Defensive pairing Cam York and Jamie Drysdale give the Flyers ‘an attack mentality’

MONTREAL — Interim head coach Brad Shaw’s message to the Flyers down the stretch has been to have fun.

It was an easy ask for Cam York and Jamie Drysdale. The two best buds are back together as the second defensive pairing.

So how was it seeing their names on the board side-by-side again? “We were just like, ‘[Expletive], we better be good,‘” joked Drysdale.

Last season, the two were paired out of the All-Star break, but it didn’t last long under then-head coach John Tortorella. According to Natural Stat Trick, at five-on-five they played the 11th most minutes on defense together at 90 minutes, 20 seconds. This season, they’ve played 66:22 together, with 27:30 coming since Shaw took over March 27.

It’s just two games — York dressed but did not play due to disciplinary issues in Shaw’s first game as interim bench boss — but there has been a vast improvement in the two young defensemen when they patrol the blue line as a duo. While the Flyers’ shot attempts have dropped from 48.44% last season to 44.64% in the past two games when they’re on the ice, goals for percentage (66.67), scoring chances for percentage (50), and high-danger chances for percentage (53.33) have all risen considerably.

“It’s kind of come out of not by accident, but where [Nick] Seeler was when Cam came back, I like that pair,” Shaw said Friday of the new top pairing of Seeler and Travis Sanheim.

“Where we are as a team, to me, there’s a chance to see different combinations right now. I like the fact that [York and Drysdale are] both mobile. I like the fact that they both sort of have an attack mentality.”

But, as Shaw said, “sometimes that leads to trouble.”

“I think it was the last game, Yorkie and I were the two guys leading the rush on a play when [Travis Konecny] gave it to me, and I passed it back door. I looked and it was Yorkie. I was like, ‘Oh my God,‘” Drysdale told The Inquirer on Saturday.

» READ MORE: A year after Montreal spoiled their playoff party, the Flyers are looking to do the same to the Canadiens

There was no harm and no foul on the play, which Shaw also pointed out in his press conference the day before. The former NHL defenseman, who ran the Flyers’ corps under Tortorella, wants his defensemen activated and serving as play drivers — “as long as we’re playing responsible,” he added.

Of course, they do their best to play responsibly, but they are also trying to build chemistry on the ice. Adjustments need to be made as they work on figuring out each other’s style of play. Drysdale used to be beside Seeler, a noted defensive defenseman, and York had been partnered with Sanheim for two seasons.

“He’s definitely a little bit more offensive-minded, for sure,” Drysdale said of York. “He likes to get up in the play, too. It’s a little bit different but in saying that, I don’t think it changes much. Maybe some reads here and there, just getting comfortable with each other.”

“It’s pretty similar, like with Sanny, we both wanted to be in the rush and join the play and be that fourth guy,” York told The Inquirer. “So, you can do it. You just got to be smart about it and make the right read. And if we’re both up there, then we are trying to get back as quickly as possible.”

One big difference for York is that he is back to playing with a right-shot defenseman; Sanheim and Seeler, like York, shoot left-handed. It can cause a few miscues when looking for the blade of the stick to pass the puck to. But, of course, the duo communicates well on and off the ice.

“If we have a tough shift, we’ve come back to the bench and kind of look at each other and say, ‘Yeah, let’s not do that again,’ in a funny way,” York said with a big grin.

And with some chirps, too.

“He gave me two D-to-D passes the last game that didn’t quite find the tape,” Drysdale added with a chuckle. “So yeah, came back [to the bench] being like, ‘Oh, buddy. We got to build our chemistry, eh.’ But yeah, it’s good. Fun to play with him.”

Sam Ersson will start in net for the Flyers against Montreal. ... Karsen Dorwart will make his NHL debut for the Flyers in between Garnet Hathaway and Nick Deslauriers. The recently signed center out of Michigan State will have friends and family at the Bell Centre.

» READ MORE: Karsen Dorwart to make NHL debut Saturday for Flyers: ‘It is going to be a dream come true’