The Flyers' lineup was untouched for the first four games of the series. Up 3-0, there wasn't a need to make any changes. If it's not broke, why fix it? The Flyers weren't giving Rick Tocchet any reason to believe that the group on the ice couldn't get the job done.
Then they dropped Game 4. Give credit to the Penguins; they were finding more of their game with their backs against the wall. The Flyers lacked the same energy and were caught having to play from behind, which wasn't a first for them in the series. But they weren't able to fully recover this time. So that forced the first major change.
Wanting to find a way to spark some energy into the Flyers, Tocchet turned to Alex Bump. And with him coming in, someone needed to come out. And that was Matvei Michkov. That alone sparked plenty of controversy. Why take out one of your best offensive weapons when you need to score? Because said weapon had zero points and hadn't looked dangerous in the slightest.
But some said he wasn't getting the minutes to do anything. Noah Cates and Denver Barkey, his linemates, managed to produce offensively in similar minutes. But that is a story for another time. Bump came in and provided the exact energy the team was looking for. He looked dangerous, wasn't afraid to shoot the puck, and scored his first career postseason goal.
After dropping Game 5 and facing some similar problems, there's another change that Tocchet and the team have been pondering.
"Well, I'm not gonna lie to you, it is in the discussion to maybe put [Oliver Bonk] in. So that's something that we're going to spend some time here at the rink and figure out. Sometimes when you put a kid like that in when they don't even think about it, that's a good thing, too. But then sometimes you want to make sure a young guy can succeed, too. So, we'll talk about that. It's a good question, but we have discussed it."
Oliver Bonk's possible insertion weighs risk versus reward
The fact of the matter is that Oliver Bonk has only played one NHL game thus far. Yes, he scored and grabbed an assist. But one game is still one game. And it was a regular-season game in which neither team needed anything from it. Both teams had clinched and were playing out their final games of the season. The moment was very different, and there were no stakes in the game.
Now, every little detail matters. One mistake can cost a team everything. The Flyers have not shied away from letting their youth make mistakes and learn from them. However, Game 6 of a first-round series where you're on the verge of blowing a 3-0 lead is not the moment to do so. Bump had 17 games under his belt and showed that he was capable. He had been benched at times during the regular season, but he wasn't being thrown into the deep end in Game 5.
For Bonk, the move doesn't scream panic. He'd likely be playing in a limited role. It's showing that anyone and everyone is held to the same standard, and their place in the lineup isn't safe. That's not a bad lesson to teach. But it has to be done with the right players at the right time. If this were an early game in this series or against Carolina, and you wanted to get a look at Bonk, that's different.
But when you're trying to avoid giving the Penguins complete control of things, you don't make this kind of change. Tocchet didn't commit to it, but the fact that there have been discussions shows that it is more than just a fleeting thought. Normally, the Black Aces, or extra players, don't take part in practice with the rest of the team. But Bonk did on Saturday. This adds more belief that there's more to this.
There is a chance that Bonk could come in and provide another spark. Maybe his calmness settles things down, and the Flyers end things once and for all. Maybe his possible usage on the power play jolts the unit into production. There are a lot of maybes that could be said.
Tocchet will need to weigh the pros and cons to this decision. Emil Andrae, who returned from injury, make some nearly costly mistakes with the puck in the last game. So that adds another layer to things.
If Bonk ends up in the lineup for Game 6, it's because Tocchet believes he can have an impact. And we will all just have to hope the Flyers don't have to go back to Pittsburgh for Game 7
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