Bubble Watch: Where Things Stand After the Flyers’ 5-1 Loss to the Capitals

The Philadelphia Flyers’ trip to Hershey, PA, was not so sweet. Philadelphia travelled to Chocolate Town, U.S.A., to take on the Washington Capitals in a preseason matchup at their AHL arena, the Giant Center.

It was the Flyers’ third preseason game in five days. Add that in with the grind of NHL training camp, guys were bound to be exhausted. The Flyers looked more than tired on Thursday night.

It never really felt close, with Washington taking the early lead and never looking back. Washington dominated Thursday night, while it seemed as if the Flyers just took a step back. The game ended in a final score of 5-1. For Washington, goals were scored by Andrew Cristall (PP), Ivan Miroshinchenko, Sonny Milano (2x), and Connor McMichael (SH). The Flyers’ lone goal came from the stick of Jacob Gaucher.

It was an all-around ugly game, leaving many speechless. Even head coach Rick Tocchet was searching for words Thursday night. Instead, he just leaned into the fact that his boys were tired and said maybe it was best to keep them off the ice on Friday.

Well, the Flyers canceled their practice early Friday morning. That gives them no excuse for fatigue in their next game on Saturday.

Let’s get into some takeaways.

Read More: FINAL: Flyers 5-1 Loss vs. Capitals Game Thread

Flyers’ Bubble: Who Stood Out, and Who Didn’t

The Flyers’ bubble goes beyond the obvious of Nikita Grebenkin, Alex Bump, and Jett Luchanko. Guys like Rodrigo Abols and Jacob Gaucher find themselves in that very same mix.

All five players were in action on Thursday. Bump had the opportunity to play with Noah Cates and Travis Konecny, while Grebenkin and Luchanko were on a line with Owen Tippett. Gaucher and Abols played on the fourth line with Nic Deslauriers.

Like the Twitter post above says, the first three bubble players have turned heads at camp, when they are playing with Trevor Zegras or Matvei Michkov – highly skilled players. That makes it much easier to stand out.

Alex Bump looked relatively decent, as far as you could on Thursday. He had a couple of great looks, rang iron at least twice, but came away without a point. There is still plenty for him to work on, but of the three young guys, Bump looked best.

Luchanko also showed flashes of what he can be. His brilliant skating was on display. It was also my first time seeing it in a game in person, and it’s as advertised. His hands were quick, and he is a smart player. He made a forward saucer pass to Tippett on a rush, giving him a great look, but Tippett was unable to finish. I’d say that was Luchanko’s highlight of the night. He did not play horribly; he just did not stand out.

The same theme applies to Nikita Grebenkin. I did not notice any major mistakes or see a player who played an awful game. What I did see was a player who blended into the mess, making himself unnoticeable. Once the game was truly out of reach, the fatigue hit the ice hard. Grebenkin was an exception. He continued to play hard, and maybe even a little angry.

While they all blended in, each player did something worth noting.

Who Stood Out

Rodrigo Abols and Jacob Gaucher are not the flashiest names. While they are certainly fighting for a roster spot, their names on the final roster, leaving a Bump, Luchanko, or Grebenkin off the roster, would not help sell more tickets.

However, they do not care about ticket sales. They care about hockey. Both players are fighting for a roster spot, and Thursday was just a continuation of one of their impressive preseasons.

Abols, who has played in all three preseason games, has a point in two. While many players have looked tired after just playing two preseason games, Abols has gone three straight. He is showing his toughness, endurance, and that he can still contribute, despite being worn out.

I do think Abols is genuinely fighting for a roster spot, and at this point, deserves one. Gaucher, on the other hand, may not be in the dog fight for one of the last roster spots, but is absolutely fighting to be the first name called on when the Flyers need someone from Lehigh.

Gaucher scored the lone Flyers’ goal of the night. He was certainly put in a good spot to score, but he was the one who made the moves and put the puck in the back of the net. You cannot take that away from him. But how he got there? That was all Abols.

Abols created his own chance off a feed from Ginning and rang the inside post. He nearly missed his second goal of the preseason. Instead, the puck fell right to Gaucher, who was able to skate it towards the middle and finish the shot.

That fourth line of Deslauriers, Gaucher, and Abols was clearly the Flyers’ best unit on Thursday.

Rodrigo Abols and Jacob Gaucher stood out, while the rest of the bubble blended in.

Read More: PhHN Daily: Flyers in Hershey; Should VGK Say No on Hart?