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Meltzer's Musings: Flyers at Worlds Roundup |
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All Flyers players at the 2014 World Championships in Belarus will be in action today. In yesterday's tournament-opening games:
FRANCE 3 - CANADA 2 (SO)
Last year, France pulled off a monumental upset by beating Russia in a preliminary round game. Yesterday, the French team came back from a 2-1 deficit in the third period to force overtime and prevail via shootout against highly favored Canada.
Flyers forward Brayden Schenn took Best Player honors for Canada in a losing cause. Schenn, who centered Flyers teammate Matt Read and Florida Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau at even strength, skated 13 minutes of ice time and registered three shots on goal.
In the final 14 seconds of the first period, Schenn blasted home a one-timer over French goaltender Cristobal Huet's glove to tie the game at 1-1 on the power play. Cody Hodgson and Jason Garrison earned the assists. Schenn nearly scored again at even strength on a similar play in the second period.
Read, who received more total ice time (17:41) than any Canadian forward except Kyle Turris (20:38) or Nathan MacKinnon (17:55), turned in his best work on the penalty kill. Late in the second period and early in the third, the Canadians killed off back-to-back 5-on-3 disadvantages. Read was out for both kills.
Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn (21:45 TOI) was paired with Buffalo defenseman Tyler Myers for much of the game. They were on the ice and partially culpable for a coverage breakdown in the third period that led to Stephane Da Costa's game-tying game less than two minutes after Erik Gudbranson had put Canada ahead 2-1.
The lone goal of the shootout was scored by France's Pierre-Edouard Bellemere. Read had an unsuccessful attempt for Canada after misses by Turris and Sean Monahan.
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer stopped 24 of 26 shots during regulation and overtime and two of three in the shootout. Huet turned back 31 of 33 in regulation and the shootout and all three in the skills competition.
USA 6 - BELARUS 1
Host team Belarus hung close for half the game, trailing only 1-0 before Team USA broke the game wide open midway through the second period. New Jersey native Johnny Gaudreau scored on a rocket of a shot on the Americans' third goal. Defenseman Jacob Trouba tallied twice for Team USA, who also got single tallies from Brock Nelson, Colin McDonald and defenseman Jake Gardiner. Gaudreau also assisted on the Gardiner goal.
Former Flyers coach Peter Laviolette, recently hired by the Nashville Predators, is coaching Team USA.
RUSSIA 5 - SWITZERLAND 0
Team Switzerland has shown itself capable in recent year of competing with any of the medal contenders on a given day. This wasn't one of those days. The Russians jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead and never looked back.
Alexander Ovechkin had a goal and an assist for the Russian side. Former Flyers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky posted a 27-save shutout.
CZECH REPUBLIC 3 - SLOVAKIA 2 (OT)
Former Flyers right winger Jaromir Jagr forced overtime as the Czech Republic came back from a 2-1 deficit in the final 2:07 of regulation. Jakub Klepis scored the game winner in OT. Ondrej Nemec (one goal, one assist) opened the scoring for the Czechs.
Jan Laco made 30 saves in a losing cause for the Slovaks. Michel Miklek and Marek Viedensky tallied back-to-back goals in the second period to erase an early deficit and put Slovakia ahead heading into the third period.
TODAY'S SCHEDULE (FLYERS REPRESENTATIVES IN PARENTHESIS)
* Italy vs Norway: 5:45 a.m. EDT
* Germany (Marcel Noebels) vs. Kazakhstan: 5:45 a.m. EDT
* Sweden (Erik Gustafsson) vs. Denmark (Oliver Lauridsen): 9:45 a.m. EDT
* Finland vs. Latvia: 9:45 a.m. EDT
* Canada (Brayden Schenn, Matt Read, Braydon Coburn) vs. Slovakia: 1:45 p.m. EDT
* USA vs. Switzerland: 1:45 p.m. EDT, televised live on NBC Sports Network
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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