Morning Observations is a feature where we break down the previous night's game with an analytical eye.

#1: Konecny put the finishing touches on his case

I believe that last night Travis Konecny unofficially made the Philadelphia Flyers’ roster. We won’t know for sure until early next week if he made the cut, but for me, the 19-year old erased all doubts surrounding his NHL readiness yesterday. Konecny had delivered strong performances throughout the preseason, but had yet to excel in all facets of the game in one night. That changed last night.

The normal stuff was all there — electric speed, top-notch vision and passing on the power play — but added to the mix last night was relentless forechecking, smart board play on breakouts and plus defensive instincts in the neutral zone. The result was a goal, an assist, and a team-leading 76% Corsi For percentage at even strength.

What’s been most impressive about Konecny is that his play has actually gotten better as the lineups that he faces are looking less like AHL teams and more like legitimate NHL rosters. I think it speaks to Konecny’s coachability, as he’s clearly working on certain aspects of his game during preseason (such as breakouts, which Hakstol noted was an area for improvement) and immediately applying it to on-ice play. It bodes very well for his long-term potential, and it also will probably earn him a place on the Flyers’ roster as a teenager.

#2: Provorov did nothing to hurt his case

Compared to Konecny’s fantastic game, Ivan Provorov’s performance last night was nothing special. But compared to almost every other Flyer on the ice, Provorov was near the top of the class. He had a rough moment early, misjudging the speed of Mika Zibanejad and allowing a dangerous rush that only the post kept out of the net. But for the most part, Provorov was his usual solid self.

His passing was especially impressive last night. Provorov was a breakout machine, transitioning play from the defensive zone into the neutral zone over and over again. The passes themselves were invariably sent in-stride and right on the tape, making it especially easy for the forwards to attempt subsequent entry into the offensive zone. Combined with his usual aggressive neutral zone defense, and you have yet another above-average performance from the 19-year old blueliner. Provorov wasn’t incredible, but frankly, he didn’t need to be. He still looks like an NHL player and will almost certainly be in the lineup next Friday.

#3: Second PP unit showing real potential

For years now, the Flyers’ power play production has come almost entirely from the top unit led by Claude Giroux. The second unit was at best an afterthought and at worst a totally ineffective group that had just as much trouble getting into the offensive zone as they did scoring goals. However, if Travis Konecny does indeed make the Philadelphia roster, he very well could add the talent necessary to turn things around for the second unit.

Konecny also plays the left side on the half-boards, the same spot as Giroux. And while he has yet to show the devastating slapshot that Giroux often employs, his passing ability hasn’t been far off from that of the captain. With Konecny functioning as the main facilitator of offense, that allows other forwards (like Sean Couturier, who scored on the PP last night) to act as secondary pieces, roles more befitting their offensive abilities. Can Couturier play the Giroux role on a PP? Almost certainly not. But can he be the Brayden Schenn in the slot? Sure, as long as a skilled forward can regularly get him the puck. Travis Konecny right now is looking like that guy.

#4: Voracek still looks great

In 2015-16, Jakub Voracek basically had the season from hell. He started out on a ridiculous cold streak, possibly due to the extra pressure he placed on himself after signing a mammoth offseason deal, or possibly just due to plain old bad luck. He was then briefly demoted to the fourth line, and when he finally began to find his game, he broke a bone in his foot and missed a month. Upon returning, he was clearly hampered by the injury and could not play with his usual effectiveness.

Somehow, that has led many to believe that Voracek is either in decline, or was never an elite winger in the first place. My guess is that Voracek will be shutting all of those people up this season. For the second straight game, Jake was dominant in all the key areas of his game — skating, puck protection, and passing. He scored on the power play, and later set up Konecny’s goal with a slick move in the neutral zone. I won’t go so far as to say he’ll return to the point per game range this year, but 20 goals and 60+ points should be a given. That’s elite winger territory in today’s NHL.

#5: Penalty kill remains more aggressive

At the start of the preseason, I noted that the Flyers were far more active in terms of pressuring the puck carrier in the defensive zone on the penalty kill than they were through the majority of 2015-16. But that was early in camp, before the team even had a chance to practice special teams.

