With eight points in nine games, Flyers’ Joel Farabee is ‘starting to find that jump’ again

Over the course of a season, individual progress doesn’t always follow a linear trajectory. Perhaps no one on the Flyers understands that better than winger Travis Konecny, who fought through down periods last season (20 games without a goal from Nov. 20, 2021 to Jan. 15, 2022) before finding some consistency toward the end of the year (nine goals, 19 assists in the final 37 games).

Like Konecny last year, winger Joel Farabee has been streaky this season — in his first 32 games, Farabee put up just five goals and 10 assists. But over the last nine games, Farabee is finding the scoresheet more frequently, registering four goals and four assists.

» READ MORE: Flyers’ shutout of the Sabres the latest example of the team’s progress compared to last season

Through the ups and the downs, Konecny has seen his linemate Farabee stay consistent with his positioning, committing to playing the right way even when the hockey gods aren’t rewarding him.

“Someone that I think taught a lot of us that is Coots [Sean Couturier],” Konecny said. “He always was on me about going to the net, and being in good areas and being able to be above the puck to get the puck back. And I think Beez [Farabee] has also learned that a lot from guys like that.”

Playing smart in the defensive zone and being “predictable,” as Farabee puts it, has helped him get back to his scoring ways. That task becomes easier when playing on a line with Konecny and center Noah Cates, who have each embraced coach John Tortorella’s defense-first approach as a means to creating offense.

Tortorella has matched the trio up against opposing teams’ top lines and most formidable players. While the 6-foot Farabee, 5-foot-10 Konecny, and 6-foot-1 Cates may not be the biggest bodies, they have welcomed that responsibility as a group.

“We know a lot of those big guys, they don’t want to play in the D zone,” Cates said. “And we know if we’re smart in our D zone we’ll play in the offensive zone and hem them in. When we get those guys in their D zone, and they look to cheat or whatnot, and if you just stay smart and play the right way, we know we’ll take advantage of those guys.”

Coming off of artificial disk replacement surgery in his neck in the offseason, Farabee said he didn’t get to lift as much as he wanted to, impacting his strength and his weight. But although Farabee said he still felt fine both mentally and physically all season, Tortorella has noticed that over the last few weeks, the 22-year-old Farabee has played with more energy on a regular basis.

» READ MORE: The Flyers’ Joel Farabee had artificial disk replacement surgery. A spine surgeon explains what that means.

Some of his points have come from lucky bounces — in the Flyers’ 4-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, Farabee’s first-period goal came when the puck hopped over Sabres defenseman Owen Power’s stick at his own blue line and Farabee was in perfect position to collect it for a score.

“A little bit of puck luck,” Tortorella said. “But I think he’s worked harder at his game. And I think when you work harder at the overall game, things tend to bounce your way. I think you earn your bounces.”

Now, with a newfound sense of energy and his consistent commitment to being in the right places, Farabee is putting up points at a pace reminiscent of his 2021 season when he collected 38 points (20 goals, 18 assists) in 55 games.

“I think now I’m really starting to find that jump in the game,” Farabee said. “I think some games, first half of the season, you kind of feel like you’re kind of stuck in the mud out there a little bit. But I feel like just with my preparation and things like that and my routine I figured out that, I’ve been feeling pretty good during games.”

The AHL announced on Wednesday that defenseman Cam York and forward Tyson Foerster have been selected from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to participate in the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic from Feb. 5-6 in Laval, Quebec.

York, 22, played 20 games with the Phantoms at the start of this season (three goals, 10 assists) before he was recalled to the Flyers on Dec. 8. In his 14 games with the Flyers this season, York has a goal, seven assists, and a plus-eight rating playing most recently on the Flyers’ top defensive pairing alongside Ivan Provorov and on the power play. Seeing as he is up with the Flyers, it is unlikely that York will participate in the AHL festivities. The Flyers selected York with pick No. 14 in the 2019 draft.

Foerster, 20, is in his first full season with the Phantoms and ranks second on the team in scoring with nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points. Foerster has played 65 games in parts of three seasons with the Phantoms, registering a total of 21 goals and 20 assists. He was the Flyers’ No. 23 overall pick in the 2020 draft.

This is the first year since 2020 that the AHL is holding its All-Star Classic. That year, center Morgan Frost represented the Phantoms.

Goalie Carter Hart (11-12-6, .908 save percentage) will start against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, according to Tortorella. ... Defenseman Justin Braun and forward Kieffer Bellows are expected to be healthy scratches. ... The Flyers reassigned forward prospect Zayde Wisdom from the Phantoms to the ECHL’s Reading Royals. Wisdom, a fourth-round pick in 2020, had just one goal and six assists in 26 games with the Phantoms.