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7:15 AM EDT
PHANTOMS REPORT
The Adirondack Phantoms are now back in Glens Falls to complete their preseason training camp after starting camp at the SkateZone in Voorhees. They had the day off on Monday but returned to the ice yesterday in preparation for the regular season opener against Portland on Saturday at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
The team's schedule for the remainder of the week is as follows:
Wednesday: 10:30 a.m. - Practice at the Civic Center
Thursday: 10:00 a.m. - Practice at the Civic Center
Friday: 10:00 a.m. - Practice at the Civic Center
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. Morning skate, 7 p.m. home game vs. Portland Pirates
Sunday, 11:00 a.m. - 3 p.m. road game vs. Springfield Falcons
Apparently, yesterday's practice -- following an 0-3 exhibition record -- did not go to the liking of head coach Terry Murray. According to the Post Star, Murray had to stop practice several times because he was not happy with the sloppiness he was seeing. Afterward, the head coach bluntly told beat writer Diana Nearhos that the session was a "near disaster."
Murray is not a coach who raises his voice often but he also does not hide his displeasure. He is very demanding, and the Phantoms players will need to respond, because his coaching style is not about to change. There are still 25 players in camp, and there are starting lineup spots still up for competition.
Yesterday's forward practice lines, per Nearhos' update from the Civic Center, were:
Likely opening night defense pairings are Gustafsson-Bourdon and two combinations of more offensive-minded defensemen (Brandon Manning and Danny Syvret) and big defensive defensemen (Oliver Lauridsen and Zack Fitzgerald).
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EUROPE REPORT
* Matt Read and New York Rangers forward Carl Hagelin have the makings of a dynamic duo for Allsvenskan team Södertälje SK. Yesterday, Read racked up a goal and two assists and linemate Hagelin had two assists in a 4-3 home win against Tingsryds AIF. Read, who is playing center thus far, scored his goal right off a faceoff win. TAIF had major problems trying to handle the speed that Read and Hagelin threw at them all game. Game highlights are available here (scroll to the bottom of the page).
* Ruslan Fedotenko recorded his first point of the KHL season (an assist) and played a more reasonable 16:38 of ice time in HC Donbass' 4-1 win yesterday over Severstal Cherepovets. He also went 11 for 21 on faceoffs.
* Jakub Voracek stood behind the HC Lev Prague bench in street clothes in yesterday's 1-0 loss to Dynamo Moscow that aired on ESPN2. The latest word on Voracek's knee injury is that he will not need surgery but the timetable of about four weeks appears to be closer to how long he'll actually be out than the optimistic one-week prediction by agent Petr Svoboda.
* Following their first practice with Eisbären Berlin, Claude Giroux and Danny Briere were introduced to the media yesterday at a press conference. Questions were either asked in English by reporters or translated from German for the players to respond to in English.
Briere said that his three sons want to come to Germany with him but are unable to right now because of their school and hockey practice schedules. Giroux said that he chose Eisbären because of its reputation for being a winning team that treats its players very well and packs its arena with "intense" fans (he also mentioned the loyalty and intensity of Philadelphia fans and wanting to play in atmosphere with a lot of fan support).
With Briere and numerous other North Americans around, Giroux said he felt an immediate comfort level with the club and was looking forward to the on-ice and off-ice experiences to come. Briere said that he regarded his season in Switzerland during the 2004-05 lockout as one of the most personally rewarding experiences of his life, and expects that he will enjoy his time in Germany.
Briere and Giroux will make their debuts for Eisbären on Friday against Kölner Haie (Cologne Sharks). There will be a free webcast available on Laola1 TV, which is the official broadcaster of the DEL. I'll post the link to the online game broadcast on Friday morning.
* Wayne Simmonds and Eispiraten Crimmitschau are practicing today in preparation for a road game on Friday against the Schwenninger Wild Wings. The opponent's best offensive player, former ECHL player Pierre-Luc Sleigher, has four goals and 29 penalty minutes in the first four games of the regular season. Sleigher is small but a big-time pest with a rep for taking some cheap shots and being a trash talker. I doubt the 5-foot-9, 180 pound Sleigher would want to directly engage Simmonds in a fight, but the two players will definitely become well acquainted next game. Simmonds has seven points (1G, 6A) and 31 penalty minutes in his first six games with the Ice Pirates. Chris Stewart has two goals and five assists to date.
