Finally out of the basement, the Flyers’ power play is starting to click with improved health

When defenseman Ivan Provorov set up at his typical spot at the point on the Flyers’ second power-play unit in practice on Tuesday, he had an old friend posted up at the front of the net, ready to deflect shots from the blue line past goalie Carter Hart — James van Riemsdyk.

The 33-year-old van Riemsdyk assumed his usual role as a net-front presence on the power play in practice for the first time since breaking his left index finger against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 23. The Flyers’ medical staff cleared van Riemsdyk for full contact, and coach John Tortorella said that if he receives a “good report,” then van Riemsdyk could have a chance of playing against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

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That’s an exciting prospect for Provorov and the Flyers, who welcomed back key power-play regulars Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny from injury over the last two weeks.

“Getting TK back, having Reemer [van Riemsdyk] come back tomorrow would be also very helpful,” Provorov said. “I think we’re just trying to find a rhythm, trying to find the chemistry, because there’s been a lot of injuries, there have been a lot of changes lately. So, at times, it’s kind of tough to be on the same page as much as you want to be. I think the last few games, things have been the same.”

With more consistency and more experienced players on the units over their last two games against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday and the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, the Flyers’ power play is starting to show signs of improvement. Before Saturday, they were last in the league, converting at just 13.3% (10-for-75). However, over their last two games, the Flyers’ power play has gone 3-for-6. They scored on the man advantage twice against the Avalanche, marking their first multi-power-play-goal game of the season.

Now, the Flyers no longer have the worst power play in the league — it’s merely the third worst (16.05%). While the Avalanche played without some of their top skaters on Monday, they still challenged the Flyers’ power play to get set up. The Flyers responded well to the pressure, according to Tortorella.

“I thought we got ourselves out of trouble when they were forcing us and they seem to have us in a bad spot,” he said. “I think we made some good plays to get it set up again. Still struggling on faceoffs to start it. But when we were pressured and we were in a bad spot, I think we escaped really well to keep it in the end zone.”

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Defenseman Tony DeAngelo, who quarterbacks the Flyers’ top power-play unit, noted that the group did a better job on entries against the Avalanche. Provorov agreed, observing that the team’s timing on entries has improved, as well as its speed and support through the neutral zone. As Tortorella pointed out, power-play faceoffs remain an issue (50.4% overall, 28th in the league), as they went just 2-for-8 against the Devils and the Avalanche.

While van Riemsdyk won’t help in regard to the faceoffs, his dexterity in front of the net will provide a boost to the team. Van Riemsdyk is tied for 23rd in the league among active players in power-play goals with 87. He’s eager to return to the lineup to continue to lift the power play, which was 18th in the league (20%) through six games before his injury.

“I think it’s a small sample size, but earlier in the year the power play was doing really well,” van Riemsdyk said. “We were snapping it around good. Being really productive and it was helping us win games. I’m definitely excited, that’s part of my role, my job, so I’m excited to get back and contribute in that way.”

While the Flyers are getting healthier on the whole, as wingers Cam Atkinson (upper body) and van Riemsdyk inch closer toward returns, center Tanner Laczynski was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. General manager Chuck Fletcher said he is on a “week to week” basis to return to the lineup.

Laczynski, 25, left Monday’s game in the third period and did not return. After sitting out as a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game against the Devils, Laczynski made an impact against the Avalanche before his exit. He scored the Flyers’ second goal in the first period to help the team to a 5-3 victory.

Even before his latest issue, Laczynski had an extensive list of injuries going into this season. The 2016 sixth-round pick had core muscle surgery before the 2020 season that kept him out of training camp. Laczynski has also had surgeries on torn labrums in both of his hips over the last two seasons.

In 19 games with the Flyers this season, Laczynski has two goals and two assists and has averaged 10 minutes, 13 seconds of ice time. He has also played two games with the Phantoms (one goal, two assists).

The Flyers welcomed 9-year-old Zachary Wertz at practice on Monday through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Wertz, the recipient of a life-changing liver transplant, signed a two-day contract with the Flyers and joined the team for a skate at the conclusion of practice. He signed autographs for Konecny, Travis Sanheim, and Morgan Frost, took a tour of the facility, and joined players for lunch. “It wakes you up a little bit,” Tortorella said. “He seems like a super kid. And some of these kids that just really don’t have a fair whack at it, and some of the things they go through with their family, I’m so thrilled that we’re part of [brightening his day].”