At the Noah Juulsen School for Aspiring Defensemen, there’s only one real requirement.
Candidates must want to learn to get better.
This year, at least three young Flyers “pupils” have picked up enough knowledge to either advance their careers or at least stay in the picture for a roster spot.
At the head of the class is Emil Andrae, who’s been a Flyer regular since a recent promotion from Lehigh Valley.
Also working on getting better are Egor Zamula and Adam Ginning.
All three have been partnered with the veteran Juulsen, who was brought here to share his experience and act as sort of an on-ice coach.
“It makes it easier for me, he knows the system if I have any questions,” Andrae said in recent interview. “He plays a simple, hard game. So it makes it easier to know what we’re going to do.”
Midway through Thursday night’s 3-2 overtime win over St. Louis, Andrae was playing so well that coach Rick Tocchet moved him up from the third pairing to the second tandem with Jamie Drysdale.
“I think we read off each other pretty good,” Andrae said of his partnership with Juulsen. “It was like when I was playing with Erik Johnson last year. It’s pretty easy to come in and feel good about how you’re playing.
“He [Juulsen] is always in the right place at the right time. Even if I mess something up, he helps me out. It’s fun and it’s pretty easy to make the transition into my game with a guy like that.”
Andrae and Juulson have developed some pretty good chemistry. Andrae is up to a plus-4 and had the primary assist on Tyson Foerster’s tying goal in the most recent victory over St. Louis.
Chemistry is achieved when partners know each other’s moves by instinct rather than having to think about it.
“It takes time to know each other, how you move and getting the small details down,” Andrae said. “I don’t always recognize it on the ice but you know it in the back of your head that he’s going to be somewhere.”
Juulson, 28, was signed this past summer and general manager Daniel Briere knew he could be a valuable piece. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound backliner already had 157 NHL games under his belt and played the game with precision.
Working with Andrae, he says, has been easy.
“He’s a great skater, so for me, it’s just reading off him,” Juulsen said. “He likes to get in the rush a little more than I do. He’s here for a reason. So he and I are just doing our thing, keeping it simple.”
It’s clear the Flyers could use a steady pairing on the third unit. All they’re trying to do is keep trouble out of their defensive zone.
“We’re not a pair that’s going to go out there and put up five or six points,” the British Columbia native said. “For us, it’s doing our job against the other team’s third or fourth line.”
Juulsen played for Tocchet when the two were together in Vancouver. That connection helps.
“I think that played into my decision [to sign in Philadelphia] a little bit,” Juulsen said. “Going somewhere where you know the coach, that helps for sure. Right now, we’re just going day by day.”
Tocchet appreciates what a guy like Juulsen brings to the table, especially now on a team which is still in transition.
“Andrae deserves to play,” Tocchet said. “He’s trying to become an everyday NHL defenseman. He’s chipping away at that. Our PK [penalty kill] is pretty high up [at one point tied for the league lead]. Juulsen is a big part of that.
“Even when the other team makes one little play, it might not be highlight reel but it’s hitting the pocket under pressure. That calms people down. Young teams can get antsy. Just having a guy to kind of settle things down means a lot.”
Loose pucks
Flyers goalie Dan Vladar continues to impress with his ability to shake off slow starts. He did it again on Thursday night, allowing two first-period goals, then shutting down the Blues the rest of the way. He’s now allowed two goals or less in nine of 12 starts.
Christian Dvorak continues to put up some eye-opening numbers. He leads the team in even-strength goals (six) and even-strength points (13). Going into the Blues game, he was averaging the most ice time (16:53) per game since the 2021-22 season.
Owen Tippett is approaching some noteworthy milestones. He needs one goal for 100 three points for 200. Since his first full season with the Flyers (2022-23), he ranks second in goals (81), points (157), power-play points (28), even-strength goals (67) and game-winning goals (10).
Wayne Fish is a freelance writer. Follow his coverage at https://ift.tt/WzmCqPd.
