John Tortorella’s tinkering with the Flyers’ power play continues

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Shoot the puck.

That’s what Egor Zamula has been told his job is on the power play. The rangy defenseman was practicing with the Flyers’ second power-play unit at morning skate on Thursday as the point man.

“I think most dangerous shot is from up top,” Zamula said. “So I think we need to shoot more pucks and bring more pucks to the net. I think we play too much on the goal line, trying to do fancy plays. But we need to start shooting the puck, and goals will be coming.”

Zamula has played the point before in juniors with the Calgary Hitmen and the AHL with Lehigh Valley. In 120 regular-season games, the Russian blueliner had 10 of 19 goals with the Hitmen on the power play, and one of his five goals across 127 games with the Phantoms came on the man advantage.

He has skated 3 minutes and 49 seconds on the power play this season for the Flyers (18-11-4), with those 49 seconds coming in the Flyers’ 7-6 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings before the holiday break.

“He’s been more consistent with his play,” coach John Tortorella said. “I think he seems to be a little bit more confident. He might get some power-play time. We like what we saw in just a few minutes that he had the last game with his patience and his lateral movement with the puck. We’re in the 30s now in the games, he’s seen the National Hockey League. I think it’s helped him not to play them all. And I think his game has gotten more consistent and I think it’s gotten better at the same time.”

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Tortorella doesn’t think the team has figured out its power-play quarterback. He said his defensemen, including Cam York on the top power-play unit, are improving, but “we need someone to be able to settle it down and see it and see the plays. We’re not there yet.”

Another tweak to the power play’s second unit is the return of Joel Farabee, who will be slotted in at the net front as Tyson Foerster moves to the right circle and Bobby Brink to the left. It’s also a spot he’s familiar with, as he played net front for the U.S. National Development Team.

“I think right now when we’re kind of struggling on the power play, I’m really just trying to take the goalie’s eyes as much as I can and try and get shots through,” Farabee said. “I feel like for me, I have pretty good chemistry with other guys on the power play; I kind of know where guys are going, so for me, if I get the puck try and make a play with it ... try and get a greasy one in front, that’s kind of what I’m focused on.”

The Flyers power play entered Thursday at the bottom of the NHL at 10.6% efficiency with just 11 goals in 104 opportunities.

It’s been an up-and-down season for Carter Hart. The goalie has been dealing with an undisclosed illness, but now, as Tortorella said, “he’s good.”

“I feel a lot better,” the goalie said. “Got everything fixed and taken care of and feeling a lot better. Obviously, yesterday was nice to get a full team practice, not a morning skate. So it’s the first practice in a little while so it’s nice to get out there with the boys and get some good work in practice and then today as well in morning skate.”

Sam Ersson will get the start in Vancouver against the Canucks, whom the Flyers defeated, 2-0, in October at the Wells Fargo Center. It sets up a rotation that could see Hart in net in Seattle, a city he knows well.

A three-time winner of the Del Wilson Trophy as the WHL’s top goalie, and named the CHL’s Goaltender of the Year twice, Hart posted a 2.01 goals-against average, .927 save percentage, and 26 shutouts in 190 regular-season games for the Everett Silvertips. Everett is just 29 miles north of Seattle.

“I’ve only played there once,” said Hart, about a 6-2 loss in February in which he allowed four goals on 19 shots and was pulled in the second period. “The first time I missed it, I had COVID. ... Played there many times in junior in Seattle and Everett. The area is just a tremendous hockey area. The fans love the sport. They’ve really supported their team there, the Kraken, and sell out, I think, every game. It was just a matter of time for them to get a team, and they’ve done really well and looking forward to playing there tomorrow.”

Hart will have a contingent in attendance to watch the game and, potentially, Hart in net. Among the group will be his former billet, Parker Fowlds, whom he calls his Gramps. The octogenarian’s neighbors are bringing him to the game.

The game in Seattle also will be a special one for Tortorella. He will become just the eighth NHL coach — and the first American-born — to reach 1,500 games. He is second among American coaches with 722 wins, behind fellow Massachusetts native and former Flyers coach Peter Laviolette. He needs one more win to break a tie with Alain Vigneault to move into sole possession of 10th place overall.

“I don’t even think about that stuff. The only thing, I’m thankful that people have entrusted me to let me work with athletes. It’s been my life. I appreciate people having a little faith in allowing me to work with them, that’s all. I don’t give a [bleep] about the number,” said Tortorella of 1,500, before also adding that he hates speaking to the media.

One of Tortorella’s stints as an assistant coach was in the desert for the then-Phoenix Coyotes, alongside a feisty power forward named Rick Tocchet.

“Obviously fiery ... but really a fair guy. He could give you a [bleep], but he’s the first guy to put his arm around you. I think he’s such a fair guy,” the former Flyers great and current Canucks bench boss said before adding: “The one thing that I’ve learned from Torts is unwavering. Like, he believes in something, it doesn’t matter ... there’s certain non-negotiables that I really respect. He doesn’t care about getting fired. He believes in a certain way of playing and running his team, and I respect that.”

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As for Tortorella, the admiration and respect go both ways.

“I loved coaching Tocc,” Tortorella said. “I remember when we were in the middle of a playoff series in Arizona — and I won’t say the player — but we were meeting with lines, and it was Tocc was the right wing on a line and he wanted to strangle a player on that line. ... I remember Tocc’s intensity because he didn’t think that player was giving enough. I’ll never forget that and I thought, ‘He’s going to kill him.’ That’s what I’ve always loved about Tocc is just that intensity. ... I respect the man. I respect how he played and he’s done a terrific job here.”

Noah Cates was back skating with the team on Thursday. The forward has been out since breaking his foot against the New York Islanders on Nov. 25. Originally listed as being out six to eight weeks, he looked solid skating a solo lap as teammates cheered him on. ... Defenseman Marc Staal and forward Rhett Gardner are the healthy scratches against Vancouver.