Quick Hits: October 23, 2023
1) After an off-day on Sunday, the Flyers will hold practice at City National Arena in suburban Las Vegas at 1:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. eastern). As of now, the Flyers also have morning skate planned for T-Mobile Arena at 11:30 a.m. (2:30 p.m. eastern) on Tuesday before their game against the defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights. Game time for the nationally televised (ESPN) match is 8:00 p.m. locally (and, therefore, a very late 11:00 p.m. start for those on the east coast).
2) Today, as with every week, is the Mondays with Meltzer edition of Flyers Daily. This week, Jason Myrtetus and I give our final takeaways from the games against Vancouver, Edmonton and Dallas. In the second half of the 40-minute episode, we do a listener-submitted "Ask Billy" question segment: Topics include Travis Sanheim, Cam York, the Flyers' four shorthanded goals (including three against the Stars), Bobby Brink's eye-opening play, fellow rookie Tyson Foerster, the three-games-to-date scratching of Morgan Frost and more. To listen, click here.
3) With tonight game a non-game day, I wrote up a farm system update for the Flyers official site, looking at happenings in the past week with the Phantoms, and notables from the NCAA, CHL and Europe. The article should go live later today.
4) AHL: The Phantoms completed their 3-in-3 weekend gauntlet with a 3-2 home win over the Springfield Thunderbirds at the PPL Center on Sunday afternoon.
The first time this season, the Phantoms scored the opening goal. In fact, it marked the first time the Phantoms hadn't trailed 2-0 within the opening stanza. In a workmanlike performance, the Phantoms held the Thunderbirds to five shots in the first period and took a 1-0 lead to intermission on a Desnoyers tally. It was the first goal of the 2023-24 season for Desnoyers, who led the Phantoms last season with 23 goals.
The second period was fairly evenly played, and the teams traded off one goal apiece from Springfield's Dylan Coghlan and Phantoms defenseman Ronnie Attard (first of the season).
At 9:41 of the third period, Olle Lycksell (fifth goal in the last three games) provided what proved to be a vital insurance goal as he provided a 3-1 lead on the power play. Cooper Marody and Samu Tuomaala earned the helpers.
Springfield's red-hot Adam Gaudette, who also scored twice against Lehigh Valley on Friday, narrowed the Phantoms' lead back to a single goal with a power play tally in the final 29 seconds. Lycksell's goal ended up standing as the game-winner.
Wade Allison was demoted to the fourth line for this game. Additionally, Zayde Wisdom was slotted into power play duty in place of Allison.
The Phantoms, who have an off-day on Monday, return to action on Saturday on the road against the Hershey Bears. The next day, the Phantoms host the Wolf Pack.
5) On Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., at the Mullen Communications Center on the campus of Neumann University, the university and Snider Hockey will formally announce a partnership in a major new project. Details follow below from Snider's Hockey's press release:
Neumann University and Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education announce a collaboration on a multi-million-dollar project that will transform Neumann’s campus, expand SNIDER’s educational programs for under-resourced youth, generate revenue to support Neumann’s academic programs and scholarships, and honor the legacy of the late Philadelphia Flyers founder and chairman, Ed Snider. The partnership will also enhance the missions of both institutions and boost the local economy.
Dr. Chris Domes, president of Neumann University, and Scott Tharp, president and CEO of Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education, will reveal the details of the project – including its name, artist’s renderings, and comprehensive fact sheet during the event, and be available for media interviews after the announcement.
The late Philadelphia Flyers founder Ed Snider created Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education with the ultimate goal to build lives and unite communities. He wanted to assure that Philadelphia’s inner-city young men and women had an opportunity to succeed in the game of life. Hockey is the hook SNIDER uses to gain and hold the attention of its kids so that much greater life lessons may be imparted. Snider offers supplemental educational services helping to guide its participants from crayons to careers, ultimately affording those student-athletes that graduate through the program free, four-year college tuition and room and board to one of several area colleges.