Rick Tocchet Adds Oliver Bonk to Flyers Goalie Game 6 Discussion
Rick Tocchet said the flyers goalie discussion for Game 6 has turned to Oliver Bonk, with the defense prospect in consideration for a possible spot against the Penguins. The Flyers are trying for a third time to close out Pittsburgh at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Bonk Enters Game 6 Talk
Tocchet said Tuesday that Bonk was part of the discussion to maybe play in Game 6. He added, “I’m not going to lie to you, it is in the discussion to maybe put him in,” and said the staff would spend time at the rink figuring it out.
He also offered the clearest sign that the door is open. “That’s something that we’re going to spend some time here at the rink and figure that out. … Sometimes when you put a kid like that in when they don’t even think about it, that’s a good thing,” Tocchet said.
Andrae, Bump, Michkov
The Flyers already made one change before Game 5, inserting Emil Andrae for Noah Juulsen. Andrae played 11 minutes in that loss, finished without a shot, blocked one attempt and took a third-period tripping minor on Evgeni Malkin.
Alex Bump added a second-period goal and finished with four shots after sitting as a healthy scratch in the first four games of the series. Matvei Michkov’s possible return was also part of the forward-group discussion, but the only firm lineup talk centered on Bonk’s chance to enter the game.
Bonk’s NHL Debut
Bonk’s case rests on what he already showed in his NHL debut earlier this season. The 22nd pick in the 2023 draft posted a goal and an assist in 16:28 of ice time in the Flyers’ 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens in the season finale.
He followed that night with a simple postgame message: “I’m just trying to get a little bit better every single day,” and, “There’s still a lot to do.” In the AHL, he played 46 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and recorded six goals and 13 assists.
For the Flyers, the decision now is whether to use that momentum in a Game 6 spot that has already seen Andrae and Bump pushed into the series picture. Bonk’s first postseason appearance would come in a closeout attempt, and Tocchet made clear the staff is still weighing whether the rookie defender is part of that plan.
