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

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

To no surprise, Andrae not backing down from opportunity with Flyers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

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.”

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…

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