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Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers. There is a light schedule of Flyers-related hockey games today, but there is one match of note.
Max Talbot is in action for Ilves Tampere today against TPS Turku. Game time is 11:30 a.m. EST. Live updates will be available here.
Yesterday, Talbot had a two-point effort (one goal, one assist) in a losing cause, as Ilves went down 4-3 to Ilves Tampere. Game highlights are available here. Talbot has two goals and three points in three SM-liiga games to date.
Ilves is stuck deep in the cellar of the 14-team SM-liiga. The team has just 19 points in 23 games played, and is 6 points out 13th place and 16 points out of what would be the 10th and final playoff spot.
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The Adirondack Phantoms put forth a strong 60-minute effort, blowing out the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5-1 in the first game of the Phantoms' six-game homestand. After a scoreless first period, the Phantoms broke free for three goals in the second period and the outcome was never in severe jeopardy.
Brayden Schenn had a power play goal and two assists for the Phantoms to bring his season total to 20 points. As of the end of the game, Schenn was one point behind Oklahoma City's Justin Schultz for the AHL scoring lead. By the end of the night, he was three points behind Schultz's teammate Jordan Eberle.
Making the most of his recall from the ECHL's Trenton Titans, second year pro Jason Akeson dished out primary assists on each of the Phantoms first three goals, including Schenn's. On that play, Akeson teed up a perfect pass for Schenn to one-time past Bridgeport goaltender Kevin Poulin.
Sean Couturier, who is working a point on the power play, tallied both a goal and an assist on the man advantage last night. Couturier's goal came on a 5-on-3 advantage, as he ripped a slapshot from center point high over Poulin's glove. Later, Couturier opted for a wrist shot, which Tye McGinn deflected home. Couturier nearly had a second goal in the game, but it was waved off by one of the referees. Akeson was in the crease as Couturier stepped out from behind the net and scored.
The Phantoms also got goals from Harry Zolnierczyk and Shane Harper.
Zolnierczyk had a pair of golden scoring chances in the first period, including a 2-on-1 down low with Couturier providing the setup. He was robbed twice by Poulin. The third time was the charm. Akeson found him open and Harry Z made no mistake at the 13-second mark of the middle period.
Harper's goal was a tap-in. Linemate Rob Bordson stole the puck from Poulin behind the Bridgeport net and fed an open Harper in front for an easy goal.
Adirondack played strong team defense in the game, limiting Bridgeport to 13 shots through two periods and 22 for the game. In particular, the Phantoms' top pairing of Erik Gustafsson and Marc-Andre Bourdon played one of its strongest games of the season to date and Couturier did an excellent job when matched head-to-head with the Sound Tigers' top line.
Phantoms goaltender Scott Munroe earned the victory, with a 21-save effort. He made several fine saves, including a breakaway stop on Brandon DeFazio in the third period with Adirondack leading 4-1.
For the second time this season, Eric Wellwood sat out as a healthy scratch. Adirondack's overall scoring leader last season, Matt Ford was also on Terry Murray's scratch list.
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Apart from Talbot's aforementioned game in Finland, there were six other Flyers players in action in Europe yesterday. Here's the rundown:
* Södertäjle SK won for the 12th time in its last 13 games, downing Tingsryds AIF by a 3-2 score. Matt Read did not have one of his better games, but won an important late game faceoff to help nail down the win. Read had not posted a point in his last two games. Meanwhile, Nicklas Grossmann was plus-one in his second of four games with SSK. He is plus-four and has one assist and five blocked shots in his two games.
* Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 25 of 29 shots in CSKA Moscow's 4-0 loss to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. None of the goals were "soft", and two were virtually impossible to stop. Meanwhile, Semyon Varlamov recorded a 34-save shutout. Game highlights are below:
* Jakub Voracek ended an offensive mini-slump by scoring the first goal in HC Lev's 4-2 win over Atlant Moscow. He nearly had a second goal later in the game, beating goaltender Stanislav Galimov cleanly but ticking the shot off the post.
* Ruslan Fedotenko did not record a point in Donbass' 4-3 shootout loss to Neftekhimik. He skated 20:33 of ice time, mostly against the line featuring Nail Yakupov. Fedotenko went 10-for-22 on faceoffs. The Ukrainian forward, who has a pair of shootout winning goals to his credit this season, was unable to convert his shootout attempt this time around.
* Tom Sestito did not record a point and took a third-period tripping minor in the Sheffield Steelers' 4-3 overtime win over the Dundee Stars. Former Flyers prospect Colin Shields tallied a goal for the Steelers.
There were also two Flyers prospects in action on Wednesday:
* Nick Cousins earned a pair of assists in the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds' 4-3 overtime loss to the Saginaw Spirit. With 36 points (10 goals, 26 assists) in 24 games, Cousins is currently the ninth leading scorer in the OHL.
* Taylor Leier did not record a point but his red-hot Portland Winterhawks team blanked the Vancouver Giants, 3-0.
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Saturday's Operation Hat Trick fundraising game in Atlantic City to raise money for Hurricane Sandy relief is sold out. The last of the tickets in the 10,500-plus seat Convention Hall were sold yesterday, at costs ranging from $20 to $100 per ticket.
There will be no television broadcast of the game, which starts at 7 p.m. EST. However, there will be a live radio and internet audio broadcast of the game via 97.3 ESPN Radio.
The current confirmed rosters are as follows. Others will be added by Saturday.
TEAM PHILADELPHIA/NEW JERSEY (benefiting New Jersey State Relief Fund) Scott Hartnell(captain) Wayne Simmonds Kimmo Timonen Braydon Coburn Jody Shelley
James van Riemsdyk
Simon Gagne
Justin Williams
Dan Carcillo
Steve Downie
Steven Stamkos
David Clarkson
Andy Greene
John Carlson
Martin Brodeur (G)
TEAM NEW YORK (benefiting Empire State Relief Fund)
Brad Richards (captain)
Dan Girardi
Marc Staal
Steve Eminger
Brian Boyle
Bobby Ryan
Corey Perry
Ville Leino
James Neal
Matt Martin
Jeff Halpern
Taylor Pyatt
Henrik Lundqvist (G)
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