* The official Web site of the EIHL's Sheffield Steelers released quotes today from Tom Sestito about signing with the British team and his hopes while playing with the club during the NHL lockout. Sestito, who was a 40-goal scorer in the Ontario Hockey League before taking on primarily an enforcer and agitator role at the pro level, said that he wants to take on offensive responsibilities for the Steelers as well as being relied on for his physicality.
Said Sestito, "I fly out Wednesday and can't wait to arrive. Initially I didn't know what I was going to do while the lock out was on. I had some options when my agent presented the interest from Sheffield. I knew one of my old roommates from my first NHL camp was playing in England. I looked up the league and saw that Steven Goretzen was playing in Sheffield. That certainly helped me make my decision.
"I'm looking to come to Sheffield and contribute. I know I can score goals. The big ice in Europe I think will help my game. I play a hard nosed style, I play hard and finish my checks but there is a lot more to me than running guys over. I can score goals, too."
* Ilya Bryzgalov and the rest of CSKA Moscow has a schedule break until Saturday. Although CSKA does not announce its starting goaltender in advance of games, early signs point to Rastislav Stana (1.36 GAA, .954 SV percentage in 10 starts) getting the start over Bryzgalov against Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Bryzgalov reportedly worked with with the young players and recent scratches taking extra reps at the end of practice.
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FLYERS PROSPECT UPDATES
* Taylor Leier has joined the Portland Winterhawks lineup after missing the first month of preseason/regular season games due to a torn abdominal muscle. He did not record a point and was minus-one in last night's 3-2 overtime loss to the Regina Pats. In his first three games this season, Leier has one assist and is minus-three.
* Derek Mathers had his first multi-point game of the OHL season, recording two assists in the Peterborough Petes' 3-1 win last night over the Niagara Ice Dogs. Mathers (0 goals, three assists, 17 PIM on the season to date) stayed out of the penalty box last night.
* Valeri Vasiliev had two shots on goal and played his usual defensive D role in MHK Spartak's 4-0 win yesterday. For the MHL season to date, Vasiliev has recorded one assist, 8 PIM and an even plus-minus rating.
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TODAY IN FLYERS HISTORY (October 10)
* 1976: Bernie Parent outdueled Rogie Vachon in a 1-0 Flyers victory over the Los Angeles Kings at the Spectrum. Ross Lonsberry scored the only goal of the match. The game marked Dave Schultz's first game against the Flyers after being traded to Los Angeles. "The Hammer" sought out his Philadelphia replacement, Paul Holmgren, for a fight and lost handily. Schultz, who had gotten a huge ovation as he took the ice, got booed as he was escorted off the ice. Click here for my Spectrum Memories retrospective on the game at the Flyers' official site.
* 1984: On the day he was to be formally named the Flyers captain at an afternoon press conference, a stunned Darryl Sittler was bluntly informed by new general manager Bob Clarke that he had just been traded to the Detroit Red Wings. In return, the Flyers received two young promising young forwards, Murray Craven and Joe Paterson. Although the deal was initially criticized by Flyers fans, and the situation certainly could have been handled a little better, it worked out for the Flyers. Sittler was on the decline in his magnificent career and "Crafty" Craven went on to become one of the more underrated two-way players in Flyers history.
* 1996: With Eric Lindros on the shelf at the start of the season due to a groin pull suffered during the World Cup of Hockey, Rod Brind'Amour and Mikael Renberg rescued a 5-4 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Kings at the Flyers' recently opened new home arena (then called the CoreStates Center). Philadelphia led 4-1 midway through the third period but then gave up three goals in quick succession. At the 33-second mark of overtime, Renberg (2A) shook free from the defense and fed a wide-open Brind'Amour (1G, 1A) for the game winner.
* 2007: The visiting Flyers trounced the Vancouver Canucks, 8-2. New addition Danny Briere scored his fourth goal of the young season, while Mike Richards potted a pair of goals. Jeff Carter, R.J. Umberger, Mike Knuble, Simon Gagne and Joffrey Lupul also scored for Philadelphia. The game turned chippier and chippier as the slaughter on the scoreboard progressed. In the third period, Flyers forward Jesse Boulerice ended up with a match penalty and a resulting 25-game suspension for cross-checking Ryan Kesler in the head.
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Happy 38th birthday to Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger. May the coming year bring continued progress in his recovery from post-concussion syndrome.
Today is also the 52nd birthday of Ron "Flockey Hockey" Flockhart and the 40th birthday of Alexei Zhitnik (whom the Flyers traded to Atlanta to acquire Braydon Coburn).
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