Dave Isaac

@davegisaac

BOSTON — When it comes to a young player’s biggest dream, making an NHL roster, there can be some second-guessing at the end of the process.

What about that turnover in the first preseason game? What about the last one?

Ivan Provorov was able to breeze by that last one with ease, even though his turnover was almost costly. With six minutes left in a scoreless game Saturday he gave the puck away to Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak, who passed it to Brad Marchand, who nearly scored.

“It’s part of learning,” Provorov said. “I blocked a shot at the end there when he passed it to Marchand. I got my leg on the shot. It won’t happen again I guess.”

It doesn’t look like it put too much of a damper on his chances of making the team. Provorov was the Flyers’ most stable defenseman for the duration of the preseason. Other things working in his favor are that he’s healthy, unlike Michael Del Zotto and Brandon Manning and he’s not suspended like Radko Gudas.

“It’s the best league in the world,” the seventh-overall pick in the 2015 draft said. “All the best players play here. Every day I try to come to the rink and do everything I can.”

Forward Travis Konecny tried not to mull over what he did or didn’t do right during training camp. The Flyers are much more thin on defense than forward so he had to outplay many others than Provorov and it looks like he may have done it.

“I thought my camp was on an incline,” he said, “and I kept getting better each and every day and I was learning. I really tried to simplify my game through camp and use my legs, use my speed and I found the rest of my game kind of evolved.”

The Flyers traded up to pick Konecny at No. 24 in the 2015 draft and so far he’s looked worth it. He had 101 points in 60 games last season in the Ontario Hockey League and he led the Flyers in the preseason with six points.

READY OR NOT: Flyers feel good after last tune-up

“Those guys showed up and they were well-prepared,” coach Dave Hakstol said of the teenage duo. “They worked hard every day and they listened, learned from the veteran players around them. They’ve had a hard-working, competitive two weeks. They haven’t had a whole lot of time off. They’ve ground through it pretty well and they both have done a good job.”

Part of the adjustment, at least for Konecny, was trying to make good decisions on the ice. Rather than try to wow the Flyers with dazzling moves, he made responsible plays and thought it paid off.

“In junior hockey I try to make something out of nothing,” Konecny said, “but at this level of hockey when there’s nothing there literally is nothing there and you’ve just got to make a smart play, get the puck to a smart area and let your linemates chase after it.”

Those linemates in the last preseason game were Sean Couturier and Jake Voracek. It’s likely the Flyers will start the season with that trio as their second line. Konecny had to change positions from his usual right wing to the left to carve out a spot for himself and if the Flyers are going to carry him on their roster, he’ll need big minutes. General manager Ron Hextall doesn’t like carrying young players and then only playing them menial minutes.

“They look good,” captain Claude Giroux said of Konecny and Provorov. “To see young guys do plays like they are, it’s pretty impressive. TK’s speed, he backs off a lot of D because his speed is pretty fast and he’s shifty. Provy, he’s a really smart defenseman. He has the puck and he does plays out there. You gotta shake your head because it’s pretty impressive.

“Even if we have two teenagers I don’t think it matters because we have a lot of leadership in this room. We’re all in this together. If we’ve got a couple rookies or whatever the situation might be, we’ve got to make sure we go in there together.”

Gudas to be suspended

His boarding penalty on Boston’s Austin Czarnik didn’t involve him getting kicked out of the game like it did last week. This time might end up being even worse for Gudas, though. He was offered an in-person hearing by the league’s department of player safety, meaning a suspension will likely be at least five games, and Gudas waived that right. The repeat offender will have a phone hearing on Monday instead.

Czarnik didn’t return to the game, which will likely factor into the length of Gudas’ suspension. He will join Brayden Schenn in missing the opener, the left wing serving a three-game sentence for a hit in last season’s playoffs.

The Flyers will have to juggle some things with Del Zotto and maybe Manning on the shelf with injuries.

Weal waived

For as well as Jordan Weal played in the preseason, notching two goals and an assist in five games, it likely wasn’t enough. The team put Weal on waivers Sunday. If he clears Monday at noon, he could be sent to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Monday will be the last opportunity for teams to waive players that need to be sent down by the time final rosters are due Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Dave Isaac; (856) 486-2479;disaac@gannettnj.com.

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