How Joel Farabee's return has helped bring balance to the Flyers' scoring attack

PHILADELPHIA It was an early-season storyline that stuck in John Tortorellas craw.

Desperately searching for chemistry among his forwards, the Flyers coach wasnt just placing them in the proverbial blender, but it seemed as if he was actively attempting to use every combination mathematically possible.

Advertisement When he was informed that the national TNT broadcast used a certain social media post about his frequent shuffling in its pregame coverage on Oct.

23 ahead of the Flyers- Capitals game, Tortorella defended himself, saying, Were not creating offense.

...

So, tell TNT to kiss my a.

Or, you (looking in the direction of the author of that social media post), kiss my a.

Three months later, perhaps its time for everyone to pucker up.

The Flyers, 5-0-1 in their last six games heading into Thursday nights meeting with the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, lately have benefited from a balanced offensive attack courtesy of some line combinations that are working well with one another.

The recent surge has them back in the playoff discussion.

Lately its been the Sean Couturier-Joel Farabee- Matvei Michkov line leading the charge.

They were put together three games ago after Farabee returned from being a healthy scratch for the three games prior, and have been dominant in what is now a three-game winning streak.

In 25 minutes of ice time at five-on-five, the Flyers have outscored their opponents 3-0, have an 80 percent shot-share (20-5), and a whopping 86.3 expected-goals share, per Natural Stat Trick.

That was probably our best offensive line tonight, Tortorella said, after a 2-1 overtime win over Detroit on Tuesday at Wells Fargo Center.

Prior games they brought some offense, also.

Farabee, who has one goal and three assists in three games since returning to the lineup including the only goal in regulation on Tuesday, offered his perspective of whats been working.

I think (Couturier) is really responsible.

I kind of know exactly where hes going to be, and (Michkov) is a bit of a wild card, but he makes so many good little plays, so many plays you dont think anythings there, and he finds a guy, Farabee said.

I think as the seasons gone on here, weve kind of built a little chemistry.

Advertisement Farabee, in particular, has been in focus lately.

It surely wasnt easy for him to sit out the Flyers rousing 6-0 home win against Cutter Gauthier and the Ducks , a scratching that ended a 216-game iron-man streak.

He had to wait his turn to get back in as the Flyers built off of that win in their next game, a come-from-behind 4-3 triumph over the Florida Panthers .

But general manager Daniel Briere, speaking on Tuesday , offered the 24-year-old a vote of confidence for how the forward handled that three-game stint in the press box, saying Farabee is back to making a lot of subtle, little plays that you dont always see in a game.

Farabee agreed.

Being out, just watching my previous games before that, something I wanted to focus on, and Danny talked to me about, was just getting back on the inside, trying to make plays in the middle and not just standing on the perimeter, and things like that, Farabee said.

Im not really going out there and doing anything crazy different, just the idea of when I dont have the puck, try to get to the net and try to get on the inside.

Said Couturier: I think hes just going out and playing his game, not really overthinking it.

Reacting to plays.

I think as a line, even with (Michkov), were finding each other pretty well out there and making plays.

Others are, too.

Since the Flyers six-game point streak began, they have nine different players with at least four points.

Travis Konecny leads the way with eight (one goal, seven assists), followed by Michkov, Morgan Frost , Noah Cates and Owen Tippett , all of whom have five points.

Six different players have at least two goals over that span, too.

The Konecny-Frost-Tippett line had an off night on Tuesday, but Konecny, of course, has been the Flyers most dangerous player all season.

Frost is now scoreless in his last two games, but had a five-game point streak just before that (four goals, two assists).

The Cates line, with Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink , has been effective for some time now, and with a 63.9 percent expected goals share, is ninth in the NHL among lines that have played at least 150 minutes together, per Moneypuck.

It was notable in overtime on Tuesday that as soon as Couturier won the opening draw, he bolted for the bench and Cates hopped over for the first three-on-three shift with possession.

Advertisement Cates previously erred slightly on the Red Wings only goal, coming just 30 seconds into the third period and which tied the game at 1-1.

He lost Lucas Raymond along the strong side boards, allowing Raymond to get free and toss a backhand to Ben Chiarot for an easy score.

But Cates didnt hang his head.

In fact, he seemed even more resilient for the rest of the period and overtime, winning battles and getting on the inside of his opponents.

In overtime, Cates won a board battle with Raymond 30 seconds in that allowed the Flyers to maintain possession, and later, less than a minute before the Flyers ended it on Rasmus Ristolainen s goal, he rubbed out Dylan Larkin behind the Flyers net, allowing Brink to grab the loose puck and head up the ice.

(Cates) was in good position; it went right between his legs, Tortorella said of the Chiarot goal.

You dont have to say anything to him.

Hes matured to where he just goes out there and plays.

Makes a couple good offensive plays in the three-on-three, too.

The kids grown, and I think he knows it.

As a team, the Flyers seem to be growing, too.

Were finding ways to get results, Couturier said, so thats always rewarding.

(Photo of Joel Farabee : Eric Hartline / Imagn Images).

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