Noah Cates slowly finding consistency after stop-start first half of the season

Developing any sort of consistency has been difficult for Noah Cates so far this season, especially given that he spent six weeks of it rehabbing a broken foot.

And when he returned to the lineup in mid-January, Cates had less than two weeks to get back up to speed before the Flyers took a 10-day break for All-Star weekend.

“I think his whole game, I think he’s been inconsistent,” coach John Tortorella said. “It’s been a different year for him. Gets a ton of ice time last year, different lineup, has a major injury this year. I believe he will come around, because I think he’s that conscientious. It’s just been a little bit of an up-and-down type of season.”

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However, in the two games since the break, Cates has put together his first point streak since October, with the game-winning goal against Florida and an assist on Tyson Foerster’s marker against Winnipeg.

Cates’ goal against the Panthers was just his second of the season, but it wasn’t a fluke. He pounced on a loose puck in the offensive zone and cut in through the slot, stickhandling around Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad to find an open lane to the net.

It was the type of play you wouldn’t have expected to see last season from Cates, a very defense-minded forward. He entered training camp with expectations of taking a step forward with the offensive side of his game, but the results didn’t come at first. Cates had just four points through the first 21 games before his injury.

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The 25-year-old hopes that his production in the Flyers’ past two games will help set the tone for the remainder of his season.

“It’s nice to reset coming from that break ... it’s a short season and we’re making a playoff push,” Cates said. “So I think I wanted to kind of reset, start a new season in my own mind, and start off [with] fresh legs, so it’s been good, and I’ve just got to keep it going.”

Lately, Cates has lined up on the left wing, with Ryan Poehling at center and Foerster on the right. It’s a move back to his natural position after he converted to center last year. Tortorella said he doesn’t yet have a permanent position in mind for Cates, and that it’s actually a luxury to be able to use him in different positions for different situations.

Although Cates said he doesn’t approach the game any differently while playing as a center or wing, he thinks playing with Poehling in particular has been helpful for his offensive production.

“I think [playing wing] we can kind of get in on the forecheck a little more, not have as much defensive responsibility,” Cates said. “Obviously, if you’re the first man back, you still got to play like a center. I think it kind of frees up my mind a little bit ... you can even play a little more free.”

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Forward Zayde Wisdom was reassigned from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to the Reading Royals on Friday. This marks the second season in a row Wisdom has been demoted to the ECHL, after the 21-year-old had one goal through 30 AHL games this year. ... In a corresponding move, Matt Brown was recalled to the Phantoms from the Royals. Brown, who went undrafted out of Boston University, was invited to Flyers training camp this season and was recently named an ECHL All-Star. He has 39 points (13 goals, 26 assists) in 36 games with the Royals.