New Lineup Spark: Flyers Find Chemistry with Grebenkin, Cates, and Brink
The Philadelphia Flyers have been searching for a spark in their lineup, particularly among forwards Nikita Grebenkin, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink. With the team struggling to create offense, the trio was reunited after Tyson Foerster's injury forced coach Rick Tocchet to reconfigure his lines.
On Wednesday night, the new combination paid off with a 5-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Brink scored in the first period, Cates notched a goal in the second, and Grebenkin contributed an assist on Brink's tally after collecting a loose puck at the blue line.
Coach Tocchet praised the chemistry between Cates and Brink, who have been skating together for over a year, but had been separated due to injuries. "Those two guys have been playing together for a year now," he said. "So, Tyson went out, put them back and see if they get the chemistry."
Grebenkin, meanwhile, showed flashes of his potential, skated with energy, and made plays down the ice. While his limited ice time – just 12:02 at even strength – was a concern, Tocchet noted that Grebenkin's efforts on the penalty kill were notable.
The lineup shake-up comes at a crucial time for the Flyers, as Foerster is expected to be out of action for several months. The team will need all hands on deck, and the emergence of Grebenkin, Cates, and Brink as a cohesive unit is a welcome sign.
"I thought he had some jump," Tocchet said of Grebenkin's performance. "The penalties kill those type of guys...He sat and then he went out there and he's spinning his legs. That's hard to do, so I give him a lot of credit for that."
With Foerster still around, albeit in an injury role, the team can take heart in knowing they have capable players waiting in the wings. As Cates said of Grebenkin, "He's always flying out there and making plays...So just kinda the more we play together, the more we can learn and build that chemistry and that trust."
The Flyers' win over Buffalo marked a much-needed spark for the team, and the emergence of Grebenkin, Cates, and Brink as a cohesive unit is a promising sign for their playoff hopes.
The Philadelphia Flyers have been searching for a spark in their lineup, particularly among forwards Nikita Grebenkin, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink. With the team struggling to create offense, the trio was reunited after Tyson Foerster's injury forced coach Rick Tocchet to reconfigure his lines.
On Wednesday night, the new combination paid off with a 5-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Brink scored in the first period, Cates notched a goal in the second, and Grebenkin contributed an assist on Brink's tally after collecting a loose puck at the blue line.
Coach Tocchet praised the chemistry between Cates and Brink, who have been skating together for over a year, but had been separated due to injuries. "Those two guys have been playing together for a year now," he said. "So, Tyson went out, put them back and see if they get the chemistry."
Grebenkin, meanwhile, showed flashes of his potential, skated with energy, and made plays down the ice. While his limited ice time – just 12:02 at even strength – was a concern, Tocchet noted that Grebenkin's efforts on the penalty kill were notable.
The lineup shake-up comes at a crucial time for the Flyers, as Foerster is expected to be out of action for several months. The team will need all hands on deck, and the emergence of Grebenkin, Cates, and Brink as a cohesive unit is a welcome sign.
"I thought he had some jump," Tocchet said of Grebenkin's performance. "The penalties kill those type of guys...He sat and then he went out there and he's spinning his legs. That's hard to do, so I give him a lot of credit for that."
With Foerster still around, albeit in an injury role, the team can take heart in knowing they have capable players waiting in the wings. As Cates said of Grebenkin, "He's always flying out there and making plays...So just kinda the more we play together, the more we can learn and build that chemistry and that trust."
The Flyers' win over Buffalo marked a much-needed spark for the team, and the emergence of Grebenkin, Cates, and Brink as a cohesive unit is a promising sign for their playoff hopes.
come on guys! Grebenkin's been playing with energy but still 12 seconds of even strength is kinda meh 
i mean if he's gonna be a game changer he needs to step up his ice time, stat 
and brink and cates have got this chemistry thing down pat, how many times can you put them together before it becomes boring? 
for the flyers! it's great to see them finally finding some chemistry together, especially since tyson foerster's injury forced coach tocchet to make the lineup changes. grebenkin's energy on the ice was infectious, and brink's goal in the first period set the tone for the rest of the game 
. this is exactly what the flyers needed - a spark that could propel them forward and get them back into contention in the playoff race 
!
! Reminds me of when the 76ers had that sick lineup with Allen Iverson, Kyle Korver, and Thaddeus Young back in the day 
. This is exactly what we need for the Flyers' playoff hopes - a spark that ignites their offense 
... but now it's like they've got some real momentum going with these new guys! Grebenkin's gotta be stoked to finally get back out there and make some plays - reminds me of Bobby Clarke back in the day, just a ton of energy and speed 
. And Cates and Brink are like two peas in a pod now, they're so well-matched it's beautiful 
. But you know what's even better? It feels like the Flyers are finally getting some young blood injected into the system - I'm thinking back to the teams of the 80s, with guys like Esposito and Lafleur... there was just something special about that era 
. Anyway, hope this new lineup can keep it going for a while 
!
coach tocchet is a genius for putting them back together again. and i love how grebenkin showed some serious skills out there, even if he didn't get as much ice time as i think he needed lol gotta root for these guys now with foerster out for a while
but seriously though, grebenkin showed some nice moves out there and i'm excited to see him develop more 
The way they moved out there on the ice was like a well-oiled machine 
. Now if they can keep this momentum going, the Flyers might just make a deep playoff run 
.
️. Tocchet's decision to reunite them was pure genius 
. And can we talk about how refreshing it is to see players making plays and having fun out there on the ice? It's like they're saying, "Hey coach, we got this!" 
. The Flyers are looking up, folks! No need to worry about Foerster's injury just yet... 
. Grebenkin's energy was infectious - I'm sold on him as a player 
️!
. Nikita Grebenkin's energy on the ice is infectious 
. The fact that they were able to come from behind and win 5-2 is just a testament to their determination 
, and it's awesome to see them back together again after all the injuries they've been through 
. Now let's keep the momentum going and see if this new unit can lead us to the playoffs 
️ The chemistry is real and it's awesome to see them make plays for each other.
And Cates' comments about Grebenkin just made me smile 
I'm loving the optimism around this team right now. Fingers crossed they can keep this momentum going and make a real push for the playoffs 
I'm loving this new lineup combo for the Flyers! It's about time they found some chemistry on the ice 
️. Nikita Grebenkin's been playing like a totally different player out there, and Noah Cates & Bobby Brink are killing it together 
. With Tyson Foerster out for a bit, this lineup needs to keep delivering 
& now grebenkin's gettin in on the action 
. gotta feel good 4 the flyers, benched foerster or not 
. tho, tocchet better give grebenkin some decent ice time @ evn stg w/out worrying bout his pen kill time 
Their chemistry will be key to the Flyers' playoff push 