Highlights Beyond Highlights- Jan. 20 vs. Avalanche

Joel Farabee’s goal that started off the scoring has two impressive attributes to it. The first is Farabee outmuscling Jack Johnson to get to the pass; he is essentially wearing the defender but doesn’t allow him to get into the passing lane.  The other was Frost’s pass itself, as he came from behind the net and did a good job of looking off the Colorado players like he was going to go out to the point with this, but instead he changes the angle and drops it down low to a spot where Farabee could get his stick to the pass.

Travis Konecny’s goal happens because of the sneaky release.  He’s orbiting the zone and nobody is expecting him of all people to shoot from 54 feet away. Georgiev, at the very least, seems to be expecting Konency to go back against the grain to one of his teammates, or at least continue to kill time until the Flyers completed their change. Instead, he stickhandles and shoots almost in one motion and catches Georgiev by surprise.

The last two goals are combined in this clip, but making a point from each of them – first on Foerster’s goal, this is an underrated pass by Morgan Frost.  It’s not just a drop pass, it’s a backhanded pass with some pace on it that allows Foerster to get a release off quickly, rather than having to skate into it.  It’s another great setup by Frost, who’s started to make a habit of providing them lately with two more today.

On the Atkinson goal, starting when the Flyers enter the zone about 55 seconds into the clip, notice how Noah Cates is more or less in jail.  There are four Avs between him and the other two players across the ice and there shouldn’t be any danger here at all from a Colorado perspective. But as Cates turns to send the puck back out to Rasmus Ristolainen at the point, look where Cam Atkinson originates. He does not take a stride from about five feet inside the blue line all the way to the net; instead, he just kind of sneaks in like a burglar looking to take off with the jewels in the safe.  A few Avs players look at him and one points at him, but nobody defends him.  It’s a nice, veteran-savvy, sneaky little play.