Flyers’ Cam York continues to shake off the rust after 13 games out: ‘Game by game, get better and better’

Playing an NHL game is never easy.

Imagine trying to keep up in the high-paced action as someone who hasn’t played in a while. Not to mention as someone expected to log a lot of minutes.

Emil Andrae returned Saturday in the Flyers’ overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks and felt as if his timing was a hair off — and he missed only two games with a mid-body injury.

“I think that I had better energy today. I kind of saw the ice in a different way,” Andrae said, beaming after scoring his first NHL goal Monday in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. “I think when you’ve been out, I was out for a week, I still think you get some rust in that time, and just get tired a little bit too quick. But now I feel a lot better. I think my skating was better today.”

» READ MORE: Flyers takeaways: Frost and Farabee impress in shootout loss to Vegas

Now picture Cam York. The top-pair defenseman hadn’t touched NHL ice since skating in the Flyers' 6-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Oct. 23 before returning Saturday. York, 23, took a hard hit from Nic Dowd along the boards late and did not return. He missed 13 games with an upper-body injury.

“I felt better as the game went along [against Chicago]. First period, my legs and lungs were definitely hurting me a little bit,” he said with a laugh. “But, you know, that was to be expected. I think going into the game, I knew that was probably going to be the case.

“The second and third felt like it was getting better and I was starting to get my legs under me and just the whole thing of your legs and mind thinking again at the same time. So it was good. Good to be back and get that first one out of the way.”

As York mentioned, this is his longest disruption since becoming a full-time NHLer. He played only nine games before the injury and, at the time, was leading the Flyers in average ice time at 22 minutes, 56 seconds. It was 9 seconds more than Travis Sanheim, who now ranks third in the NHL in average ice time at 25:36.

On Saturday, York skated 20 minutes on the dot and was on the ice for four goals. Unfortunately, two were for the Blackhawks.

But he stepped up late and, although he didn’t get on the score sheet, played roles in both of the Flyers’ regulation goals to tie it up at 2. The game-tying marker was especially sweet as the blueliner set the screen for Noah Cates, jokingly saying Monday with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, “Our forwards aren’t good, they don’t know how to do it, so I figured I’d step in and show them how it’s done.”

It may not have been part of the game plan to be a net-front force, but it certainly helped the Flyers snag two points during a five-game homestand; they finished with five of a possible 10 points.

York had a bit of the first-game-back adrenaline on Saturday but settled in and played better defensively Monday in the Flyers’ shootout loss. He was not on the ice for a goal against, as he skated in his familiar spot alongside Sanheim.

While the Flyers had more shot attempts at five-on-five while he was on the ice Saturday compared to Monday (59.52% to 50%, according to Natural Stat Trick), he had five individual shot attempts and did not register a single giveaway against Vegas; he had three giveaways against Chicago.

“I told myself, for the game, to play as simple as possible,” York said Monday morning before the game against the Golden Knights. “First period I was up and down the rink probably a little too much. But, yeah, you want to just be simple and kind of just get the feel back. Obviously, it’s been a while for me, and I haven’t really had that situation before where I’ve missed time and had to come back, so it’s new for me.

“But, I think just game by game, get better and better, and get back to midseason form as quickly as possible.”

» READ MORE: Flyers’ Morgan Frost hopes playing ‘free’ will help him find his game after recent benchings

The Flyers visit the Nashville Predators on Wednesday (8 p.m., NBCSP+). The Predators, who acquired high-profile free agents Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei over the summer, have struggled this season and are 7-12-3 after a 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Monday in which they were outshot, 46-22.

Around the rinks is a new segment every Friday, highlighting the local ice, ball, and inline hockey scene. Submit entries with the subject: Around the Rinks, to jspiegel@inquirer.com by noon on Nov. 29.