Watch Spengler Cup Semis
Swiss National League team Fribourg-Gotteron will play Team Canada in the Spengler Cup semifinals today in Switzerland. The Fribourg team features Flyers players
Max Talbot and
Bruno Gervais.
We have hit the attrition phase of the short tournament. Fribourg will be playing for the third straight day and fourth time in five days, which is the norm for the tournament. Today's winner will play in tomorrow's final. Each year, teams can play up to five games in the six-day span between Boxing Day and New Years Eve day.
In yesterday's semi-finals, Talbot was credited with the game-winning goal in Fribourg's 5-2 win over DEL team Adler Mannheim. For the tournament to date, Talbot has one goal and two assists in three games. Gervais has one assist.
Today's game starts at 9 a.m. eastern time. A free webcast will be
available here.
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Tough weekend for Flyers farm teams
Entering the final weekend of 2012, both of the Flyers farm teams appeared to be heading in the right direction. The AHL's Adirondack Phantoms were riding a three-game winning streak while the ECHL's Trenton Titans had won six in a row and won the first of three straight games against the archrival Reading Royals.
Unfortunately, both the Phantoms and Royals slunk away from the weekend with nothing but a pair of losses to show for their efforts.
On Friday night in Glens Falls, the Phantoms came out on the short end of a battle of rookie goaltenders. Providence Bruins' netminder Niklas Svedberg turned back 43 of 45 shots to 31 of 34 saves by
Cal Heeter. The Adirondack goals were scored by
Braden Schenn and
Eric Wellwood (power play). The Wellwood goal trimmed the deficit to 3-2 with 9:07 left to play but the Phantoms couldn't find the equalizer. A late empty-net goal sealed a 4-2 win for the Bruins.
Last night in Portland, the Phantoms' punchless offense continued to struggle to finish scoring chances. Pirates goaltender Mark Visentin flirted with a shutout until late in the third period before
Jason Akeson finally got the Phantoms on the board. Portland prevailed 2-1.
Much of the game was spent on special teams. Both clubs had nine power play opportunities in the match, and all three goals in the game were scored on special teams. Most costly of all to Adirondack, a late second-period too many men on the ice penalty was turned into a Michael Stone power play goal that proved to be the difference in the game. Phantoms goalie
Scott Munroe finished with 31 saves in a losing cause.
The weekend was equally frustrating for the Titans. On Friday in Reading, a three-goal rally in the third period fell short, and the Royals held on for a 5-4 win. Rookie goaltender
Niko Hovinen had an awful game, giving up a pair of questionable goals among the five he yielded on 37 shots. On the bright side,
Marcel Noebels continued his torrid December with a three-assist effort.
On Saturday, regular starter Scott Wedgewood returned to the net for the Titans as the scene shifted back to Trenton. The Titans built an early two-goal lead courtesy of a pair of goals by Stephen Schultz, and nursed the lead into the third period. Then the walls caved in, as it was Reading's turn to explode for three unanswered goals in the final stanza.
The Royals left with a 3-2 victory and five of six possible points from the three-game slate with the Titans.
Trenton ended up losing three additional points in the standings despite the dramatic comeback overtime win against Reading on Thursday.
The Phantoms are back in action tomorrow afternoon (3 p.m.) for a New Years Eve day game against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The Titans resume on Friday with the first of two straight road games against the Wheeling Nailers.
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WJC: Team USA Falls Short Again
Speaking of frustration, Team USA experienced plenty of it at the World Junior Championships in Ufa, Russia. On Saturday, the Americans gave the host team all it could handle -- and, in fact, were the better team for significant stretches of play -- but had trouble finishing chances. The Russians skated off with a 2-1 win.
There was more of the same today against Team Canada. The Americans hurt their own momentum at times, and had to try to chase the game after falling behind 2-0 in the opening period. Team USA eventually generated momentum, but then hurt themselves with a few undisciplined plays and bad penalties. The undefeated Canadians left with a hard-fought 2-1 win.
Team USA is now faced with a situation in which it must defeat Slovakia to reach the medal round. While the Americans will be the favorites, Slovakia is no pushover team (as Russia learned in the opener when it squeaked out an overtime win).
The play of Flyers defense prospect
Shayne Gostisbehere has been one of the bright spots for the Americans in the tournament to date. He was especially good in the second period against Russia as well as the opening-game domination of overmatched Germany.
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Coming tomorrow: A look at Flyers junior prospects and a Flyers in Europe update.
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