FLYERS-SENATORS WRAPUP: FLYERS DROP SEASON FINALE, 3-1

The Ottawa Senators completed an epic second-half turnaround by clinching a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after defeating the host Philadelphia Flyers, 3-1 on Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center. Ottawa scored once apiece in each period, leading 1-0 at the first intermission and 2-0 after 40 minutes despite being significantly outshot by the Flyers.

Mark Stone scored power play and even strength goals for Ottawa, sandwiched around a Jean-Gabriel Pageau goal late in the second period. Cindarella story goaltender Andrew "The Hamburglar" Hammond earned first-star honors by turning back 34 of 35 shots.

Matt Read scored the lone Flyers goal. Early in the second period, he completed a nice feed from Brayden Schenn to tie the game at 1-1. Sean Couturier earned the secondary assist.

Read, who was hampered for several months with a high ankle sprain, finished the season with eight goals and 30 points. Schenn closed out with 18 goals and 47 points, posting eight points (four goals, four assists) over the final six games. Couturier had at least one point in each of the final six games (two goals, five assists, seven points) and finished the season with 37 points on 15 goals and 22 assists.

Losing goaltender Steve Mason (19 saves on 22 shots) ended a stellar season with a dud in the finale. Two of the goals came on plays that Mason routinely executes without a problem.

He misplayed the puck on the Ottawa power play goal, shoveling it directly to Clarke MacArthur and getting caught way out of the net in process. Stone ended up with a gaping net into which he threaded the puck through desperation shot block attempts to score.

On the Pageau goal, Mason initially appeared to have a routine play to make from a side angle -- stop the puck with his stick and quickly cover it up in the crease. Instead, the changeup-speed puck eluded his stick and he never covered it, allowing Pageau to stash it home as he crashed the net.

The second Stone goal, which all but sealed the win for Ottawa, came off a turnover by Jakub Voracek. After intercepting the puck, Stone moved in one-on-one and snapped a five-hole shot home on Ottawa's 20th shot of the game.

Despite the disappointing final game and his 18-18-11 record, Mason's 2014-15 campaign was nothing short of outstanding. He finished with a .928 save percentage, good for third best in the NHL this season and the second-highest mark in franchise history behind only Bernie Parent's .933 save percentage in his Vezina Trophy winning 1973-74 season. Mason's 2.25 goals against average for the season was the lowest for a Flyers' regular starter since Robert Esche posted a 2.04 GAA (with a .914 save percentage) in 2003-04.

Voracek was held off the scoresheet in the final game to finish a hair below a point-per-game for the season. He finished fifth in Art Ross Trophy race with 22 goals and 59 assists for 81 points.

The Flyers finished the season with a 33-31-18 record. They were 23-11-7 at home but just 10-20-11 on the road. In upcoming blogs we will look at various things that played the season, as well as opportunities for improvement and discussions of individual players.

Postgame Notes:

* Tentatively, the Flyers will clean out their lockers and be available to the media on Monday. Exit interviews will also be conducted that day, with head coach Craig Berube participating as well as general manager Ron Hextall. Both the coach and GM will also have media availability.

* After the game, the Flyers welcomed special guest Jackie Lithgow to the dressing room. When he visited the team in November at the team's practice facility in Voorhees, Jackie was completely unable to walk and hadlimited speech capabilities as the result of the brain injuries he suffered in a savage and unprovoked attack while simply trying to break up a fight at a college fraternity party. Since that time, he has made incredible progress. He is now able to communicate verbally to a noticeably higher degree and even took some steps in the locker room. It was heartwarming to see. Jackie also got catch up with Jakub Voracek, Claude Giroux and his favorite player, Wayne Simmonds.

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FLYERS PRESENT 2014-15 TEAM AWARDS

As has become a tradition on the final game of the regular season, the Flyers handed out their annual team awards prior to Saturday's match against the Senators. Here is the complete list of honorees:

Bobby Clarke Trophy (Most Valuable Player): Jakub Voracek
Barry Ashbee Trophy (Top Defenseman): Mark Streit
Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy (Most Improved Player): Chris VandeVelde
Yanick Dupre Class Guy Memorial Award (Character, Integrity, Respect for the Game): Mark Streit
Gene Hart Memorial Award (Player Who Shows the Most Heart): Jakub Voracek
Toyota Cup (Most Three-Star Selection Points on a 5-3-1 basis): Claude Giroux

As a member of the Philadelphia chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, I was among the voters for the Clarke, Ashbee and Dupre awards along with other writers and the broadcasters.

The Clarke Trophy was a neck-and-neck two-horse race between Voracek and Mason. Most likely, it was the fact that Voracek dressed in every game while Mason missed one-plus month due to knee and back issues that tipped the scales ever so slightly to Voracek.

