There’s always a first for something.
In Matt Read’s case, it came on Saturday in Los Angeles. However, he wasn’t prepared to address it until after the Flyers met the Canadiens at Wells Fargo Center.
Read has played 313 career games for the Flyers now. Only once has he been a healthy scratch and that came over the weekend — somewhat to his surprise — against the Kings.
“I feel like I have been playing pretty good hockey,” Read said. “But I think I have to play quicker and with more attitude. Almost like being pissed off out there. Lose a puck battle and get mad about it. Maybe I was a little too complacent the last couple of weeks.”
Flyers coach Dave Hakstol went with seven defensemen against the Kings. Mainly, because it was Mark Streit’s second game back after missing six weeks with a long-term injury and he wanted to spread the minutes around his blue line.
That Read was scratched was interesting, given that there were perhaps more viable candidates, such as R.J. Umberger, who had not scored in 39 games going into that game.
Not that Umberger’s plight means anything to Read.
“You got to learn from it,” Read said. “You can’t get too negative or too complacent. Use it as a learning curve. Obviously, I sat for a reason. You learn from it and when you get the next opportunity, you perform at your best of our ability.”
Hakstol, who frequently tap dances around issues involving his players, didn’t tell Read why he was being benched. In fact, it wasn’t until Read sat down with his coach Monday that the issue was hashed out for both.
“I think Matt is a good player,” Hakstol said, adding he didn’t agree with the "complacency" term. “He’s been a pretty good player for us throughout the year.
“It’s a matter of … he has another level he can push his game to ... Sometimes, sitting back and watching a game can help you do that.”
Read hasn’t been all that unproductive recently. He had four assists in six games prior to his benching. Again, that's four more points than a lot of guys in this lineup.
“He just said that things had been creeping into my game and I was complacent out there,” Read said. “I got to be more tenacious around pucks and help my linemates more. I got to learn from this and move forward.”
It seems clear Hakstol is trying to send a message that those with even less production could be benched next.
Read has 12 points (five goals) in 37 games this season. A year ago at this time, he had 13 points. Back then, Read was quietly suffering from a high-ankle sprain, yet insisting he was healthy. He tried to play through it — a mistake. The injury would plague him the entire season, which is why he finished with just eight goals and 30 points.
“I didn’t have the Grade-A opportunities I normally do,” he said of last season. “And I feel like I am getting them this year and just not capitalizing on it. Making plays out there, it’s gonna come if I keep getting opportunities.
“If they weren’t there, I’d be depressed about things. But my linemates are getting opportunities. It’s something you bear down on around the net. A lucky bounce and get a lucky streak going to score more goals.”
Read has played on eight different lines this season, mostly because Hakstol has been searching frantically to find some secondary scoring on a team on which none exists.
Against Montreal, he was demoted off Sean Couturier’s line with Wayne Simmonds and bounced down to a fourth line with Scott Laughton and Umberger. He finished Tuesday’s game with 14:46 ice time but no points.
All three of those players are supposed to provide secondary scoring and it hasn’t happened this season.
“We’re doing a little better than last year, but it’s still another area of concern,” Read said. “We got to get back as a whole team playing smart, simple hockey. When you are outworking teams and doing things right with the puck, you get opportunities.
“It just comes back down to doing the right things out there with the puck. Make the right plays. It’s about getting pucks in right areas for linemates and getting pucks back and create scoring chances.”