Rejuvenated Jagr Showing His Tank Isn’t Empty
VOORHEES, N.J. — Maybe it’s all the young players in the Flyers’ locker room. Maybe he’s found the Fountain of Youth. Whatever it is, Jaromir Jagr doesn’t look 39 years old.
In two preseason games with the Flyers, the NHL’s active points leader has notched three goals and two assists. Two of them — the pair from Monday night — were on the power play. Man advantage or not, Jagr’s been impressive.
It might have something to do with who’s been feeding him the puck. Claude Giroux has five assists so far this preseason, two of them on Jagr goals.
“I’ve played only two games here and of course you can see how skilled he is and how he can pass and see the play,” Jagr said of his linemate. “When you compare to the other guys, his passing and thinking is a little bit different. It’s tough to explain, but his passing is quicker than other guys. You have to be always ready. You don’t know when the puck is coming.
“You don’t know when the pass is coming. How’s the other team gonna know?”
The veteran of 1,273 NHL games is very happy to be getting dishes from one of the league’s up and coming players, one who has only 208 games’ experience.
“They seem to find each other out there,” said Peter Laviolette. The coach will keep the pair together for the foreseeable future. When healthy, James van Riemsdyk will likely join them to form a complete line. Jagr brings the average age on that line up to 28. The 22-year-old van Riemsdyk, and in particular, Giroux, 23, seem to be presenting Jagr with whatever shot of youth brings out the 39-year-old’s game from years past.
But Jagr is here with the clear goal of being successful now. He feels as though he can still do it, given the chance.
“You have to wait for the tough games. You have to wait for the playoffs,” Jagr said. “That’s the most exciting — I think — part of the season. Getting in the playoffs and playing in the playoffs — it’s for the fans.
“That’s when the good players show up. I want to be a good player in the playoffs because it’s exciting and everything you do means a lot. Every goal and every mistake can change the whole hockey game. Everything matters a lot.”
The magnifying glass of postseason hockey isn’t hovering over Jagr’s every move. Not yet. But for now, his game seems fresh enough to fit in with the young guns.
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