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FLYERS QUICK HITS: DECEMBER 3, 2015
1) After holding an optional skate on Wednesday, the Flyers will conduct a full practice on Thursday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ. In Wednesday's optional the participants consisted of the first-year NHL players, fourth line forwards, injury-rehab players , healthy scratch Vincent Lecavalier and backup goaltender Michal Neuvirth. That is usually the case when things are going well of late for a team.
2) Depending on the availability of Nick Schultz (day-to-day with an upper body injury) for Friday's game in Newark against the New Jersey Devils, the three-game suspension of Radko Gudas handed down by the NHL may force the Flyers to call up a defenseman. Candidates include Mark Alt or one among veterans Andrew MacDonald (whose hefty cap hit less $950,000 is already being absorbed by the Flyers even with him playing in AHL) or Davis Drewiske.
3) Flyers captain Claude Giroux sometimes takes heat from fans and segments of the media for his leadership in the captaincy role. It must be said, however, that Giroux has been demonstrating strong leadership in a variety of different ways this season. Apart from playing well on the ice and competing his tail off -- things he's always done -- he has also stepped up in other ways.
When merited, Giroux has been more noticeably critical of the team effort after games in which they've gotten off-track, even pointing out when and where he thought things went awry and what they need to do better. That was not always the case in the past, when he would sometimes soft-pedal bad games or losing stretches by the team in his public comments.
Giroux has also been a big part of the rapid acclimation to the NHL that rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has had since he recall. Apart from setting up Gostisbehere for all four of his goals to date, Giroux has encouraged the offensive-minded defenseman to set the bar higher and higher for himself; for instance, by challenging him to put 10 shots on goal in a game.
Giroux has also talked frequently with offensively struggling teammate Jakub Voracek, both before and since their line has been temporarily separated at even-strength by Hakstol. The message has remained the same: relax and have fun being at the rink.
While Voracek still seems to be dwelling on his lack of goals (at least when the team has not been winning), he's seemed at several junctures of the season to be on the brink of a breakthrough. It's not just a function of his linemates, either, although north-south checking forwards Pierre-Edouard Bellmare and Chris VandeVelde are not the ideal linemates for the long term. At some point, Voracek will get back on Giroux's line. When he's truly going well, however, many of Voracek's goals are at least partially self-created. When he uses his speed, cutting and cornering ability, tenacity and strength in protecting the puck and shoots the puck -- rather than trying to shovel it into the net -- that's when Voracek scores with some regularity.
Resiliency in playing through adversity (rather than falling apart and giving in to frustration) as wel as the need for Flyers players to stick up for teammates has become a key part of the message for the team during its recent surge. Giroux has delivered than message verbally and, more import, on the ice. For the dual purpose of trying to give his team a spark in a game that was getting away from them and also to answer for the earlier boarding of Michael Raffl by Islanders' defenseman Nick Leddy, Giroux took it upon himself to fight Leddy in the second period of last Wednesday's game in Brooklyn. Fighting is not something Giroux does often, but he pushed himself to step beyond his usual comfort zone. The Flyers lost that game but have not lost since then.
When the team was at the nadir of its late-October-to-mid-November struggles, they had an optional practice in which Giroux even though he was one of the few players who was individually pulling his weight. That sort of thing gets noticed by everyone around the team even if it is not discussed.
As a matter of fact, Giroux has been stepping out of his comfort zone in a variety of ways this season. Previously, he had a very awkward and guarded relationship with the media -- seemingly unwilling to say anything negative or delve beneath the surface of the game. While he will never be like Danny Briere or Mike Knuble in his eloquence as a quote or the depth of analysis in breaking down the game, Giroux seems to be making a concerted effort to be more a spokesman with a finger on the team's pulse. He's become noticeably more relaxed and forthcoming in that function of his role.
On the ice, Giroux has helped kill penalties (and scored a recent shorthanded goal). He's dominated the faceoff circle. He's put forth a concerted effort to set a backchecking example, too.
In short, while the Flyers still have their share of issues moving forward, needing a new captain is not one of them. They do still need to get more leadership from a variety of players. The recently retired Briere has always said that he thinks the "C" is overrated; it's about group leadership and it doesn't necessarily take a rah-rah orator or an in-your-face type (such as Chris Pronger).
In terms of his individual role as a leader, Giroux has continued his evolution and deserves some recognition for the strides he's taken beyond the things that made him the choice for captain in the first place. He's always done some of the aforementioned things to varying degrees, according to both current and former teammates, but he's continued to improve and sharpen his leadership skills, and it has shown.