The Ashbee Trophy was a three-way race between Streit, Nick Schultz and Michael Del Zotto. Del Zotto was the dark horse due to stints as a healthy scratch counterbalanced by lengthy stints were he got hot offensively and moved the puck well while playing a surprisingly physical brand of hockey on the defensive end. He likely finished third in the vote.

The Streit-to-Schultz comparison was really an apples-to-oranges choice between whether a veteran offensive defenseman performed his given role at a higher level than a veteran defensive defenseman with underrated mobility and a positionally sound game. Streit was the first Flyers defenseman since Chris Pronger in 2009-10 to hit the 50-point milestone, which was probably why he got the nod over Schultz, who plays a simpler game. Many of the Flyers themselves felt Schultz was the team's most consistent defenseman this season.

The Dupre Award cannot have repeat winners, nor can the Lindbergh Award (which is voted on by the Flyers players). As such, Voracek and Michael Raffl were respectively removed from consideration for the Dupre and the Lindbergh.

As with the Clarke Trophy, there were other worthy Dupre candidates beyond Streit. Other players discussed as worthy recipients included Mason, Wayne Simmonds and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. For the Lindbergh Trophy, the fact that VandeVelde went from a callup player without a secure NHL roster spot last season to a fourth-line fixture who managed nine goals this season made him a pretty clear-cut honoree. Keep in mind again that Raffl's 20-goal season and frequent effective use on the top line left wing was ineligible.

The Toyota Cup went to Giroux on the basis of five first-star selections, eight second-star selections, and one third-star selection for a total of 50 points. As part of winning the award, sponsor Toyota will donate $5,000 in the honoree's name to a charity of Giroux’s choosing.

The Flyers Fan Club votes on the Hart Memorial. Voracek is an immensely popular player among the fan base not only for his high skill level but also the way he wears his emotions on his sleeve on the ice. Off the ice, he is very approachable and almost always has a smile on his face. Voracek has a droll sense of humor and a special knack for bonding with fans in general and kids in particular.

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PHANTOMS AND PROSPECT UPDATES

* Flyers make four roster moves: Following Saturday's game against Ottawa, the Flyers reassigned defensemen Brandon Manning and Mark Alt as well as forwards Nick Cousins and Jason Akeson to the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the remainder of the season. Alt was an emergency recall to the Flyers for Saturday's game but did not dress, so he returned to Allentown and suited up the Phantoms against Providence. The other players all dressed in the NHL season finale and will rejoin the Phantoms lineup for the final week of the AHL season.

* Martel makes pro debut: Recent QMJHL overager signee Danick Martel signed an amateur tryout contract (ATO) with the Phantoms for the rest of the OHL season. His entry-level NHL contract with the Flyers kicks in for the 2015-16 season. Martel played his first game for the Phantoms on Saturday night.

* Phantoms drop OT decision to Norfolk: In a rematch of Friday opponents, the Phantoms dropped a 3-2 overtime game to the Norfolk Admirals at the PPL Center on Saturday evening. An early first power play goal goal by the Admirals' Stefan Noesen held up until late in the third period. With 2:58 remaining in regulation, Kevin Goumas tied the game. Norfolk retook the lead just 28 seconds later on a goal by defenseman Brandon Montour (three-point game). The Phantoms made a desperation push in the final minute and Blair Jones forced overtime with a goal at the 19:15 mark. Finally, Max Friberg won the game for the Anaheim Ducks' farm team at 3:45 of overtime. Anthony Stolarz stopped 31 of 34 shots in a losing cause. Ryan Faragher earned the win with 29 saves on 31 shots.

* QMJHL: Rimouski evens series: Flyers 2013 first-round pick Samuel Morin returned to the Rimouski Oceanic lineup after missing the first game of their playoff series with the Gatineau Olympiques. Rimouski claimed a 3-1 victory on Saturday to knot the series at one game apiece. Morin did not record a point but he was plus-one and was credited with three hits. Morin took a first-period cross checking penalty. Gatineau did not score on the man advantage.

* QMJHL: Val'd-Or falls in 0-2 hole: After losing Game One of their series with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in double overtime on Friday night, the Val-d'Or Foreurs didn't put up much of a fight in Game Two on Saturday. Val-d'Or was on the business end of a 9-1 Drakkar buzzsaw. Flyers 2014 second-round pick Nicolas Aube-Kubel was held off the scoresheet for the second straight game and finished the game at minus-three with three shots on goal.

*WHL: Rockets propel to 2-0 series lead: The Kelowna Rockets took a two games to none lead in their series with the Victoria Royals with a 4-3 overtime win on Saturday. Flyers 2013 third-round pick Tyrell Goulbourne did not figure in any scoring in the game. He was charged with a pair of minor penalties: a second-period high stick and, later, a holding call.

* WHL: Hitmen series resumes on Sunday: The Calgary Hitmen, featuring Flyers 2014 first-round pick Travis Sanheim and sixth-round selection Radel Fazleev, currently lead the Medicine Hat Tigers, one game to none, in their best-of-seven series. The series resumes on Sunday with a game scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EDT.

