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Quick Hits: May 24, 2022
1) The Flyers announced on Monday that they have signed winger Linus Sandin to a one-year contract extension; a two-way deal paying $750,000 at the NHL level. Sandin has spent most of his two North American pro seasons to date at the American Hockey League level with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms but he did get into one NHL game with the Flyers this past season (Jan. 25 vs. New York Islanders). Sandin's 2021-22 season was seriously set back by a fractured orbital bone suffered in the second game of the AHL regular season. He later had an unrelated injury interruption to his season. Overall, Sandin played in 36 games, posting eight goals and 20 points.
2) Andy Strickland reported on Monday that he has heard veteran head coach John Tortorella is one of the short-list candidates the Flyers are considering for their coaching vacancy. This is not particularly a surprise. During Exit Day, Flyers winger Cam Atkinson publicly endorsed his former Columbus coach as someone who could instill the type of accountability and "f- you" on-ice disposition that Atkinson feels the team needs to adopt to a higher degree. Despite Tortorella's public image as an ultra-demanding and sometimes punitive coach, Atkinson said that all of the Blue Jackets players loved played for him and felt Tortorella was in their corner.
3) WHL Playoffs: The Edmonton Oil Kings took a two games to one lead in their Eastern Conference Final series with the Winnipeg Ice as Edmonton captured a 4-3 overtime home win on Monday. Both of the Oil Kings' wins in the series have come in overtime.
Flyers prospect Connor McClennon notched a first-period power play assist and a third-period even strength goal in Game 3. The Ice trailed, 2-1, entering the third period. McClennon knotted the score at 2-2 on a point-blank goal from the lower left slot with 11 minutes left in regulation. Zach Benson then put Winnipeg ahead, 3-2, at 16:14. Attacking 6-on-5 with an empty net behind them, Edmonton's Jalen Luypen scored with 1:18 left on the clock to force overtime. Justin Sourdif won the game for the Oil Kings at 8:03 of sudden death.
Top 2022 NHL Entry Draft prospect Matthew Savoie missed Game 3 with an upper-body injury sustained in the waning moments of the second period in Sunday's game in Winnipeg. Game 4 is in Edmonton on Wednesday.
4) May 24 Flyers Alumni birthdays: The late Bruce Gamble (1938-1982) and the late Pelle Lindbergh (1959-1985) were born on this day, respectively, in Port Arthur, Ontario, and Stockholm, Sweden.
The 2009-10 Philadelphia Flyers had a topsy turvy season filled with injuries, streaky play and an in-season coaching change from John Stevens to Peter Laviolette. After winning a final-day shootout win over the New York Rangers to get into the playoffs, however, the Flyers caught fire in the postseason.
On May 24, 2010, the Flyers closed out the Eastern Conference Final with a 4-2 win at the Wells Fargo Center in Game 5 against the Montreal Canadiens. With the victory, the Flyers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the eighth time in franchise history.
After spotting the Habs a 1-0 lead in the opening minute of the first period, the Flyers settled down. A shorthanded goal by Mike Richards at the 4:25 mark tied the game. On the play, Richards raced over the middle for a loose puck. Challenged by a defender and met by desperately sliding Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak venturing far out of his net, Richards dived headfirst and poked the puck past Halak toward the net. Popping quickly back up to his feet, the Flyers' captain claimed the puck near the left side of the crease and slid a backhander into the now-vacant cage.
The usually stoic Richards whooped in glee as he was mobbed by teammates and the crowd went berserk.
The 1-1 tie held until early in the second period, when Arron Asham and Jeff Carter scored goals spaced 84 seconds apart and the Flyers grabbed a 3-1 advantage.
In the third period, the Habs threw everything they had at the Flyers. Scott Gomez cut the gap to 3-2 with 13:07 remaining. Finally, with 23 ticks remaining on the clock, Carter iced the game and series with an empty netter to restore a two-goal lead at 4-2. Michael Leighton, who recorded three shutouts earlier in the series, finished with 25 saves on 27 shots.
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