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Quick Hits: Flyers Daily, Prax Day, Phantoms, Walk/Run/Stroll, Flyers Cup
March 20, 2023, 1:47 PM ET [138 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSS • Archive • CONTACT


1) In this week's "Mondays with Meltzer" edition of the Flyers Daily podcast, host Jason Myrtetus and I talk about the emergence of Owen Tippet: the areas where he's excelling and opportunities for ongoing growth as a player. We also talk about the impact that other young Flyers players had in Friday's game against Buffalo and Saturday's match against Carolina. Jason and I talk about the prospects for Sean Couturier and/or Travis Konecny to return to play before the season ends. Finally, we talk about the schedule ahead and why non-contending clubs can make for dangerous opponents for playoff bubble clubs and even top teams at this time of year. The "trap game" effect is something that's a real pitfall for teams with playoff berths in reach.

To listen to the 27-minute episode, click here.

2) The Flyers return to practice today at the FTC in Voorhees ahead of hosting the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night (7:00 p.m. EDT) at the Wells Fargo Center. Practice today is at 11 a.m. EDT. Tomorrow night's game is the fourth match of the team's current seven-game homestand.

On Wednesday, the Flyers have a complete day off. The next night, the Flyers will host the Minnesota Wild (7:00 p.m. EDT) in the final Throwback Thursday night game of the season. Thursday is All-Decades Night, recapping memorable players and moments from 1967-68 to 2019-20.

The Flyers will hold a noon practice on Friday at the FTC. On Saturday afternoon (1 p.m. EDT), the Flyers will wrap up their season series against the Detroit Red Wings with a matinee at the Wells Fargo Center. Philly is 2-0-0 against Detroit this season.

There is no practice scheduled for Sunday, March 26. The team will practice in Voorhees the next day (11:00 a.m. EDT). On Tuesday, March 28, the Flyers will wrap up the homestand with a game against the Montreal Canadiens (7:00 p.m. EDT).

After the conclusion of the homestand, six of the Flyers' final nine games of the season are on the road.

3) The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (31-25-6) have lost three games in a row in regulation after rattling off five straight wins. They remain in fifth place in the Atlantic Division but fourth place is slipping away and the sixth-place Bridgeport Islanders are within four points of the Phantoms with a game in hand. The Phantoms are idle on the schedule through Friday.

With Flyers interim general manager Danny Briere in the house on Sunday afternoon, the Phantoms produced a clunker of a 5-2 home loss to the last-place Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Pretty much none of the players Briere was likely there to assess for potential recalls to the Flyers had a particularly good game on Sunday.

Samuel Ersson (25 saves on 29 shots) a third straight subpar start by his standards from this season. A leaky shorthanded goal by Drake Caggiula that gave the Baby Pens a 2-0 lead early in the second period was particularly damaging. The Phantom later had a would-be Garrett Wilson goal, which would have gotten them back within 2-1, disallowed for goalie interference.

Ronnie Attard had an egregious turnover and got caught up ice. Despite scoring a late-game goal in garbage time, Bobby Brink struggled for significant portions of the game. Elliot Desnoyers (one shot on goal, minus-two) did not have one of his better days and has been held off the scoresheet in four of the last six games. Olle Lycksell, who has been struggling lately, did have some good shifts on Sunday but has just two points (0g, 2a) in his last seven games.

The Phantoms' hottest player of late, Cooper Marody, was injured in the second period of Sunday's game. It is unknown when last week's AHL Player of the Week may be available to return but it sounds like he's going to miss time. On the play, Marody took contact to the back of his head and was driven head-first down to the ice with W-B/S center Jonthan Gruden landing on top of him. Marody, who bled on the ice from the impact, left the game and did not return.

After the game, Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere shredded the quality of the officiating in the game, especially for a non-call on the play where Marody was injured. The Phantoms had four power plays (0-for-4, SHGA) on the day. All totaled, Sunday was not a fun day in Allentown.

4) Flyers Cup championship games: The complete schedule and venues for the championship games of the annual Flyers Cup scholastic hockey championship is here. Today at Ice Line in West Chester (6:30 p.m. EDT), top seeded West Chester East will face off against Hershey in the A Final. The postgame awards and championship trophy will be presented by Flyers Alumni Bob "the Hound" Kelly and Brad Marsh.

5) Reminder: The 2023 Flyers Alumni/ Flyers Warriors Walk, Run, Stroll event at Washington Crossing Historic Park in New Hope is on April 30, 2023. There is a 1.5k "family stroll" course or a 5k run/walk course option. If you cannot attend the event live, you can participate remotely and receive the event t-shirt and finisher's medal.

Proceeds of the event benefit the Flyers Warriors hockey program for disabled veterans and the YMCA of Bucks County's Veterans Wellness initiative. Full details and registration is is here.

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