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FLYERS FARM REPORT
AHL: The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (10-11-1-0) earned a 3-1 road win over the Utica Comets on Wednesday night. Anthony Stolarz made a stellar return to the Phantoms lineup, stopping 27 of 28 shots including all 12 fired on his net in a first period in which Utica outshot Lehigh Valley by a 12-4 margin but the Phantoms took a 1-0 lead to intermission. In 14 appearances to date this season, the second-year pro has posted a record of 8-4-1 with a stellar 1.89 goals against average and .932 save percentage.
Forward Evan Rankin (not a Flyers prospect, as he is not under NHL contract), defenseman Jesper Pettersson and forward Danick Martel scored for the Phantoms in Wednesday's win. Undersized but speedy rookie Martel has eight goals and 12 points to date in 17 games.
With leading scorer Nick Cousins (five goals, 18 points in 15 games) currently on NHL recall to the Flyers, fellow third-season pro Petr Straka is the top point-getter on the active roster (14 goals, 17 points in 22 games). Straka has been very quiet the last two games but is still just one goal behind the Texas Stars' Devin Shore for the league lead in that category.
Second-year pro Taylor Leier earned praise from the Flyers for his performance in limited ice time during his first NHL recall. Upon his return to the Phantoms, Leier immediately resumed his AHL role as an all-situations player who logs some of the most heavy-duty ice time on the team. On Saturday, head coach Scott Gordon called the speedy and gritty but undersized Leier one of the team's smartest players.
Rookie forward Tyrell Goulbourne has enjoyed a strong start to his professional career. While he brings the advertised physical edge to his game, he has also played with remarkable discipline. All 15 of Goulbourne's penalty minutes to date in 22 games have come via three fights (during which he has destroyed some larger opponents). The fast-skating winger has yet to take a minor penalty. Goulbourne also has chipped in six goals and 10 points, including an assist on the Phantoms' first goal of the Utica game. On the play, Goulbourne skated down the right wing, carrying the mail behind Utica goaltender Richard Bachman and then finding trailer Rankin,
Mark Alt made his return to the Phantoms' lineup on Tuesday after missing Saturday's 3-0 loss to Providence. The third-year defenseman has posted eight assists, 12 penalty minutes and a team-high plus-12 rating at even strength for a club with an overall 54-48 goal differential at even strength. The Phantoms have also scored three shorthanded goals to date.
After Saturday's game against Providence, rookie defenseman Samuel Morin said he's trying to head the advice of Phantoms head coach Scott Gordon and Flyers development coach Kjell Samuelsson by keeping his game as simple as possible and using his size and straight-ahead skating ability to his advantage. In 22 games, Morin has posted two points (one goal, one assist), 32 penalty minutes (including two fights), a plus-one rating and 21 shots on goal.
Second-year defenseman Robert Hägg has also been trying to focus on taking care of his own end of the ice while being a little more assertive in his decision-making. The 20-year-old blueliner enjoyed a strong training camp with the Flyers and got off to a good start with the Phantoms until an injury setback. He has been adequate in his play since his return. In 14 games played to date, Hägg has two assists, 14 shots on goal, four penalty minutes, a minus-two rating at even strength and 16 shots on goal.
Veteran defenseman Andrew MacDonald is the all-situation anchor of the Lehigh Valley blueline. Although no doubt deeply disappointed to have been cut from the Flyers' NHL roster and assigned to the AHL after clearing waivers, MacDonald has handled the demotion like a professional. The Flyers' salary cap exile took second-star honors in the Utica game on Wednesday after collecting a pair of assists, four shots on goal and multiple blocked shots. Overall, MacDonald tops Phantoms' defensemen with 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in 21 games. He has posted a plus-six rating, 38 shots on goal and 18 penalty minutes.
ECHL: Buried deep in the organizational doghouse and playing out the third and final year of his entry-level NHL contract, Brandon Alderson has dressed in three games for the ECHL's Reading Royals in addition to appearing (usually with very limited ice time) in 11 AHL games with the Phantoms. Other NHL-contracted players in the Flyers system to appear with Reading this year include defenseman Maxim Lamarche (18 games, four goals, five assists, nine points, 10 penalty minutes), enforcer forward Derek Mathers (six ECHL games with zero points and 42 penalty minutes, three AHL games with zero points and 12 penalty minutes) and second-year defenseman Pettersson (five ECHL games, 12 AHL games).
OHL: Flyers 2015 first-round pick Travis Konecny earned an invitation to Team Canada's World Junior Championship selection camp. He currently ranks ninth in the Ontario Hockey League with 39 points (six goals, 33 assists) in 25 games. The speedy and gifted right winger has been on an offensive tear of late, with 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in his last four games. Although he has not been scoring as many goals as he did last season, Konecy had a three-game (four goal) goal-scoring streak in late October. The bottom line: Konecny has single-handedly figured in 39.8 percent of all goals the Ottawa 67s have scored this season and the team captain has been the driving force in why the club is surprisingly just one point behind the Kingston Frontenacs for first-place in the OHL East Division.