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BENJAMIN'S BIG WEEKEND

My sincerest thank yous go out to Phantoms PR director Dan Fremuth, Flyers PR director Zack Hill and especially to Phantoms goaltender Rob Zepp for making this weekend a hockey experience my six-year-old son, Benjamin, will never forget.

As part of a father-son tradition we started, I attend one game per season in a non-work capacity by taking my hockey-loving son to sit in the stands. We went to the Phantoms-Norfolk game on Friday. Rob Zepp, who was aware that Benjamin loves goaltenders most of all and wants to play goal (like his older cousin Sam), invited us to come down and say hello after the game. Dan escorted us to the locker room, where Zepper had a special surprise already waiting for my son.



Rob presented Benji with one of his own sticks, and had already autographed it, "To Benjamin, goalies rule! -- Rob Zepp." He also signed a game puck and a glossy photo. To say my son was excited is an understatement. He has toted the stick everywhere over the last day and even asked me to place it next to his bed when we go back from the arena.

Originally, Benjamin had a little league baseball game scheduled for Saturday at noon. The cancellation of the game on Friday night created a logistical conflict for the next morning. The Flyers kindly gave me permission to bring Benjamin along with me to the pressbox for the final game of the season. After the game, he even got to briefly accompany me down to the Flyers locker room (where he was still too shy to be introduced to his Flyers favorite, Steve Mason).



By the way, I have since been informed by my son that he now "needs" to have his brand-new Phantoms jersey personalized. I asked him what name and number he wants on it.

The response: "Dad-dddy! Rob Zepp, seventy two! Hello?!"

On a more serious note, Friday's game nicely presented a situation that turned into a little teaching moment. When Benji plays sports or games, he plays to win and expects himself to excel. He can get frustrated quickly if things don't go his way.

Zepp yielded a goal on the first Norfolk shot of Friday's game. It was a wraparound goal that was scored because the goalie didn't get over quite fast enough to seal off the short-side post. Normally, Zepp's feet are his best asset as a goalie and this is a save he almost always makes.

As the game unfolded, I pointed out to Benji that Zepp battled through the early goal and was playing a strong game. It turned out that Zepp went on to stop 33 of 34 shots in the game and two of three in the shootout, including an emphatic winning save in the third round.

The "stick-to-it" message sunk in because Benji excitedly repeated it about a half-dozen times in the car ride back from Allentown. In Saturday's game, after Mason had his gaffe with the puck on the first goal -- scored on Ottawa's second shot of the game -- my son leaned over and whispered to me, "Don't worry, daddy. Steve Mason won't give up."

I smiled and said, "You're right. He won't. Maybe this game will turn out like last night's. We'll see."

The outcome didn't pan out that way, but Benjamin was wide-eyed the whole day and soaked in the whole atmosphere. Whether or not my son ever plays hockey like his cousins, or steps foot in a goalie crease, this was a weekend in his young life that I am sure he'll always remember.

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FLYERS ALUMNI UPDATES FROM FlyersAlumni.org


* The Flyers Alumni team will play a special benefit game on Sunday at the Flyers Skate Zone in Northeast Philadelphia to raise money for NHS Human Services campaign to "Put Hunger in the Penalty Box" as the centerpiece of its Goals for Giving program.

Game time is 1:30 p.m. (all tickets cost $10) with an after-party at Chickie's and Pete's on Roosevelt Blvd. at 3:30 p.m. ($20 admission) and, there will also be a pregame youth hockey shootout ($20 entry fee). All proceeds will go to benefit NHS Human Services programs in the Delaware Valley, which provides nutritious foods to the needy and teaches life skills and food preparation to people with disabilities. NHS also supports autism-sensitive schooling as well as housing programs for the needy.

Flyers Hall of Fame inductee Brian Propp has served as a board member for NHS and is a staunch supporter of their mission. The Alumni and NHS have worked together for 11 years. The first benefit game, held at the rink in Warwick, raised $1,700. The event has grown by leaps and bounds with each passing year. This year, Goals for Giving has already raised $108,600 toward its $125,000 goal.

With strong support for the upcoming benefit game as well as online donations, the target could be met or even exceeded. For more about the Goals for Giving program, including donation opportunities, click here.

* The Flyers Alumni will host a fantasy hockey camp from August 21-24 in Atlantic City, open to anyone age 21 and older. Instructors and Alumni participants will include Bernie Parent, Brian Propp, Ian Laperriere, Todd Fedoruk, Andre "Moose" Dupont, Dave "the Hammer" Schultz, Joe Watson and Bob "the Hound" Kelly. The registration deadline is June 1. Participation costs $3,000 apiece but it is free to register a spot online. Over on the Flyers' Alumni website, there is more information on camp-related activities and on-ice schedules.