Quick Hits: July 24, 2020
1) The Flyers have an off-ice workday today, before recovening on the ice on Saturday for the final practice of training camp. Head coach Alain Vigneault and his staff will make and announce their final decisions afterwards on which players will be in the group of 31 taken to the Bubble in Toronto. Those who do not get selected will remain in Voorhees to work out and stay in shape in the event roster attrition necessitates reinforcements to the group.
2) On Thursday, the Flyers conducted the last of three scrimmages during camp. This one was different from the first two in that it was largely focused on special teams; the last 10 minutes of the first and second periods were basically extended power play/ penalty kill practice. As such, the scrimmage rosters for the two sides were selected with all of the power play regulars and supplemental candidates on Team Orange and the PK-only special teams regulars and fill-in candidates on Team Black.
The PKers blanked the PP units for the entirety of the first period's 10-minute segment, and the first three-plus minutes of the second period's special teams portion. Finally, Team Orange broke through for a couple goals. Brian Elliott remained sharp in goal throughout; it was the veteran who took the full 20 minutes of PK reps.
The entire 25-minute third period was played at 4-on-4 and was the best portion of the scrimmage from an entertainment standpoint, as it featured quite a few prime scoring chances, several nice goals (including a pair for Kevin Hayes, two days after getting a hat trick in the second scrimmage), and a few really nice saves as well. In particular, Elliott robbed Nicolas Aube-Kubel on a bang-bang shot set up by Morgan Frost that looked like a probable goal as it was developing.
3) The Flyers had a scare in the second period of Thursday's scrimmage. Hayes had to leave the ice after a collision in the offensive zone, and tossed his gloves down as he left the bench to head back to the locker room. Fortunately, he returned and seemed fine.
4) Sean Couturier was unavailable for a second straight day, as he remained with his wife for the birth of their first child; a baby girl. Frost subbed for Couturier on the top power play unit and during the first and several other of the roatating combos during 5-on-5 reps.
Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault gave the following update on Couturier after the scrimmage: "I texted Sean last night to find out if he was a dad yet and he texted me back saying no. He was hoping at some point before midnight that it would happen. He texted me this morning around eight to tell me that he wasn’t going to be at practice because the young girl is being a little stubborn. She’s taking her time. His wife is battling. Hopefully at some point here in the next little while we’ll find out that he’s a dad, but he’s not there yet."
5) Carter Hart did not participate in Thursday's scrimmage after leaving Tuesday's scrimmage in the first period and not practicing the next day. However, immediately after the final scrimmage ended, Hart came out on the Phantoms rink at the other end of the facility, along with goalie coach Kim Dillabaugh. Hart was soon joined by a handful of players from the scrimmage who stayed for some extra practice.
Vigneault's update: "The reason we didn’t put him in practice basically today is because it was a scrimmage and he hadn’t skated for the last two days. We felt that it was smart. In talking with Kim and Jim, we felt it was smarter to put him out on his own. Let him take a good number of shots and see how he feels. He came out and feels good. Everything should be good to go [for the final practice]."
6) Shortly before Oskar Lindblom did a lengthy interview in English for a Sports Illustrated article on his cancer ordeal and achieving remission, he did one in Swedish for the Aftonbladet national newspaper. He told writer Per Bjurman that he was planning a brief late July trip back home to Sweden to see his family now that he's been diagnosed in remission from Ewing Sarcoma.
That plan has held in place, although Lindblom will be part of the team's 31-player contingent in Toronto during the postseason. He went back to Sweden to see his family in Gà¤vle. After the trip, he will return to North America and eventually join the team in the Bubble.
To a man, Vigneault and Flyers players said they are thrilled for Lindblom's new three-year contract extension, his opportunity to go back home to see his parents and brothers, and the news that he will come to Toronto to live and practice with his teammates in the Bubble.
"Everybody’s happy for him. I talked to him yesterday, happy of course. As you guys heard, he’s back home in Sweden right now, seeing his family and all his friends. He’s really happy, that’s all I can say. I’m happy for him, too," said Robert Hà¤gg, who composed himself as he started to get emotional at one point when asked about all his friend and teammate has been through and where he is now.
6) Connor Bunnaman and Kirill Ustimenko returned to the ice for Thursday's scrimmage after being absent from Wednesday's practice.