To no surprise, Andrae not backing down from opportunity with Flyers

VOORHEES, N.J. — Emil Andrae couldn't help but smile when asked about the Boston takedown.

As if to say, no biggie, just competing.

In the third period of the Flyers' 2-0 win Tuesday night over the Bruins, the 5-foot-9 defenseman was shoved to the TD Garden ice while battling for a puck. As Matthew Poitras stayed on top of him, Andrae popped the Boston center in the face, eliciting a scuffle and roughing penalties for each player.

Andrae didn't give in. After all, that has never been his modus operandi.

"Of course I wanted to stand up for myself," the 22-year-old said Thursday after morning skate. "The situation was I thought he slew-foot me and that was why I was pissed. After I saw the video there, we kind of tripped up each other [through] sticks and all that.

"I play my game in that way. I feel like I have a lot of competitiveness in my game, I feel like that's what I have to do because I'm a little smaller. So I've got to be a little bit harder."

Emil Andrae and Matt Poitras going at it 👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/xV6KRYc0IH

— Nasty Knuckles (@NastyKnuckles) October 30, 2024

After being called up from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley last Saturday night, Andrae has played well in two games with the big club. So well that he'll be on the team's third defensive pair and second power play unit for a third straight game Thursday when the Flyers host the Blues (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

In the shutout of the Bruins, Andrae made a savvy move to spark the Flyers' offense. Playing along the side boards in the offensive zone, Andrae lifted up Poitras' stick to avoid being stripped of the puck. He then fed Tyson Foerster in the slot for the 1-0 lead. Andrae started the whole sequence with a sharp outlet pass.

"He makes a great play to Tyson on the goal, but the first play on Tyson's shot wide prior to that goal, that was a great transition play up the middle of the ice and he hits him," head coach John Tortorella said Thursday at morning skate. "And if you watch him on the assist he gets on Tyson's goal, it's just such a neat play where he is going to get stick checked, but he stick checks the opposing player's stick first to protect the puck, grabs it, makes a play. That's skill. It's something we need on our back end and then we'll work on his coverages and away from the puck."

Andrae's first pass has always been a strength. The Flyers will want him to improve on knowing when and when not to make a play.

"He has made some plays where you just may have to wait another time of the game to make that play, but that's to be expected," Tortorella said. "His positioning away from the puck has improved. I think [Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere] and those guys and his coaching staff down there have done a great job with him. I think he has played a couple good games for us."

A key for Andrae has been feeling more comfortable in his second season of North American hockey. He started 2023-24 with the Flyers and played four games before going to Lehigh Valley for the rest of the year.

After becoming arguably the Phantoms' top defenseman last season, Andrae had a good offseason and preseason heading into 2024-25. Now, he's trying to show he can stick with the Flyers.

"I feel like I've shown more in my game, more puck-wise, playing the puck pretty good," Andrae said. "But I think there are a lot of things I can do better and I want to keep doing better to stay in the lineup and to stay up here."

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