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Wrap: Islanders 3 - Flyers 2 (OT), Prospect Updates

September 17, 2017, 7:54 PM ET [55 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
WRAP: FLYERS DROP EXHIBITION OPENER IN OT, 3-2

A Philadelphia Flyers roster loaded with youth gave a New York Islanders lineup that included many of its NHL regulars all it could handle in the opening game of the exhibition schedule but was unable to protect a 2-0 lead. Ultimately the Flyers fell in overtime, 3-2, at the renovated Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY, on Sunday afternoon.

After a scoreless first period, the Flyers took a 1-0 lead on a deflection goal by Mike Vecchione off a Shayne Gostisbehere point shot. Jori Lehterä (two-point game) extended the lead to 2-0 as he took advantage of a mistake by a gambling Kristers Gudlevskis to score a shorthanded goal. Lehterä was shaken up on the play as he wiped out after scoring but stayed in the game.

The Islanders quickly tied the game on the same power play. John Tavares swept home a backhander in the scramble in front of the net. The Flyers took a 2-1 lead to the second intermission.

In the third period, Mathew Barzal beat defenseman Travis Sanheim wide and then, on a delayed penalty call, snapped a shot from the top of the right circle through the five-hole of relief goaltender Leland Irving. It was a seemingly stoppable shot but it was also not a well-defended sequence by second-year pro Sanheim.

The Flyers, who went 0-for-5 on the power play, were unable to retake the lead on a power play late in the third period. In overtime, a turnover by rookie pro Phil Myers quickly turned into a game-winning goal as Tavares notched his second tally of the game.

On the positive side, the Flyers got strong performances in the preseason opener from all of the following players: Scott Laughton, Michael Raffl, Travis Konecny, Lehterä, Nolan Patrick, Oskar Lindblom, Mikhail Vorobyev, Ivan Kosorenkov, Vecchione, Ivan Provorov, Sam Morin and starting goaltender Alex Lyon. Robert Hägg quietly had a steady game.

Playing their respective first NHL preseason game, both Lindblom (six shots on goal, strong work on the boards) and Patrick (one good scoring chance, several clever little plays to extend possession time or find an open teammate) had good, solid games. Expecting instant dominance was unrealistic. The biggest catalyst on the line, though, was Konecny, who played a creative and feisty performance. The line had not played together as a trio on the first two days of camp but showed the makings of some chemistry.

The Flyers power play was rather sporadic throughout the game, but that was at least somewhat to be expected with a brand new power play coach, three rookies (Patrick, Lindblom and Vorobyev) on the top unit and first-unit regulars Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds out of the lineup.

Raffl, who added some additional muscle weight over the summer, was outstanding on the forecheck and inside his own blueline in Sunday's game. Vecchione (whom head coach Dave Hakstol has experimented with during at right wing) won a faceoff in the sequence that led to his goal and then got in good screening/deflection position on the eventual tip-in goal.

Starting goalie Alex Lyon was strong in net for the Flyers before giving way to Irving in the third period. Although Irving made two particularly good saves, including an early point-blank stop on Tavares, he let in the stoppable Barzal goal and left out a few unnecessary rebounds in dangerous areas. Between the two, second-year pro Lyon had a significantly better performance in the opener than the veteran.

After looking outstanding during Rookie Camp drills, meanwhile, 2016 first-round pick German Rubtsov appears to need a little more strength on his frame before he will be ready to compete for a full season against pros. Skillswise, Rubtsov's talents are very clear. Bigger and more experienced countryman Vorobyev seems better able physically right now to be heavy on the puck. As for the undrafted Kosorenkov, it would be a surprise if the free agent invitee does NOT get an entry-level contract from the Flyers before he is eventually sent to play one final year of junior hockey for the QMJHL's Victoriaville Tigers.

Sanheim made a few nice plays with the puck but struggled several times with decision-making and a couple of turnovers. Myers had some ups and downs in the game as well, although the OT turnover was the only costly error of commission. Of the four main candidates to be Flyers rookies on defense, Morin and Hägg have had better starts to camp than Sanheim or Myers.

The key word, however, is "start". Whether pro or con, no conclusions should be drawn on a few practices, a Rookie Game, and/or one NHL exhibition game. It's simply a starting place for each young player in camp: no more and no less.

The Flyers will have practices on Monday and Tuesday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. On Wednesday, the team will play split-squad games against the Islanders both at the PPL Center in Allentown and at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn.

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PROSPECT UPDATES: SEPTEMBER 17

* OHL preseason: 2017 first-round pick Morgan Frost closed out his exhibition slate with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds with his fourth and fifth goals of the preseason in an 8-4 loss to the visiting Sudbury Wolves on Sunday afternoon. Both goals came on the power play. At even strength, Frost was minus-three. Coming off a rough game in the faceoff circle (2-for-9) in his last game, he was 10-for-20 in Sunday's tilt. Frost scored at least one goal in each of the four OHL preseason games he played and finished the exhibition slate with six points overall.

* OHL preseason: Maksim Sushko scored his lone goal of the preseason on Sunday as the Owen Sound Attack beat the host North Bay Battalion, 6-5. Sushko had three shots on goal and was plus-two on the day.

* OHL preseason: Matthew Strome did not record a point in the Hamilton Bulldogs preseason finale but his side downed the visiting Barrie Colts, 6-3. Strome had three shots on goal and was tagged on a pair of slashing minors that created power plays for Barrie.
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