The New York Rangers Rookies downed the Philadelphia Flyers Rookies, 4-2, on Friday night in the first match of the two-game 2023 Rookies Series at the PPL Center in Allentown. The teams will rematch on Saturday evening at 5:05 p.m. EDT.
Saturday's game will be televised. NBC Sports Philadelphia + will pick up the feed from Service Electric TV. Steve Degler, the Phantoms' TV play-by-play broadcaster, will be on the call. Steven Swavely will handle color commentary.
On Friday night, the Phantoms led 1-0 at the first intermission. The game was tied at 2-2 after the middle stanza. In the third period, the Rangers went ahead to stay. Matt Brown (power play) and 2023 fourth-round pick Alex Ciernik scored for the Flyers side. Karl Henriksson (power play), Dylan Roobroeck, Ryder Korczak and Matt Robertson (empty net) answered for the Rangers.
Dylan Garand got the win in net for New York with 32 saves on 34 shots. Reading/Lehigh Valley goalie Nolan Maier (22 saves on 25 shots) took the loss. On Saturday, Flyers 2023 second-round pick Carson Bjarnason is expected to go the distance in goal. He'll likely be opposed by ECHL goalie Olof Lindbom (Friday night's backup for New York). Twenty-year-old prospect Talyn Boyko is also available for the Rangers rookies.
Look for the defense pairing of Emil Andrae and Helge Grans to enter the Flyers Rookies lineup for the rematch. Sam Sedley and Matteo Mann could also enter the lineup after being scratches for the first game. Forward J.R. Avon is nursing a lower body injury as is likely unavailable.
Friday's lineups were as follows:
Flyers 82 Alexis Gendron - 73 Elliot Desnoyers - 71 Tyson Foerster 91 Brendan Furry - 52 Denver Barkey - 46 Bobby Brink 38 Matt Brown- 87 Jonathan Fauchon - 56 Samu Tuomaala 45 Alex Ciernik - 78 Jacob Gaucher - 60 Zayde Wisdom
50 Adam Ginning - 59 Oliver Bonk 80 Will Zmolek - 75 Ethan Samson 63 Mason Millman - 65 Carter Sotheran
35 Nolan Maier [34 Carson Bjarnason]
Scratches: 85 J.R. Avon (LBI), 36 Emil Andrae, 3 Helge Grans, 76 Matteo Mann, 67 Sam Sedley.
Rangers
38 Adam Sykora - 59 Karl Henriksson - 78 Brennan Othmann 84 Adam Edström - 83 Ryder Korczak - 65 Brett Berard 89 Maxim Barbashev - 47 Bryce McConnell-Barker - 48 Bobby Trivigno 54 Dylan Roobroeck - 87 Samuel Panwar - 73 Matt Rempe
44 Matt Robertson - 39 Ty Emberson 58 Brandon Scanlon - 51 Seth Barton 62 James Petrovski - 53 Ryan McCleary
33 Dylan Garand [34 Olof Lindbom]
Scratches: 82 Max McCue, 64 Luke McNamara, 85 Joe Arnsten, 40 Talyn Boyko
Saturday's Flyers Lineup
92 Alexis Gendron - 73 Elliot Desnoyers - 46 Bobby Brink 38 Matt Brown - 52 Denver Barkey - 71 Tyson Foerster 45 Alex Ciernik - 91 Brendan Furry - 56 Samu Tuomaala 87 Jonathan Fauchon - 78 Jacob Gaucher - 60 Zayde Wisdom
36 Emil Andrae - 3 Helge Grans 80 Will Zmolek - 67 Sam Sedley 63 Mason Millman - 76 Matteo Mann
34 Carson Bjarnason [35 Nolan Maier]
Scratches: 50 Adam Ginning, 59 Oliver Bonk, 65 Carter Sotheran, Ethan Samson, 85 J.R. Avon (LBI).