Quick Hits: Feb. 14, 2022
1) The Flyers return to practice at the FTC in Voorhees on Monday in preparation to play the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday evening (7:00 p.m. ET, NBCSP+). On Saturday in Detroit, the Flyers put forth a vastly improved performance from last Wednesday's 6-3 home loss to the Red Wings but the end result still the same; a loss (4-2) in which Philadelphia never played with a lead.
2) With Derick Brassard once again unavailable to play, the Flyers recalled Jackson Cates on an emergency basis for Saturday's game. Cates skated 8:56 across 11 shifts, registering one shot on goal and one hit. However, he lost three of four faceoffs. Cates returned to the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday, and dressed in the team's home game against the Hershey Bears.
3) Phantoms Update: The Phantoms earned a 3-2 win over Hershey at the PPL Center on Sunday. A high-tip goal by Morgan Frost broke a 1-1 deadlock with 4:16 remaining in the third period. Hayden Hodson (PPG) and team captain Cal O'Reilly (empty net) also scored for the Phantoms, while Felix Sandström stopped 33 of 35 shots. Hershey scored a goal in the final two seconds of the final stanza, which made it a one-goal margin rather than two.
Frost returned to the lineup after missing both Friday and Saturday's game due to a non-COVID illness. Cam York missed both Saturday and Sunday's game due to an upper-body injury suffered in the first period of Friday's win over the Bears.
The Phantoms are 3-2-0 on their current six-game homestand. Overall, the team has a 17-18-8 record and is in seventh place in the Atlantic Division.
4) In Monday's edition of Flyers Daily, Jason Myrtetus discuss the issue of the Flyers' need to have a specific identity in mind -- in other words, what type of team does Chuck Fletcher ENVISION putting together -- as the trade deadline and offseason approach.
We also discuss the topic of the need in today's NHL for teams to have players on their ELCs or second contracts at most emerge as consistent impact players. The Flyers have come short on the developmental side (not really on the drafting side, as they've had a number of prospects who've met D+1 and/or D+2 expectations but have either stagnated or showed early progress and then regression as pros).
Lastly, I brought up the case of Nicolas Aube-Kubel as an example of a prospect who improved to a degree, seemingly regressed and then almost immediately found his NHL niche after a change in scenery For more, click here
5) Things can change quickly in hockey, either for the better or the worse. At Super Bowl Sunday one year ago, the Flyers were 8-3-2 after skating to a 7-4 win over the Washington Capitals. As was often the case early last season (as well very early this season), the Flyers did not play particularly strong game but they outscored their breakdowns. In the Washington game, the Flyers scored seven times on 24 shots on goal.
It was clear that sort of pace was unsustainable. Even so, with the team coming off a seeming breakthrough season in 2019-20 and off to a good record early the next season, there was still a sense of optimism that things would eventually click in place. It never
Instead, that game was pretty much the last one before the bottom started to drop out on the 2020-21 season. By March, the team was starting to be in free fall.
COVID was one factor. Injuries were another. But the single biggest factor is that very little that the Flyers accomplished in 2019-20 -- being the NHL's stingiest team in terms of opposing shots in goal per game, being in the top seven leaguewide in both GPG and GAA, being very tough to beat on home ice (25-6-4) and at least at sea level on the road (16-15-3) -- carried over even a little bit. The team fell apart defensively last year and a torrid offensive start gave way to a sputtering attack from March onward.
This season has largely been more of the same, only with even spottier offense, a shallower blueline yet a better overall season from goaltender Carter Hart.
6) Due to pandemic-related restrictions, Flyers Charities was unable to hold a Flyers Wives Carnival this season. The Carnival, of course, is the traditional capstone fundraising event for Flyers Charities each year. This season, the Feb. 26 matinee (12:30 p.m. start) against the Washington Capitals has been designated Flyers Charities Day with proceeds from the game going to support the work of Flyers' Charities.
7) Beanpot Final: Jay O'Brien and Boston University are in action on Monday night for the 2022 Beanpot tournament final against Northeastern at TD Garden in Boston.
8) Today in Flyers History: Feb, 14, 1977
Al Hill set a still-standing National Hockey League record by recording five points (2g, 3a) in his NHL debut game. For a retrospective on the game, click here.
9) Feb 14 Flyers Alumni birthdays: Petr Svoboda (1966), Petr Mrazek (1992).