QUICK HITS: APRIL 9, 2018
1) The Flyers will hold an 11 a.m. practice on Monday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. In an unusual move with short-distance travel involved, the club will be leaving in the afternoon to fly to Pittsburgh two days ahead of Game 1 of their first-round series with the Penguins. No doubt it is being done to keep the entire team focus on being united for the task ahead of trying to topple the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.
2) Over on the Flyers' official website, I authored an article outlining
four checkpoints for victory and four pitfalls to avoid from a Flyers standpoint in the upcoming series. Later today, we will have an article looking at potential X-Factor contributors that the Flyers may need to step up over the course of the series.
3) Flyers fans may want to check out the official online radio station of the team,
Flyers Radio 24/7. Later today, broadcasters Jim Jackson, Tim Saunders, Steve Coates and I will be recording a new edition of the Broadcasters Roundtable podcast. Naturally, this episode will be exclusively focused on the upcoming playoff series. There will also be a new edition of the FlyerBuzz podcast, co-hosted by Brian Smith and myself, recorded later this week.
4) Congratulations to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for clinching the AHL's Atlantic Division on Sunday with a 6-3 road win over the Providence Bruins. Team captain Colin McDonald led the way with a goal and two assists, while Phil Varone had a goal and an assist. Also lighting the lamp were Cole Bardreau, Greg Carey and new addition Carsen Twarynski (first AHL goal in this third pro game). Mikhail Vorobyev had two assists. John Muse earned the win with 32 saves.
5) The Phantoms have two remaining regular season games; both at home. On Friday, the Phantoms host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the PPL Center. On Saturday, the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins come to Allentown.
6) Phantoms writer Tony Androckitis reported on Sunday that prospect Pascal Laberge (whose Quebec Remparts team was recently knocked out of the QMJHL playoffs) will be joining the Phantoms for the rest of the season. It would also not be a surprise if 2017 second-round pick Isaac Ratcliffe is added to the Lehigh Valley roster as well.
7) With the Florida Panthers' victory in Boston on Sunday night, the Panthers jumped ahead of the St. Louis Blues in the NHL's final leaguewide regular season standings. As such, the default pre-lottery draft position of the conditional (top-10 protected) first-round pick the Blues owe the Flyers to complete the Brayden Schenn trade is the 14th overall selection. If the Blues are a lottery winner ala the Flyers last year, St. Louis has the option of deferring the pick owed to the Flyers to an unprotected 2019 first-round rounder plus a 2020 third-round pick to complete the trade.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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