QMJHL: Flyers 2014 second-round pick Nicolas Aube-Kubel has had some injury issues and endured a six-game pointless drought in late October to early November but started out the season on an offensive tear and has been scorching hot again of late. The speedy Aube-Kubel has points in six straight games, racking up seven goals and 12 points in that span. Overall, he has dressed in 22 games, producing 16 goals (including three power play tallies and a pair of shorthanded goals), 28 points, a plus-16 rating at even strength. Overall, Aube-Kubel ranks 40th in scoring in the league but most of the players ahead of him have played four to eight more games and he is just five points out of the top 25. More important, he plays in all game situations. Aube-Kubel could still stand to become more consistent in various aspects of his game. He is also still prone to undisciplined penalties, but has cut back somewhat on his minors in recent games (four in the last eight games after taking 10 in his first 14 games).
Flyers 2015 fourth-round pick Samuel Dove-McFalls will be out of the lineup until mid-to-late December after undergoing knee surgery in mid-October. The player missed a few games with the injury but then attempted to return and reaggravated it. In five games this season, Dove-McFalls has posted three points (one goal and two assists) while serving as his team's shutdown defensive center. The St. John SeaDogs announced back on Oct. 16 that Dove-McFalls would miss approximately 12 weeks.
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies defenseman Philippe Myers, whom the Flyers signed to an entry-level contract after an impressive rookie camp showing in September, is enjoying a strong two-way season thus far. A plus-14 at even strength through the first 17 games, he is plus-seven over his last nine. Additionally, the mobile 6-foot-5 Myers has already surpassed his combined offensive output from his first two QMJHL seasons. After posting a combined two goals and 12 points through his first 106 Quebec League games, the 18-year-old Myers has taken on bigger offensive duties and contributed eight goals and 18 points (six goals and 13 points came during the first 17 games of the current season). Myers had three credited hits and one assist in the Huskies' 7-4 win over Acadie-Bathurst on Friday.
WHL: A shoo-in for the Russian team at the upcoming World Junior Championships, Flyers 2015 first round pick Ivan Provorov had a goal and an assist in the Brandon Wheat Kings' 8-0 blowout win over Swift Current on Wednesday. Provorov has set the performance bar so high both defensively and offensively during his junior career that some wonder what's wrong if he fails to dominate for a stretch of a few games. In reality, Provorov remains a two-way force on a deep team but is still developing and refining his game. Statisically, Provorov has 24 points (six goals, 18 points) and a plus-16 rating in 26 games. He had two goals, 13 assists and a plus-16 through 15 games. The entire Brandon team hit a slump last month but seems to back on the right track. Provorov's penalty minutes (6 PIM) are down from last year but he still plays with some physical edge to his game when he needs to.
The Calgary Hitmen, featuring Flyers 2014 first-round pick Travis Sanheim and sixth-round selection Radel Fazleev, dropped a 6-4 game to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Wednesday. Sanheim had one assist and was minus-two in the game. Fazleev had one assist and was plus-one.
The big news with Sanheim, apart from his invitation to the Team Canada World Junior Championship selection camp, was his successful return to the Hitmen lineup on Saturday after missing nine WHL games (plus the CHL vs. Russia series, for which he'd been selected as an alternate captain for Team WHL). In his return to the lineup, the slick-skating defenseman scored the game-tying goal late in regulation in addition an earlier assist. Overall, Sanheim's seven goals and 25 points in 20 games ranks in a tie for fifth in scoring among WHL defensemen. He was leading scorer among all players at his position -- a feat he also accomplished last season -- through 15 games and was second at the time he got hurt.
The Hitmen rely heavily on defensemen Sanheim and highly regarded 2016 NHL Draft prospect Jake Bean to generate offense, which sometimes serves to the detriment of the two focusing on their own-zone play. However, Sanheim continues to make gradual but steady progress in his al-around game. He is even in plus-minus but that is largely a reflection of an eight-game swoon for the entire Calgary team, during which time Sanheim was minus-10 after going plus-seven through the first seven games of the season.
On a junior team with a much deeper forward corps than the one Calgary features, the hard-working Fazleev would more likely be cast in the third-line two-way player role he played for Calgary in past seasons. Now, however, he is being heavily relied upon to be an offensive contributor at the junor level. He has responded, and ranks 10th overall in the Western Hockey League with 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists) in 29 games.
