Jakub Voracek dropped from Philadelphia Flyers’ top line
Jakub Voracek has one goal in 20 games.
Let that sink in for a second. Jakub Voracek, who had 86 goals in 290 games with the Philadelphia Flyers heading into this season. Jakub Voracek, whose longest stretch without a goal last season was 10 games, having gone his first 16 games without a tally this season. Jakub Voracek, of the 8-year, $66-million contract kicking in next season.
So now Jakub Voracek is off the Flyers’ top line, according to Monday’s practice, as the Flyers are scheduled to face the Carolina Hurricanes and are seeking their first goal in 133 minutes and 49 seconds.
Jakub Voracek is coming off the top line and going to Pierre-Edouard Bellemare’s unit with Chris VandeVelde. Michael Raffl moves up to Claude Giroux’s unit but switches wings with Brayden Schenn.
“The purpose is to score some goals for the team,” said Voracek, who has just one goal this season. “If we don’t score for over [two games], you gotta spread it out. That’s the idea. Last year, when I played a couple shifts with Belly we had some momentum.”
One might say Voracek is looking for that … Belly rub.
Said coach Dave Hakstol:
“Puck possession is one thing. … The way Belly and Vandy play, they play a puck-possession style, especially in the offensive zone. The three of them together can do that well.”
Dave Hakstol’s Flyers are last in the NHL with 1.70 goals per game. Oddly, the last two losses to San Jose and Ottawa were the only times they were shut out.
MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY
