VOORHEES, N.J. — There was a big crowd, fueled by a season-ticket holder event, for Day 3 of Flyers training camp.
And it didn't see any John Tortorella dramatics.
In translation, the Flyers' scrimmages Saturday were up to snuff. Last year, on the same day of camp with the same event, the head coach had to halt one of the two scrimmages for ... a pep talk.
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But this year, he stayed on his perch. The boards were thumped with heavy hits, particularly in the second scrimmage, and the action was feisty.
"That's how we want it," Travis Konecny said. "I think it has been good so far. In the past, Torts has had to kind of talk us into camp and what he expects. This year, he hasn't said anything. We have just come to camp, everyone knows that we're here to get better and push each other."
After Tortorella's skating gauntlet Thursday, the Flyers have split up four scrimmages and four practices between three groups over the last two days.
"I think the more tired guys get, the more chippy things get," Owen Tippett said. "It's good to have that inner competition and keep the fight going."
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Let's get into three more observations from Flyers Training Center.
Michkov feels the love
A ton of Matvei Michkov's No. 39 jerseys were seen in the stands and along the boards.
The 19-year-old winger was humbled by the support.
"I've never seen that many of the jerseys with my name," Michkov said through translator Slava Kuznetsov, a Flyers consultant.
The prized prospect will play Sunday in the Flyers' preseason opener on the road against the Capitals (3 p.m. ET/NHL Network). Here is the team's game roster.
"It's an unbelievable feeling to see the fans already showing up," Michkov said. "It helps, actually, to go through the hard training. We're doing it for the fans and it helps overall. It's an unbelievable feeling."
Konecny, who has skated in front of Flyers fans since 2015, was impressed by the crowd Saturday.
"Today was a lot of people," he said. "It's great. I pulled in today and I didn't know where to go because there was so much going on in the parking lot."
Size and depth at forward
Nicolas Deslauriers played 60 games last season and only eight over the final month and a half. After being a healthy scratch for much of the stretch run, he has become somewhat of a forgotten guy when projecting the Flyers' lineup this season.
But everyone noticed him Saturday.
The rumbling winger scored two goals in the second scrimmage and was hitting everything. How much will he push for games?
"He's a big part of our club," Tortorella said. "When you start adding people, you start progressing, things change within a lineup. I'm not sure what the lines are going to be. Nick came in good shape again, he's well-respected. I don't know where it all sits, it's very similar toward the end of last year, Nick and I have talked about that.
"He's a veteran guy that commands respect just by what he does. ... But as far as the lineup, I've got to see where everything falls out and go from there."
Deslauriers has skated on a line with Ryan Poehling and Garnet Hathaway over the first two days of camp.
"I would never count Nick out of anything," Hathaway said. "He doesn't count himself out and I don't think anyone in that room does, either. He's a big part of our team and he shows it out there. I think he has more to give than people give him credit for. I was glad to see him do well today and I'm not surprised by it."
General manager Danny Briere also brought in competition for the Flyers' forwards when he signed Rodrigo Abols and Oscar Eklind. Both are 6-foot-4 and were very effective in the SHL, Sweden's top pro league.
Abols scored a goal in the first scrimmage Saturday. He's an intriguing center with that frame.
"I look at him and Eklind, I look at the big size, I think they've handled themselves well in the skating test," Tortorella said. "They're going to get a look in the exhibition games and see where we go as there are a number of other people that I still don't really know. Danny's talked to me a little bit about [Abols], first time I've seen him play. He'll get some time in the exhibition games and we'll make our judgements from there."
More: Frost makes a highlight, lineup talk and more from Flyers training camp
'Big plan is to stay healthy'
Rasmus Ristolainen is on track to play in his first regular-season opener with the Flyers. He has missed the previous three because of injuries.
"It's especially annoying because before that, I had barely been hurt and played most of the games," Ristolainen said Thursday. "I had been thinking about what's the reason and why now, but stuff happens, you can't control it and it's sometimes bad luck, too. I'm extremely excited and the big plan is to stay healthy."
Last season, the 29-year-old defenseman was limited to a career-low 31 games. He underwent surgery in April for a ruptured triceps tendon, his second procedure on injuries in that area.
Paired with Egor Zamula so far, Ristolainen scored a goal Friday in the first scrimmage of camp and has been his bruising self.
"I think it's really important that we get Risto to play more games in the regular season," Tortorella said Friday. "He was the most improved player for me my first year. You guys are up his ass all the time about he's overpaid, he's this, that, the other thing — he was our most improved player my first year. We need him to play and stay healthy. ... He looks good. Big, right-handed D — God, we need 'em."
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