The Flyers have successfully set the tone the past two games: ‘It’s our mindset, I want us aggressively thinking’

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Who wants to set the tone?

It’s not just a line from the hockey comedy series Shoresy. It’s a critical element of every game. Who wants to establish the way the team will play that night? For the Flyers, who will forecheck, keep the other team penned in, and set the tone for how the Flyers will play that night?

Center Sean Couturier, defensemen Travis Sanheim, and Jamie Drysdale have been ready, which is good because they were going in each of the past two games. Against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, it was Couturier centering Matvei Michkov and Tyson Foerster with the top pairing. On Thursday, it was Couturier between Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett, with the same blueliners.

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The Flyers beat the Lightning, 2-1, in a shootout and lost, 6-4, to the Hurricanes but in each game, for the majority of the time, they just played better.

“I think that the biggest improvement we need to make as a team is our mindset, as far as being on our toes, and pinching,” coach John Tortorella said after the win at Tampa Bay. “We’ve talked about it enough here the past couple of weeks, not letting teams dictate play to us. I think there’s some guys there that, with TK and Tippett especially, who can skate and pressure pucks.

“It’s not by design starting them … but it’s important when we start a game to get right into that type of style of game. Hopefully, we’ll continue, [and] hopefully we’ll stay consistent with it.”

Being on one’s toes is critical in any hockey game. And no, it’s not just about where your feet are in your skates. It’s about constantly moving, shifting, getting into lanes, and covering your teammates. It’s about playing with some speed, forechecking, and being in the proper position while finding the open ice.

“All I want us to do right now with this team is consistently be on our toes,” Tortorella said Friday after the Flyers quick practice in Fort Lauderdale. “I want us to take some chances. I want us to close out, even if you’re over-aggressive and you give up an odd-man rush, I’d rather have it that way than us be in between. I still think there are some players that are still a little bit too safe. ... It’s our mindset, I want us aggressively thinking.”

That’s what they did on the first shift the past two games. They played aggressive. They closed out. They set the tone.

On Tuesday, Couturier won the opening faceoff and the Flyers got the puck deep. The trio then provided puck support as Sanheim not only pinched at the left point but continued down low to keep the pressure on. Foerster then created some havoc behind the net and got a wraparound chance on his backhand in front before getting the puck up to Drysdale at the right point for another shot attempt. At the half-wall on the left wing, Couturier forechecked and Sanheim kept it in the zone.

The puck did not leave the Hurricanes’ zone for 53 seconds.

Against the Lightning, Couturier again won the opening faceoff and Sanheim got the puck deep. Couturier bore down on Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh forcing him to play the puck up the boards right to a waiting Konecny who sent it around the net. Sanheim came down the left boards as Tippett covered him at the point before the puck ended up a few seconds later on the stick of Drysdale at the right point.

This time the Flyers kept the Lightning in their end for 32 seconds.

But how does it set the tone? It shows the 13 guys on the bench, and especially the next line, how to play the right way. It sets the formula for the night.

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“You want to continue to keep that going,” forward Scott Laughton said. “Continue that pace and continue the good shifts.”

It doesn’t hurt that the captain was the main force establishing the Flyers’ style of play in the last two games — two games where, again, they played much better.

“I wouldn’t say I sent the message or talked it out loud but it’s definitely something that we want to establish our game from the start,” Couturier said. “If I get the start, whoever gets the start, needs to get the momentum on our side and get going. We don’t want to sit back and wait to get into it.

“Yeah, these were two great starts but we just got to keep going.”

Tortorella did not commit to Michkov getting back into the lineup Saturday against the Florida Panthers (6 p.m., NBCSP). “When he goes back in we’ll see,” he said Friday. “Again, as I said the other day, it’s part of the process, and we’ll just take it day by day.” ... Goalie Sam Ersson and defenseman Cam York participated in practice Friday. York stayed on after for extra work. ... Goalie Aleksei Kolosov did not skate. ... Tortorella was not sure who his starting goalie would be Saturday as he did not have a medical update on Erson or Kolosov.