Noah Cates’ line simply dominated in Flyers season opener
There weren’t many bright spots for the Philadelphia Flyers last season. There was the arrival of Matvei Michkov, Travis Konecny having one of the best seasons of his career, and, well, Travis Sanheim being slightly more recognized for the workhorse he is? Within that group though, the creation of a certain forward line that ended up being the only truly consistent threat.
Noah Cates, Tyson Foerster, and Bobby Brink were jammed together and has been virtually inseparable since. So much so that that line’s creator doesn’t even work for the team anymore and his replacement in Rick Tocchet, has decided to keep it going and accepted that it was a good idea to do that.
For the Flyers’ season opener Thursday night against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers (in Sunrise, no less), the trend of this trio being able to cycle and apply consistent pressure in the other team’s zone — to just always be a scoring threat or at the very least keep the puck out of their own zone — continued.
Cates did end up scoring the only Flyers goal during the first game of the season, on a little bit of a jammy play that had the centerman beat Panthers pivot Sam Bennett to the netfront, but it went beyond that. Simply put, when that forward line was on the ice, the Flyers were impenetrable.
During the 10 minutes and 36 seconds that the three of Cates, Foerster, and Brink were on the ice at 5-on-5, the Flyers had:
- A 6-2 advantage in shots on goal
- A 13-6 advantage in shot attempts (68.42 CF%)
- A 7-0 advantage in registered scoring chances
- A 6-0 advantage in high-danger shot attempts
- A dominating 1.06-0.06 advantage in expected goals (94.32 xGF%)
- And outscored the Panthers 1-0 (duh)
Not only is that some of the most one-sided hockey possible, but they did it while starting just 37.5 percent of their faceoffs in the offensive zone, fewer than any other forward line for Philadelphia Thursday night. With their deployment alone, the Cates-led trio was starting a step behind most to get the most out of their minutes. They didn’t get to take advantage of being able to start so many shifts in the offensive zone and then all they had to do was stay there and not lose possession — this line had to repeatedly win the draw (or win back possession before the Panthers got a real scoring chance) and then travel a 100 or so feet up the ice to then get their own. Just absolute possession workhorses.
And that’s what Rick Tocchet wants. The new Flyers head coach has repeatedly mentioned wanting to be more of a possession-based team, compared to their on-the-rush approach under John Tortorella. Not trying to score off counterattacks and squeeze the most out of temporary appearances in the offensive zone — sustained, continued pressure leading to second, third, and maybe if we’re lucky, fourth chances.
If the Flyers want to do that as an entire team, they’re going to need a whole lot more cohesive efforts like the trio of Cates, Foerster, and Brink are able to do almost every single game. It felt rare to say a line was leading the Flyers to a whole lot of wins last season, since they finished with the fourth-worst record in the NHL, but outscoring opponents 30-23 when that line was on the ice, was certainly no fluke.
As Tocchet continues to learn just how to deploy this group of 23 players and where to slot them to get the most out of them, we can at least say that there is a pre-fabricated forward line that is doing a whole lot of work and makes them a much better hockey team.
Greg Newsome Gets Candid About Being Traded From Browns
The Cleveland Browns made two notable trades this week ahead of their game with the Steelers.
They sent veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals and also acquired cornerback Tyson Campbell from the Jacksonville Jaguars in a deal that sent Greg Newsome II to Jacksonville.
For Newsome, the trade initially shocked him, but the situation quickly revealed a clear upside.
He went from the struggling 1-4 Browns to the 4-1 Jaguars, who are tied for the best record in the NFL.
The transition marked a dramatic shift in his immediate circumstances and playoff prospects.
In a recent interview, Newsome opened up about what the move has meant for him both personally and professionally.
“Obviously, in Cleveland, you’re sitting there mad, like, ‘We’ve got to find a way, we’ve got to find a way,'” Newsome said Friday, per Demetrius Harvey. “And then when I get here, I’m like, ‘Wow, we just won.’ Obviously, I didn’t play, but we just won. So, yeah, it feels amazing. I’m just going to try to do my best to help them keep this upward trend up.”
The Browns entered the season with uncertainty at quarterback while juggling Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
At 1-4, their frustration is understandable given the early struggles and lack of consistency.
Newsome could see the field Sunday after Jaguars coach Liam Coen indicated plans to use him against Seattle at EverBank Stadium.
Drafted 26th overall in 2021 out of Northwestern, Newsome has recorded 23 tackles and five pass breakups this season.
At 25, he is playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract and will reach free agency next March.
