Read Plans Södertälje Return
Unless there is a settlement to the NHL lockout by mid-January, Flyers forward
Matt Read plans to return to Allsvenskan club Södertälje SK according to
an announcement posted yesterday on the team's official site.
According to the team, Read has been undergoing treatment for a minor but nagging back problem. He has responded to treatment and is on track to play either in the NHL or in Sweden by the middle of January. The NHL has canceled all games through Jan. 14, and the lockout nears a point in which the entire season may be lost.
In 20 games for SSK, Read produced 24 points (6 goals, 18 assists). He is still tied for the team scoring lead with Damien Fleury, who has played in all 31 games this season.
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Phantoms and Titans win
For the second straight game, both of the Flyers minor league affiliates skated off with wins. In AHL action, the Adirondack Phantoms built a 3-0 lead after one period and salvaged a shootout victory on the road against the Eastern Conference leading Syracuse Crunch. In the ECHL, the Trenton Titans built an early 2-0 lead and then came out on top of a 6-3 final.
The Phantoms scored goals on two of the first five shifts of the game, as
Harry Zolnierczyk potted a shot on a 2-on-1 rush and
Jason Akeson scored a power play goal for his first goal of the season. Akeson scored again late in the first period, to open up a 3-0 lead.
Thereafter, it was all Syracuse. The Crunch outshot the Phantoms 21-5 in the second period and 11-4 in the third period. Second period goals by Richard Panik (power play) and Alex Killorn cut the deficit to a single goal. In the third period, penalties to
Matt Konan (slashing) and
Sean Couturier (delay of game) created a 5-on-3 power play for the Crunch.
Tyler Johnson scored to tie the game.
After a scoreless overtime period, the game moved to a shootout. The Phantoms scored four times (goals by
Garrett Roe,
Brayden Schenn, Akeson and
Danny Syvret) to three for Syracuse to earn an extra point from the game.
Winning goaltender
Cal Heeter turned back 40 of 43 shots in regulation and overtime. He stopped four of seven in the shootout, including final shooter Cory Conacher.
In Evansville, Ind., the Titans skated off to the first intermission leading 2-0 following mid-period goals by Ryan Hayes (PPG) and Connor Goggin spaced exactly one minute apart. The IceMen outshot Trenton 12-7 in the middle stanza, and got goals from former Phantoms forward Josh Beaulieu (PPG) and Nathan Moon sandwiched around a Titans tally by Devils prospect Phil DeSimone.
The Icemen tied the game at 3-3 midway through the third period on a Dylan Clarke power play goal. But the Titans exploded for three goals in the final seven minutes of game, as Kory Nagy restored the lead, a Jacob Cepis power play goal provided some insurance and team captain Andy Bohmbach punctuated the win with an empty net goal.
Rookie goaltender
Niko Hovinen earned his second straight win for Trenton, stopping 26 of 29 shots. Forward
Marcel Noebels (one assist) has points in nine of the last 10 games, while
Matt Mangene (one assist) has points in each of the last four games.
Before breaking for Christmas, the Phantoms have a road game tonight in Bridgeport against the Sound Tigers (New York Islanders) affiliate. The Titans are in action tonight on the road against the Fort Wayne Komets.
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Flyers in Europe: Friday roundup
*
Jakub Voracek had two goals and an assist for Lev Prague in a 6-1 win over Salavat Yulaev Ufa.
*
Danny Briere scored a shorthanded goal in the third period of Eisbären Berlin's 4-1 win over Kölner Haie.
*
Max Talbot skated 23:29 of ice time in Ilves Tampere's 3-0 loss to HPK Hämeenlinna.
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Flyers Prospects
*
Shayne Gostisbehere and the rest of Team USA struggled in a 5-1 World Junior Championship pre-tournament game loss to Finland earlier today. Nevertheless, he is a shoo-in to make the Americans' roster when final cut-downs are announced later today.
* Former Flyers player Jody Hull has been promoted from assistant coach to head coach of the struggling Peterborough Petes AHL club, replacing Mike Pelino. The Petes' forward lineup includes Flyers prospect
Derek Mathers (3 goals, 9 points, 55 penalty minutes in 35 games played) and 2012 summer prospect camp invitee Chase Hatcher (one goal, four points in 29 games), who is the son of Flyers player development coach and former defenseman Derian Hatcher.
* 2010 Flyers draft pick
Michael Parks has played less than one period this season as a result of a leg injury sustained during the preseason and reinjured early in his first game back for University of North Dakota.
* Despite missing training camp and all of September due to a late summer abdominal injury,
Taylor Leier has already surpassed his rookie goal-scoring output. The Portland Winterhawks left winger has 14 goals and 26 points in 29 games. Last year, he had 13 goals and 37 points in 72 games.
* Defenseman
Fredric Larsson and his Brynäs J20 team will resume action on January 5, as the next phase of the J20 SuperElit season gets underway. In this segment, the top teams from phase one (in which the North and South divisions play separate intraconference schedules) are combined into a 10-team conference. Brynäs finished third in the North during phase one. In 24 games played, Larsson had four goals (three as a forward on the power play), eight points and a plus-three (+25, -22) rating.
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