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Wrapup: Flyers Whitewash Devils, 2-0, in Allentown |
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Every game the Philadelphia Flyers squads have played thus far -- the Rookies Game and the four exhibition matches to date -- has been a shut out. On Wednesday night at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA, the Flyers evened up their preseason record at 2-2-0 with a 2-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils.
The biggest standout performer for the Flyers was right wing prospect Travis Konecny. Apart from scoring a second period deflection goal and then beautifully setting up linemate Michael Raffl to extend the lead, Konecny was seemingly around the puck all game both through speed and hustle. He also agitated the Devils' quite effectively.
Konecny nearly scored a second goal very shortly after tipping in an Andrew MacDonald blast off a right circle offensive faceoff. On his next chance, Konecny put a shot from in close off the crossbar. In the first period, the Flyers had a near 2-on-0 attempt but Raffl's pass intended for Konecny was errant and by the time he corralled the puck from his skates, the chance quickly fizzled. Raffl nabbed the one goal as he tucked home a backhander but also had two other point blank chances that he was unable to finish.
The Devils, dressing very few NHL regulars, had the better of the play in a rather dull first period until the final five minutes. The Flyers asserted themselves in the second period. The third period got a bit sloppy at times.
Anthony Stolarz, who was tested several times in the first period, shared the shutout with Alex Lyon for the Flyers' side. Lyon had to contend with a few screens over the latter portion of the game.
Robert Hägg had numerous solid shifts for Philadelphia, and also picked up a secondary assist on the Raffl goal. MacDonald and Brayden Schenn had an assist apiece. Nicolas Aube-Kubel used his speed well in the latter 30 minutes of the game, and created a power play opportunity. Samuel Morin had a standout sequence in the defensive corner where he outmuscled his check off the puck and then made a tape-to-tape first pass.
There were also a fair share of breakdowns on both sides, which is par for the course in the preseason. It was not most crisply played of games on either side. The Flyers return to preseason action on Saturday, hosting the Boston Bruins. The Flyers could have some or all of their World Cup of Hockey participants who've returned from the tournament -- forwards Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier, defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, and goaltender Michal Neuvirth -- in the lineup.
NOTES
1) The Flyers announced before the game that defenseman Nick Schultz, who hobbled off in Tuesday's win over the Islanders but returned for a penalty kill, will miss four to seven days with a lower-body injury.
2) During the second period of Wednesday's game in Allentown, defenseman Mark Alt appeared to be favoring his hand after a fight. He initially went to the penalty box but soon went off to the dressing room. Alt did not return for the third period.
3) The Flyers announced seven roster cuts on Wednesday. All of the cuts were of players who are either expected to be assigned down from the Phantoms to the ECHL's Reading Royals or are swingman players who could see time both with the Phantoms and Royals in 2016-17:
Mark Dekanich, Chris McCarthy, Maxim Lamarche, Martin Ouellette, Jesper Pettersson, Steve Swavely and Kevin Sundher.
4) The Flyers used the following line combinations in Wednesday's game in Allentown:
Michael Raffl- Brayden Schenn - Travis Konecny
Taylor Leier - Corban Knight - Nicolas-Aube Kubel
Chris VandeVelde -Boyd Gordon-Colin McDonald
Tyrell Goulbourne - Radel Fazleev - Chris Conner
Brandon Manning - Andrew MacDonald
Samuel Morin - Mark Alt
Robert Hägg - Will O'Neill
Anthony Stolarz/ Alex Lyon
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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