Anthony Richard happy to be back with the Flyers after frustrating demotion: ‘He deserved to be up here’
Richard, 28, scored two goals and racked up six points in seven games for the big club in November only to be loaned back to Lehigh Valley due to a numbers game.
NEW YORK — Anthony Richard knew a call-up was coming. He just didn’t know he would be on the receiving end.
When his phone rang this time, he wasn’t on a golf course, but he was just as excited to get another chance to show what he could do at the NHL level.
Richard, 28, played in seven games with the Flyers in November, registering two goals, six points, and a plus-minus of plus-4 while averaging 11 minutes, 55 seconds of ice time, including on the power play.
“For sure I was a little sad when they told me the news, because you are trying to make the most of every second in the NHL,” Richard said about being loaned back to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Nov. 23. “I felt like this time I was fitting nicely in with the team, with the way they were playing, and obviously, I was doing well offensively.
» READ MORE: Flyers loan goalie Aleksei Kolosov to Lehigh Valley, recall forward Anthony Richard
“The business side is always frustrating for any player,” he added. “But I was kind of happy too, when they met with me, [and told me] it was not about my play. So it gives you a little boost when you go down to keep playing the way I was playing here.”
Before his first recall, Richard had four goals and nine points in seven games with the Phantoms. In the 11 after being sent down, he has potted four goals and 10 points. Richard returned to the Phantoms’ lineup on Jan. 12 after being out for a month due to injury and has two goals and an assist in four games.
A prolific scorer at the AHL level, Richard has six goals and 14 points in 31 career NHL games across four teams.
“A guy who likes to play offense,” as he said in November, Richard is known for his speed. It’s something coach John Tortorella feels is lacking right now with Ryan Poehling out of the lineup.
“I can immediately see, when you lose that type of speed up the middle, it affects your groups,” Tortorella said. “[Olle Lycksell] did some good things. I thought [he] was just inconsistent as far as some turnovers and stuff like that — not upset with him.
“But when Richie was sent down ... he wasn’t playing poorly at all. He really didn’t deserve to be sent down. ... I’m glad he’s up here. He deserved to be up here [and] give another opportunity to bring us some offense.”
Richard plans on doing just that.
“I’m just [going to] play the same way when I was here at first,” he said. “Just bring my speed and trying to create offense by being the first on the puck on the forecheck.”
After skating in the Flyers top- and middle-six in his last stint, Richard will be on the left wing with center Rodrigo Ābols and Garnet Hathaway on Thursday against the New York Rangers (7 p.m., NBCSP). Ābols and Richard played together during the preseason for the Flyers and at the start of the season in Lehigh Valley.
“We were good friends in Lehigh. He’s a really nice guy to hang out with, so I was happy to see him this morning,“ Richard said after donning his orange Flyers hoodie next to Ābols’ stall.
”I watched his game, he did well in his first game. For sure it’s always nice when you play with a guy who you have some reps with, and we played together at training camp, too. So I know the type of player he is. It’s always easy to find you on the ice when you have a couple of games with each other.
The only problem? Ābols speaks four languages — Swedish, Russian, English, and Latvian — but not French.
“Exactly,” Richard said with a laugh when asked about it. “He said he has to learn French if he comes back next year.”
Breakaways
Sam Ersson will start in net for the Flyers, giving him four straight and seven of the past eight. ... The Flyers are 5-0-1 since the nine puppies from the PSPCA were in the locker room. ... Tortorella revealed that the Flyers were close to sending defenseman Egor Zamula down. “There was a time probably about three or four weeks ago that we were looking about going down to the American League and maybe giving him a rest, but then he became a player that really helped us transition.” ... The Flyers play at the New York Islanders on Friday (7:30 p.m., NBCSP+).