The Philadelphia Flyers' 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in the shootout on Monday night locked up the club’s first playoff berth in five years. It was a gutsy performance that shows just how far this team has gotten since its official rebuild.
Just about everything has come together for Philly since the Olympics, allowing the club not just to make the postseason, but claim third in the Metro Division.
While nailing down a playoff spot is great in and of itself, the postseason ticket could also lock in the Jack Adams Award for Rick Tocchet. The first-year Flyers coach took over from the shambles of the John Tortorella era.
Tocchet not only settled the team down, but he also built on the talent and instilled a more balanced, pragmatic approach.
Sure, it hasn’t only been Tocchet who’s brought the team into focus. There have been other key factors. For instance, career seasons from Christian Dvorak and Dan Vladar have paved the way for this season’s success.
But then again, you have to wonder if another coach would have had the same faith in either Vladar or Dvorak.
Additionally, Tocchet managed to keep the club afloat despite tough losses in Tyson Foerster, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Rodrigo Abols.
There’s one other area in which Tocchet has been a huge factor in the Flyers getting over the hump this season.
Tocchet has been the Flyers’ prospect whisperer
This season has been a challenging one for Tocchet in one interesting area. The former Jack Adams winner has had to deal with growing pains in younger players. For instance, the very public feud with Matvei Michkov has been well documented.
While Michkov had a down year compared to his rookie season, Tocchet prevented Michkov’s campaign from going down the toilet altogether.
Similarly, Tocchet managed to get the career highs in goals and points out of Trevor Zegras. The Anaheim Ducks had practically given up on Zegras. And it’s been Tocchet’s influence that’s helped the 25-year-old find his way back to a productive season.
Tocchet has been a tremendous influence on other rising stars like Alex Bump, Denver Barkey, and Jamie Drysdale.
And Tocchet is one of the main reasons why Porter Martone has burst onto the scene the way he has. Yes, Martone is a high-end talent. However, Tocchet’s influence has been crucial in helping the sixth-overall pick from last year’s draft find a niche in the Flyers’ lineup.
While Tocchet will likely face some stiff competition from the Buffalo Sabres’ Lindy Ruff and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Dan Muse, there’s little doubt that Tocchet should get plenty of consideration for the Jack Adams this season.
If voters come to their senses, they’ll see that there really is no better choice for the award this season than the Flyers’ bench boss.
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