. “He was great since the start of camp and all the way through he has been pretty consistent in that regard.”
Voracek had a forgettable 2015-16 season, with the slow start and then a foot injury slowing him during the stretch run and into the playoffs. Back skating like he’s capable of, the Flyers have to be pleased with what they’ve seen from him and the entire second line.
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
