James van Riemsdyk Breaks Through
WELLS FARGO CENTER — With one goal in his last 13 games, James van Riemsdyk needed something, anything, to break his goal-less stride.
With 33 seconds left in the game, the struggling winger slammed in the game-winning goal against the Chicago Blackhawks. Whatever van Riemsdyk needed, he got it on Thursday night.
“Hockey is a funny game like that,” said van Riemsdyk, who scored a pair in the contest for 11 goals on the season. “There are people who will crucify you for certain things but it’s a matter of puck luck a lot of the time. Everyone is so talented and sometimes if the bounces don’t go your way, it looks like you’re struggling and you’re really not. People who don’t play the game don’t get that, but those things happen and you have to ride it out.”
Maybe the change JVR needed was one of the line variety.
With Jaromir Jagr’s absence, van Riemsdyk was partnered with Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn. It was a power forward’s paradise and it paid off for van Riemsdyk, who played the part.
“We had instant chemistry,” said van Riemsdyk, who gave the Flyers the 5-4 win. “I think we all bring something to the table and it worked pretty well for the first time.”
Maybe it was a change in style.
Despite not registering a hit, coach Peter Laviolette applauded his player’s ability to turn his game intensity up a notch and become a factor. Van Riemsdyk’s first goal was a crease-crasher, as he cleaned up the garbage in front and threw it past goalie Ray Emery.
“I like the fact that he was skating to be physical,” said the coach. “I always think that if you want to get into the game, go out and hit somebody, because it always puts you around the puck. When you start moving your feet, you find yourself around the play and on the puck. He got it going by doing that.”
Whatever caused van Riemsdyk to wake up the scoring on Thursday is exactly what the young forward needed. Confidence has a tendency to relax players and that in itself is of value in the search for consistency.
“For [van Riemsdyk] to step up and have a good game it’s good for him, I think he needed it,” said Scott Hartnell, who fed the game-winning pass to him. “It was a good goal there at the end. When you’re contributing, when you win, everyone has a smile on their face. It’s great to see.”
Laviolette hopes that the win can fuel van Riemsdyk and be a building block to further success.
“Tonight was a game I think he could use to get excited about and try to build off of it,” Laviolette said. “I thought he was moving his feet and he was involved. Especially in our system, moving forward and engaging, all of a sudden you find yourself in the game.”
And with the talent van Riemsdyk has, just getting himself involved in the game typically spells big things for the Flyers.
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