Quick Hits: February 1, 2024
1) With his selection to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, Travis Konecny has become the 26th player in Flyers' franchise history to represent the team in two or more All-Star Games. On PhiladelphiaFlyers.com today, I took a look at how Konecny has evolved as a player since his selection to the 2020 All-Star Game as well as compiling a list of the Flyers players with the most All-Star Game selections during their Philadelphia careers: Click here.
2) Phantoms Update: The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (17-7-7) dropped a 4-2 home decision to the Hershey Bears (AHL-best 36-7-2) at the PPL Center on Wednesday night. The Phantoms have lost six of the eight head-to-head meetings with Hershey this season (2-4-2).
Two goals by former Phantoms/Flyers forward Mike Vecchione (12th and 13th of the season) proved to be the difference on Wednesday. The Phantoms trailed 1-0 at the first intermission, pushed back for closely spaced second period tallies by Cooper Marody (10th) and Ronnie Attard (9th), but saw the Bears score three unanswered goals in the third period. Vecchione's second goal of the game, scored at 13:41 of the final frame, proved to be the game-winner for Hershey. Adam Ginning assisted on both Lehigh Valley goals in a losing cause.
Felix Sandström stopped 27 of 30 shots in taking the loss in goalie. The final Hershey goal was a empty netter by Pierrick Dube (21st). Seventy-six seconds into the third period, Jimmy Huntington (11th) scored the goal that tied the score at 2-2 before Vecchione put Hershey back ahead to stay. Winning goalie Clay Stevenson denied 25 of 27 Lehigh Valley shots.
The Phantoms went 0-for-5 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill. Vecchione's first goal was scored on a mid-first period 5-on-4 for Hershey.
Lehigh Valley will try again on Friday for their third win against the Bears this season. Game time is 7:05 p.m. ET. On Saturday, the Phantoms will host the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Throughout the weekend, the Phantoms will celebrate their 10th anniversary of moving to Allentown from Glens Falls, New York, with the team being renamed from the Adirondack Phantoms to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
3) Back in November, the London Knights experimented with defenseman Oliver Bonk on the power play as their bumper forward. No one had any inkling of what would follow.
After he ended a personal 57-game goal drought (the final 21 regular season games of 2022-23, the London Knight's 21-game play run, and the first 15 games of the 2023-24 regular season), Bump has scored 16 goals including a dozen on the power play.
In this week's installment of the Farm Report on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com, I take a look at how "Bumper Bonk" has become a popular slogan and even a t-shirt in London over the last three months. I also update the progress of Knights' forward Denver Barkey: Click here.
4) Flyers winger Owen Tippett is Jason Myrtetus's guest on Thursday's edition of Flyers Daily. Tippett talks about his new eight-year contract extension, his season to date, the areas of his game he still wants to improve, and more. Watch below: