Quick Hits: Rookie Series Wrapup
1) Last year, the Flyers swept their two-game Rookie Series against the New York Rangers' prospects. This year, the Rangers pushed back by sending the Flyers Rookies to a
4-2 defeat on Friday and a
3-1 loss in Saturday's rematch.
2) Standouts in the two-get set on the Flyers side: Zayde Wisdom, Denver Barkey, Alex Ciernik, 24-year-old tryout forward Matt Brown, Samu Tuomaala. Helge Grans and Emil Andrae, who had previous experience playing as defense partners on the Swedish junior national team, were reunited for Saturday's game and were, far and away, the top pairing on the Flyers' side. In the first game, the best pairing was Adam Ginning and Oliver Bonk.
3) Head coach Ian Laperriere was somewhat disappointed by the performances of the three most highly-touted forwards on the Flyers Rookies side: Tyson Foerster (0 points, 3 shots on goal in the two games), Elliot Desnoyers (0 points) and Bobby Brink (power play assist in Game One). They generated only very sporadic scoring chances and were out for an early goal against in Game Two. Foerster was a force in last year's Rookie Series, including an overtime goal in the first game, and also played well the previous year against the New York Islanders prospects. This year, as the No. 1 focal point, he struggled to consistently create time and space for himself.
Foerster still has a strong chance to crack the Flyers' opening night roster this season after a strong campaign last year (led the Phantoms in scoring, AHL All-Star Game participant, seven points in eight NHL games). But he'll have to dial up his game to a higher level in NHL camp and preseason games than he displayed this weekend.
4) Goaltending prospect Carson Bjarnason had a rough first period in Saturday's game. Thereafter he settled in nicely over the final 40 minutes. Late in the third period, Bobby Trivigno scored a breakaway goal (his second tally of the game) to give the Rangers some insurance.
5) Prior to Saturday's game, Flyers general manager Danny Briere announced that Phantoms rookie forward J.R. Avon, who has not appeared on the ice during Rookie Camp or the Rookies Series, will miss the next four to six weeks. One day prior to the start of Rookie Camp, Avon sustained a sprained posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his left knee.
6) There was also an injury in Saturday's game. Defenseman Matteo Mann, the Flyers' seventh-round pick in the 2023 NHL ENtry Draft, sustained an upper body injury and left the game. The injury is not believed to be anything serious. Mann, who only dressed in second Rookies Game, was beaten on the sequence that led up to Trivigno's first goal.
7) The Flyers Rookies originally had a practice at the FTC in Voorhees scheduled for Sunday. The practice was scrapped in favor of an off-day following the back-to-back Rookies Series games in Allentown. Camp resumes on Monday.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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