The Noach Cates line has been one of the biggest stories for the Philadelphia Flyers lately.
In the 27 games (234.1 minutes), the line of Tyson Foerster-Noah Cates-Bobby Brink have been paired together; they have the league’s second-best expected goals percentage of any line in the NHL, 64.1%, per Money Puck. That is just .3% behind Zach Hyman-Connor McDavid-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers.
Bobby Brink leads the trio in total points this season, but Cates and Foerster have been stealing the show since the line was formed.
After the Flyers’ comeback win over the Florida Panthers on Jan. 13th, Flyers head coach John Tortorella said he wanted to see Brink start to get “unstuck.”
In the first game after Tortorella made that comment, Bobby Brink scored the team’s opening score in their shootout loss to the January 14th brackets on Jan. 14th.
Brink scored the Flyers’ go-ahead power-play goal in their 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. He has had two goals in the last three games and is starting to get points for his contributions to the Cates line.
This season, the Cates line has been shouldering plenty of weight for the Flyers. Now that Brink is starting to get scoring, there is no telling what this line can accomplish.
Bobby Brink’s impact on the Cates line has primarily been as a facilitator and a playmaker. His skating and passing ability was creating opportunities for both Cates and Foerster. Now, Brink is getting a chance to score.
Cates Line Since BeingNovember 23rdogether, Nov. 23rd
- Noah Cates– 10 goals, eight assists, 18 total points
- Tyson Foerster– 8 goals, nine assists, 17 total points
- Bobby Brink– 3 goals, nine assists, 12 total points
Brink went through a five-game stretch from Jan. 5th through Jan. 13th without scoring a point. He had five points in his five games before the cold spell but has since snapped out of it.
Brink had only scored one goal in the first 24 games of the line playing together and now has two in three games.
With the Flyers back over .500 and just one point (48) shy of the Boston Bruins (49) for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, getting Brink to score is vital for the Flyers at this point in the season.
Brink will look to continue scoring when the Flyers return home Tuesday to face the Detroit Red Wings at the Wells Fargo Center.
