Player of the Week | Jakub Voracek
The Philadelphia Flyers have been delighting their fans amid a nine-game winning streak - and at the heart of it, has been Jakub Voracek.
The Philadelphia Flyers have been delighting their fans amid a nine-game winning streak - and at the heart of it, has been Jakub Voracek.
As the team reached nine straight victories for the first time in nearly 22 years with a 1-0 overtime win on Sunday against the Detroit Red Wings, Voracek has also assembled a personal hot streak.
Voracek ended the week owning a plus-four rating, three goals and six assists to total nine points - four of those coming on the Philly power-play.
It started before a home crowd on Tuesday with his overtime game-winner against the Florida Panthers, scoring with only 8.6 second of time to go before a shootout. Voracek also netted “Third Star of the Game” honours as he extended the Flyers’ streak to six games in front of a 42-save performance by Steve Mason.
The Edmonton Oilers rolled into Wells Fargo Centre next, and Voracek, proved clutch again, scoring to get his team within one while tallying three assists on the night – most notably helpers on the game-tying and game-winning goals in the 6-5 victory.
The Czech Republic native put up a near-identical performance against the Dallas Stars in a 4-2 win the upcoming Saturday. He again tallied three assists, each one cashed in by Brayden Schenn as part of his hat trick. Voracek ended the game scoring an empty-netter for - his 15th point in 8 games.
Despite being held off the score sheet in Detroit, Voracek added 9 points over the week for a season total of 32 as the top-point-getter for the Flyers, which also ranks him tied for second in league scoring after Sunday's games.
In the second year of his eight-year contract extension, Voracek appears to have bounced back from a less productive season last year by his standards, having already matched his 11 goals from the 2015-16 season.
Last season was a tough personal year for Voracek, whose sister, Petra, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Some will remember his campaign through the Jakub Voracek Foundation, through which he donated $1000 per point he recorded that season.
For more information on the Jakub Voracek Foundation and how to donate, click here, or visit Jakub’s Facebook page.
For a complete listing of the 2016-17 NHLPA.com Players of the Week, click here.
