By admin 
ANAHEIM, California – Sam Erson has distracted his thoughts for the past few days.
During the NHL’s mandatory holiday, the Flyers goaltender once again spent Christmas in New York City with some of his fellow Swedes from the Lehigh Valley. He went to Aquavit, a restaurant that serves a traditional Swedish julbord or Christmas table, with a smörgåsbord of traditional dishes, from herring and meat to desserts.
The restaurant has become a tradition for Ersson. As he told The Inquirer last Decemberhe went with his family that year, but spent the previous two seasons with his compatriots at the Swedish restaurant.
This year, a taste of home came at a good time.
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“I think you can use those moments to recharge and take your mind off things for a while,” Ersson said.
A reset is exactly what the Flyers’ No. 1 goaltender needs. He has struggled to find his game since missing two games in November after aggravating a lower-body injury. Since returning on Dec. 8 against Utah, a 4-2 loss, he has gone 2-4-0 with a 4.28 goals-against average and an .810 save percentage.
In the Flyers’ last game before halftime on Monday, a 7-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguinshe allowed five goals on 14 shots and was pulled after 40 minutes.
“Erss didn’t play well,” Tortorella said after that game.
But the past is the past. Ersson will be in goal on Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks (4 p.m., NBCSP).
“(Goaltending coach Kim Dillabaugh) and I talked on the plane about who was going to go, and I want him to come back right away,” Tortorella said. “I think both goalkeepers are trying to find their game. Erss is a very important player after his injury. I don’t believe in the big resets with breaks, but with goalkeepers I think it’s different. I think it gives him a chance to process some of the things that happened.
“He shouldn’t take all the blame for some of the things that happen because we were sloppy with him. But I think goaltenders are a different breed. I think sometimes they have to stop and reassess and I think that’s what Erss is really good at.”
Certainly not all the blame for the Flyers’ recent struggles — they’ve lost four of the past five — falls on Ersson’s skates or pads.
Over the past ten games, the Flyers have averaged 3.50 goals against, sixth in the NHL, but allowed a league-worst 4.70 goals against. Criminal homicide has also had a difficult time and has fallen to an effectiveness of 57.7%. Tortorella wants to help Ersson regain his self-confidence, but knows that besides the blue paint, a lot is still going wrong for his club.
“That’s part of our job as a coaching staff is to figure out how we can help them,” Tortorella said. “We have to get back to some of what we did my first year here and play better for our goalies. And that’s one of the focuses we’re starting with as we embark on this road trip: we have to be better for them. There are a lot of…things happening for them that we need to correct.”
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Known as a coach who likes to build from the ground up, the Flyers focused on defense and protecting their end of the ice in the first season under Tortorella. Last season, his staff delved into the transition game. Now the coach wants to go back to square one.
He also goes back to basics for Ersson.
“I think it’s just general stuff,” he said. “I think before the last game, and maybe before the Columbus game, I felt like I was missing a little bit of the big saves, like the key moments. I still think that’s definitely a big part of it, just coming up with the right type of rescue at the right time. And overall you just have to be at a more consistent level (and) play a lot better overall.
Escapes
When asked about Ducks star Cutter Gauthier’s comments about circling Saturday’s game, Tortorella said, “Oh, I don’t care what he says. Yes, I’m not interested in answering questions about Cutter Gauthier. Don’t wish anything bad on the child. I’m not going to answer any questions about him.’ … Forward Noah Cates has taken Joel Farabee‘s spot on the second power play unit. Defender Rasmus Ristolainen was moved there for Monday’s match. … Forward Olle Lycksell, who was recalled from Lehigh Valley on Thursday, and defenseman Erik Johnson will be healthy against the Ducks.