Quick Hits: November 18, 2020
1) Flyers Hall of Fame Week continues today on the Flyers Broadcast Network and the team's official website. On today's edition of Flyers Daily, Jason Myrtetus and I interviewed Flyers Hall of Fame center and mid-to-late 1980s captain Dave Poulin. Anyone who was a fan of the team during that era will enjoy Poulin's stories and reflections not only on his own Flyers playing career but what made the Flyers teams of that era special both on and off the ice.
Among other topics, Poulin discusses how Bobby Clarke took him under his wing and how their relationship evolved when Clarke went from Poulin's teammate and training partner to his general manager. Poulin discusses how the team coped after the death of Pelle Lindbergh, what life was like playing for Mike Keenan, why he feels the Broad Street Bullies were able to win the Cup twice while the mid-80s teams fell just a tad short in two trips to the Stanley Cup Final plus a run to the Wales Conference Final.
Poulin also retraces his own unusual path to the NHL and how the game of hockey has kept pulling him back in whenever he's thought he was moving on to a different chapter in his life. Dave is one of the most engaging and insightful interview subjects in all of sports, and he made Jason's and my job very easy: Just give Poulie a topic and he'll do the rest.
To listen to the podcast,
click here.
Up next on the Flyers' website series on current and prospective future Flyers Hall of Famers: left wing Simon Gagne.
2) Phantoms/Royals goaltender Felix Sandström has left Allsvenskan team Västervik, per Hockey Sverige,and has been working out with his original SHL team, Brynäs IF Gävle (where Flyers prospect Samuel Ersson is on the roster and the team's other goaltender, Viktor Andrén, is out with an injury). However, by rule, if Sandström signs with BIF, he will have to stay there the rest of the season and could not return to the Phantoms this year. Sandström, who is coming back from offseason abdominal surgery, appeared in five games for Västervik during his brief stay.
3) Another Flyers goalie prospect who appeared on the Phantoms and Royals last season, Kirill Ustimenko is currently shelved in the Belarusian league after two games while dealing with a groin pull. He has returned to training but is not yet cleared to resume playing.
4) Nov. 18 in Flyers History:
1971: The late Bruce Gamble recorded the first of the two shutouts he notched as a Flyer. Gamble stopped all 32 shots he faced in a 2-0 win over the LA Kings at the Spectrum. Simon Nolet and Jean-Guy Gendron supplied the goal support after a scoreless first period. Unfortunately, Gamble's playing career would soon end prematurely. On February 8,1972, Gamble suffered a heart attack during a Flyers 3-1 road win over the Vancouver Canucks. The goalie did not start complaining of symptoms until after the game. He retired as an active player after the episode.
1982: The Flyers overcame an early 2-0 deficit to skate off with a 3-2 home win over the Calgary Flames. Mark Howe created the scoring chance that results in Ron Flockhart's game-winning goal in the third period after Bill Barber and Lindsay Carson erased the two-goal deficit in the first period. Rookie goalie Pelle Lindbergh stopped 24 of 26 shots to earn the win. One of the saves is a penalty shot denial of Hall of Fame forward Lanny McDonald. Earlier in his career, as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, McDonald scored on a penalty shot against the Flyers' Pete Peeters (October 14, 1979). Thus, McDonald became the first player to have two penalty shots against Philadelphia. In fact, McDonald had two of the first four opposition penalty shots in Flyers' franchise history.
1995: A pair of tallies by defenseman Karl Dykhuis with the Flyers' second line on the ice along with tallies by first line center Eric Lindros and third-line left winger Shjon Podein led a balanced attack in a 4-2 road win over the Hartford Whalers. Winning goalie Garth Snow made 21 saves.
2009: The Flyers overcome the LA Kings with 3-2 road win after trailing by a goal at the first intermission. Mika Pyorala (first NHL goal), Mike Richards and James van Riemsdyk (game-winning goal) do the scoring honors for Philly. Brian Boucher is stellar in net, making 37 saves on a night where the Flyers get outshot by a 39-20 margin.
2018: Sean Monahan's second period power play hat trick erased 3-1 and 4-2 Calgary deficits to the host Flyers, and the Flames went on to claim a 5-4 overtime win on a Michal Frolik goal. Brandon Manning, Sean Couturier (12th of the season), Ivan Provorov and Nolan Patrick scored for Philadelphia.
5) On Sunday, Philadelphia Little Flyers player Brian Page suffered serious injuries in a U18 AAA
game. He was taken to the hospital in an ambulance, and then airlifted to Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia to undergo emergency surgery. Brian broke his c-5 and c-6 vertebrae and suffered spinal cord damage. Doctors fear that he may not he might be able to walk again.
Brian's Little Flyers teammate, Corey Owens, has begun a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Brian and his family's costs. Approximately $100,000 of a $500,000 goal has been raised so far. For more information,
click here.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»