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Meltzer's Musings: Sunday Quick Hits |
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SUNDAY QUICK HITS
* Three Flyers-affiliated players will be in action today at the 2014 IIHF World Championships in Minsk Belarus. In one of today's two matches featuring likely medal round teams, Flyers defenseman Erik Gustafsson and the rest of defending gold medalist Tre Kronor will take on former Flyers right winger Jaromir Jagr and the Czech Republic. Phantoms forward Marcel Noebels and Team Germany play Latvia. Phantoms defenseman Oliver Lauridsen and Team Denmark play arch-rival Norway.
Apart from the Sweden vs. Czech Republic game, today's other marquee game pits Russia against Finland.
* In yesterday's games, three Flyers were in action for Team Canada in its 4-1 win over Slovakia. The game was tied 1-1 in the third period until the Canadians, who were coming off a shootout loss to underdog France, broke free for three unanswered goals. Joel Ward scored a pair of goals for Canada, while Cody Hodgson and Kevin Bieksa notched one goal apiece.
Coming off a strong opening game that saw him take Best Player honors for the Canadian side, Flyers center Brayden Schenn had two shots on goal in 16:38 of ice time against Slovakia. At five-on-five, he centered a line with Alex Burrows and Nathan McKinnon. Schenn also continued to receive power play time for Dave Tippett's squad. Schenn took nine faceoffs in this game, winning three and losing six.
Braydon Coburn skated 19:11 of ice time for the Canadians against Slovakia, paired with Tyler Myers. Coburn had two shots on goal. He was not on the ice for any of Canada's goals but was on the ice on the penalty kill when Karol Sloboda opened the scoring at 12:24 of the second period. Earlier in the second period, Coburn served a tripping minor.
Flyers forward Matt Read, who skated on Schenn's line at even strength for much of its opening game against France, lined up yesterday with Kyle Turris and Jason Chimera at the start of the match against Slovakia. Read ended up skating 16:55 of ice time, with one shot on goal. One of Canada's main penalty killers, Read was not on the ice when Sloboda scored Slovakia's only goal.
Team Canada is idle today. They are back in action tomorrow against the Czech Republic.
* Erik Gustafsson was plus-one in 18:15 of ice time for Sweden yesterday in Tre Kronor's 3-0 win over Denmark. Paired with Mattias Ekholm, Gustafsson led all Swedish skaters in ice time over the first half of regulation but saw less ice time after the Swedes built a comfortable three-goal lead. Mikael Backlund notched a pair of goals for Sweden, supplemented by a Gustav Nyquist tally midway through the third period. Oliver Lauridsen was minus-one in 20:03 of ice time for the Danes.
* Marcel Noebels barely played in last year's tournament. This year, he started Germany's opener on its second-line. The left winger skated 13:43 in the Germans 2-1 shootout win over Kazakhstan. Noebels, however, did not skate a shift in overtime.
* Flyers prospect Taylor Leier, who will be the subject of a blog later this upcoming week, will be in action tonight in Game Six of the Western Hockey League finals. Leier's Portland Winterhawks will attempt to force a seventh and deciding game in their WHL championship series with the Edmonton Oil Kings. Portland won the first two games of the series at home but has dropped three in a row. In Friday's 3-2 home loss that gave Edmonton a three games to two lead in the series, Leier notched an assist and was a plus-two.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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