The real test of whether it signified a tactical shift would be at the end of the preseason, when new strategic philosophies are being locked in. Last night, penalty killers yet again were attacking the outside of the Rangers’ power play formation, mainly utilizing an aggressive Czech press with their high forward. As I discovered this summer, Philadelphia did a much better job of PK shot suppression when using pressure-based defensive zone tactics, so this is a tactical shift worth celebrating. Hopefully it holds to the start of the season.

#6: Mark Streit looked great

I’ve long argued that it’s tough to accurately judge how much Mark Streit has left in the tank, due to the low quality of the defenseman usually playing alongside of him. After all, his two most common partners as a Flyer have been Nicklas Grossmann and Nick Schultz — two of the worst 5v5 play-driving defensemen in the NHL. Sure, it looks like Streit is in serious decline, but he’s also been lugging around underwhelming partners. How would Streit look alongside a true impact defenseman?

Last night, we got a glimpse of that, as Streit was primarily paired with Ivan Provorov. And surprise, surprise — the 38-year old looked fantastic. He scored an early first period goal via pinch deep into the offensive zone, set up another on the PP, and played an all-around solid game. His 68.75% Corsi for percentage speaks to that, and so did the eye test. Yes, it’s early and it’s just preseason. But I’d love to see what a healthy Mark Streit can still do while playing alongside a truly above-average defenseman in the regular season. He certainly looked like he has gas left in the tank last night.

#7: Ghost - Schultz pairing seems flawed

The on-ice shot attempt differentials didn’t necessarily show it, but the Shayne Gostisbehere - Nick Schultz pairing experiment didn’t exactly go smoothly. Even moreso than when he was paired with Andrew MacDonald last year, Gostisbehere was forced to take on all of the puck-moving responsibilities last night. At first glance, that doesn’t sound so bad — after all, Ghost is the best puck-mover on the Flyers’ blueline.

But even for elite passers, it helps to have a partner who can keep defenses honest. Otherwise, opponents will stop accounting for the other defenseman, both in the Flyers’ zone and while on the attack. On a couple of occasions, the Rangers shifted over to Gostisbehere entirely, leaving Schultz wide open because even then, Schultz would likely struggle to be productive with the puck on his stick. Gostisbehere already spent months last season carrying Andrew MacDonald — it would be cruel to ask him to do the same for Nick Schultz in 2016-17.

#8: Cousins outplayed Weal

Two players who technically remain on the bubble are Nick Cousins and Jordan Weal, even after today’s news of Scott Laughton’s injury. While both will likely be safe — Cousins because of his strong finish to 2015-16, Weal because his cap hit is too low to help the team move under the $73 million mark — it’s fair to compare the two because their situations are similar. Both are skilled forwards who would need to clear waivers to be sent down to the AHL, making their status in camp particularly important.

Last night, they mostly played on the same line, and Cousins measurably outplayed Weal. That’s not to say Weal was unimpressive, and more that Cousins finally had a standout game. He was active in all three zones and finally looked like the guy from the stretch run last season. I don’t think he was truly in danger of missing the club, but last night likely cemented his spot in the lineup. Weal, on the other hand, still has some work to do.

#9: More injuries simply cannot happen

Late in the game, Michael Del Zotto left to go to the locker room, and no immediate clarification was given regarding the reason. Obviously, an injury to Del Zotto would be a big blow to the Flyers’ defense, but there’s another reason why Philadelphia cannot afford another player to be injured. With the news that Scott Laughton and Brandon Manning both will not be ready for opening night, and the fact that Brayden Schenn is suspended for three games, the Flyers are in a bit of a cap crunch.

In fact, it’s possible that Hextall may choose to start the year with just 19 healthy skaters on the roster, in an attempt to avoid placing Laughton on long-term injured reserve. A new injury would leave the Flyers with only 18 healthy skaters — 12 forwards and six defensemen. It would be a real risk to go on a west coast road trip with no healthy reserve players, as they would be doing in that scenario.

#10: The big guns look ready

On the whole, the most important players for the Flyers look close to regular-season ready. Voracek obviously has been a standout, but he’s not the only one. Wayne Simmonds has delivered a particularly strong preseason, with his passing especially being worthy of praise. Shayne Gostisbehere seems to be back at full speed, and Sean Couturier has flourished alongside Voracek on line two. Claude Giroux still is finding himself at even strength, but he attempted a few high-difficulty moves last night, a sign that he’s feeling more comfortable as well. The vets will have just one more game to shake off the cobwebs, but it looks like they’re right on schedule.