|
Quick Hits: Holding Pattern, Phantoms Gameday, NCAA Update and More |
|
|
|
|
|
Quick Hits: February 14, 2021
1) Saturday was a "no news is good news" day on the Flyers' COVID-19 protocol front: no new names were added to the list. Seven players remain in the protocol: defensemen Travis Sanheim and Justin Braun, forwards Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, Scott Laughton, Oskar Lindblom and Morgan Frost.
2) The Flyers remain in a wait-and-see game to determine if they will be able to practice tomorrow at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. Today's afternoon game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers was postponed; the fourth postponement since Tuesday. The Flyers remain in second place in the East Division with 18 points and a .692 points percentage. Philadelphia's next two scheduled games are this Thursday at home against the Rangers and then next Sunday in Lake Tahoe against the Boston Bruins.
3) Phantoms update: The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (1-0-1) return to action on Sunday afternoon, playing an afternoon road game against the Hersey Bears (1-0-1). Zane McIntyre, who played well in goal in each of the Phantoms' first two games, is the likely starter for Lehigh Valley.
The Phantoms have scored just two regulation and one OT goal through two games: rookie defenseman Wyatte Wylie, forward Ryan Fitzgerald (OT goal in the opener in Hershey) and David Kase (shorthanded).
The Phantoms have an extensive injury list: Wade Allison (ankle surgery), Tanner Laczynski (groin pull), Isaac Ratcliffe (rehabbing after rib injuries and a collapsed lung), goaltender Kirill Ustimenko (hip surgery). Players currently on Taxi Squad duty for the Flyers include Samuel Morin, Carsen Twarynski, Andy Andreoff, Nate Prosser, Derrick Pouliot, and goaltenders Alex Lyon and Felix Sandström.
4) NCAA Update: Saturday was a big night for several Flyers prospects playing collegiate hockey this season. The roundup:
* Flyers 2018 first-round pick Jay O'Brien, a sophomore for NCAA eligibility purposes, recorded the first hat trick of his collegiate hockey career as Boston University defeated Vermont, 5-1, on Saturday evening. O'Brien's first goal was scored point blank after going to the net and receiving a pass. The second was a solo effort in which he forced a turnover at the blueline and scored. The goal that completed the hat trick saw the 21-year-old pull off a toe-drag move in the slot, take the puck the net and score. All three goals were scored at even strength. O'Brien now has 10 points (6g, 4a) in 10 games. BU improved to 8-1-1 on the season.
* Flyers 2019 first-round pick Cam York collected three assists as Michigan defeated Wisconsin, 5-1, on Saturday afternoon. The now 20-year-old captain of the gold medal winning Team USA squad at the 2020-21 World Junior Championships has 13 points (3g, 10a) in 15 games played for the Wolverines (11-6-1) this season. The Wolverines and Badgers rematch today at 5 p.m. ET.
* Flyers 2019 second-round pick Bobby Brink and his Denver teammates had a rough weekend in getting swept by powerhouse North Dakota (15-4-1) with 3-0 and 5-2 losses on Friday and Saturday. In yesterday's tilt, Brink did not record a point, was minus-two but had three shots on goal. The Team USA World Junior Championship squad member has seven points (1g, 6a) in 11 sophomore games this season for Denver. The Pioneers (7-12-1) host Colorado College next Friday and Saturday. Fellow Flyers prospect Gavin Hain, a junior left winger for North Dakota, assisted on the first goal of Saturday's rematch.
* Flyers 2019 third-round pick Ronnie Attard enjoyed his best offensive game of his sophomore season as the 21-year-old offensive defenseman recorded two goals and an assist to take first-star honors on Saturday. Western Michigan downed Minnesota Duluth, 4-1, to complete a weekend sweep (4-0, 4-1). The Mustangs have played much better of late after getting off to a 2-8-2 start to the season. Attard, who is still working on defensive and decision-making aspects of his game but intrigues with his size, physicality, and heavy shot, has posted 17 points (6g, 11a) in 22 games this season.
Minnesota Duluth, which is accustomed to being a perennial threat to reach -- and win -- the Frozen Four, has been a streaky team this season. They've now lost back-to-back games after a six-game winning streak, which came on the heels of a three-game (0-2-1) losing stretch. Junior center/winger Noah Cates, who is widely rumored to be turning pro to join the Flyers organization after this season, had two shots on goal on Saturday but was held off the scoresheet in both games. The 22-year-old, two-way forward has 15 points (5g, 10a) in 21 games this season after posting 33 points (14g, 19a) in 34 games as a sophomore before the pandemic-related tournament cancelations last March.
* Jack St. Ivany, who transferred from Yale to Boston College this season after Yale announced that the hockey team would not play during the 2020-21 season due to the pandemic, dressed in his 11th game for the Eages in Saturday's 4-3 win over UMass Lowell. He was minus-two with one shot on goal in this game. Overall, BC is 13-3-1. St. Ivany, whose role with BC is less offense-oriented than it was with Yale, has four points (1g, 3a) since the transfer.
5) Feb. 14 Flyers Alumni birthdays: Petr Svoboda (1966), Petr Mrazek (1992).
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»