Dave Isaac

@davegisaac

In Michael Raffl’s first NHL season, he played almost everywhere. Fourth line, third line, first line. Center, left wing, right wing.

So far this season, he’s had a lot of stability playing the left wing on the top line alongside Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek, but until recently coach Craig Berube wasn’t happy with Raffl’s game.

He’d be all over Raffl in practice about his shot, telling him to shoot at the goalie and hope for a rebound instead of trying to pick a corner and missing the net entirely. Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings, Raffl had a pair of goals.

“I was trying to get it off quick and hit the net,” Raffl said after the Flyers’ third win of the season. “(Berube) was all over me in practice when I missed the net. So I tried to get it there and I’m glad it went in tonight.”

He didn’t have to pick a corner for the second one because goalie Jonas Gustavsson had already been pulled, but it was tangible evidence that Raffl’s game has improved.

“He is going to the net better,” Berube said. “We practice that all the time. We make our guys drive the net. That is where you get goals. Go to then net. If you think Raffl or he thinks he is going to come down the wing and take slap shots and score on goalies, you’re dreaming. That doesn’t happen very often.”

The Austrian put on some weight in the offseason, hoping it would give him more power in board battles, an area where his linemates have appreciated his efforts. Recently he’s been more than just power, though.

That shot, or at least its frequency, has come around. After not getting a shot in the first two games, Raffl had four in the next two. In the last four games, he’s had 10 shots. In Saturday’s victory, he scored on both shots he took.

“Those were huge goals,” said Voracek, who was seen walking out of the X-ray room after Saturday’s game and missed Sunday’s practice with a “maintenance” day. “With his shot, I don’t see a problem why he wouldn’t be a 30-goal scorer.”

Seriously? Thirty? Raffl had nine in 68 games last year and even Voracek, considered by many to be close to superstar talent, has only ever scored 23.

“You got to go to the hard areas and that is what he is doing,” Berube said. “Get to the net and get dirty goals. Who knows how many goals he can score? He’s got to hit the net more.”

Raffl feels as though he hasn’t made many changes since he was put on the first line six periods of play into the season.

“I’ve got my mind set to be the best possible player I can be,” Raffl said. “I put in a lot of hard work. We’ll see how good I can be this year.”

• Morin recovering from broken jaw: Flyers 2013 first-round pick Samuel Morin didn’t think much when he got hit in the face with a slapshot a couple weeks ago with his junior team, Rimouski Oceanic.

He thought he broke some teeth, which he didn’t think of as being a big deal, until he moved his tongue and realized his jawbone was in the wrong place. Sunday, Morin skated for the first time since the injury, which occurred Oct. 12.

“I feel good,” said Morin, who initially had an allergic reaction to the metal plate they put in his jaw.

“First practice in two weeks. My cardio wasn’t very good. That was really tough. I feel good.”

Morin will likely return to Canada in a couple weeks, right before he resumes play, but meantime has been around the Flyers.

He was getting the itch to be out there with the orange and black Saturday night.

“I think the level is a lot better than it was in the training camp,” Morin said.

“In the training camp I was feeling good. Right now it’s just I try to be at the next level I was before my injury.”

• Injury updates: Zac Rinaldo (upper-body injury) skated for the first time since leaving Wednesday’s win over Pittsburgh. The Flyers expect him to play Tuesday when the L.A. Kings come to town.

Vinny Lecavalier, who’s recovering from a left foot injury, won’t play against the Kings even though he skated Sunday, too.

“He said he felt OK today,” Berube said, “but that OK don’t mean he is ready.”

Reach Dave Isaac at disaac

@courierpostonline.com.

Follow him on Twitter @davegisaac.

Up next: Kings at Flyers

• When: 7 p.m. Tuesday

• TV/Radio: CSN/97.5 FM