Over his last 14 games, the Russian forward has stepped up with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) and a plus-11 at even strength; much-needed especially in the absence of Sanheim. Calgary currently sits in third place in the WHL's Central Division. Fazleev is a solid candidate for a WJC spot for Team Russia. When he turns pro, his projected role remains that of a reliable two-way forward with third-line or fourth-line upside.
During the Flyers' western Canada road trip in November, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall spoke about the progress of Samheim and Fazleev:
SHL: Flyers 2014 fifth-round pick Oskar Lindblom continues to skate on the left wing of the top even-strength line as well as the second power unit for fourth-place Brynäs IF Gävle (11-7-5). He leads all junior-hockey eligible (under-20) players in the Swedish Hockey League with 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 23 games. Lindblom, whose once-maligned skating has improved significantly and is no longer a concern, has become very adept at protecting the puck and using his muscular frame to his advantage. He is also a solid two-way player and has only been on the ice for 10 even-strength goals against (plus-13 overall).
Lindblom is a shoo-in for a return to the World Junior Championships. He had a strong preliminary round in last year's tournament, including a hat trick.
Teammate Felix Sandström, selected by the Flyers in the third round of the 2015 NHL Draft, is the only of only two teenaged goaltender to appear in an SHL league game thus far in 2015-16 and is the only one to play in more than two games to date. In nine appearances, Sandström has posted a 5-4-0 record, played 546 minutes, 2.75 goals against average and .904 save percentage. Veteran goalie Bernhard Starkbaum has started 14 games.
KHL/MHL: Flyers 2015 fourth-round pick Mikhail Vorobyov has split time this season between KHL team Salavat Yaluev Ufa and its junior-league (MHL) farm club Tolpar Ufa. At the KHL level, Vorobyov has played very sparingly in most of the eight games in which he's appeared. He has zero points, six penalty minutes and is minus-one. At the MHL level, Vorobyov has posted 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) and 24 penalty minutes in 17 games. As he adds muscle and refines his skating, he is projected to have greater impact when playing against grown men.
Flyers 2015 seventh-round pick Ivan Fedotov has settled in nicely for MHL club Reaktor Nizhnekamsk after a rough first two games of the season and a six-game stint dressing as a backup (without appearing in a game) for KHL parent club Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. At the MHL level, the lanky 6-foot-6 teenager has improved his season totals to an 11-3-0 record, 1.91 goals against average and .922 save percentage in 14 games. The numbers woud be even better if Fedotov's rough first two starts of the season are excluded.
Flyers 2012 seventh-round pick Valeri Vasiliev has appeared in three KHL games this season for Avangard Omsk, and was a healthy scratch in several others. The 21-year-old defenseman has also played in three games on loan to VHL (minor league) club Saryarka Karaganda.
Czech Extraliga: Flyers 2015 fourth-round pick David Kase has appeared in 15 games to date for Pirati Chomutov. Seeing mostly fourth-line duty with two games on the third line, Kase has one goal on the season and is minus-six. The 18-year-old forward scored his firsk senior level goal on Oct. 23, in a 7-5 win over Plzen. He has also played in seven games on loan to minor league team SK Kadan, posting six goals and 10 points. In preparation for the World Junior Championships, Kase has suited up in seven games for the Czech Under-20 national team (zero goals, four assists).
NCAA: Harvard University sophomore goaltender Merrick Madsen
has recorded three shutouts in five starts this season after appearing in only one games during his freshman year. The 20-year-old goaltender recorded a 31-save shutout on Saturday. Overall, the 6-foot-5 netminder is 5-0-0 with a 0.60 goals against average and .979 save percentage this season after appearing in only one game during his freshman year.
Flyers 2015 third-round pick Matej Tomek has missed the start of his freshman season due to a lower-body injury that has sidelined him for the entire season to date. Tomek reportedly had a setback in his rehab a couple weeks ago and remains out of the lineup.
Flyers 2015 sixth-round pick Cooper Marody has had an auspicious start to his collegiate career at the University of Michigan. The freshman center has produced seven goals and 12 points in his first 11 games; tying him with fellow freshman Kyle Connor (the Winnipeg Jets' 2015 first-round pick) for the team scoring lead. Venerable Michigan head coach Red Berenson told the Michigan Daily that the player has made a strong first impression. As he continues to add some muscle and refine his game during his collegiate career, the late-blooming Marody has pro hockey potential. The Flyers' official website recently had a feature story on Marody.
Flyers 2014 third-round pick Mark Friedman is on an offensive hot streak at Bowling Green. The mobile sophomore defenseman has points in five straight games, including goals in back-to-back matches on Friday and Saturday. Overall, the soon-to-be 20-year-old has posted nine points (two goals, seven points) in 15 games.
Flyers 2013 fifth-round pick Terrance Amorosa appears to be dealing with an undisclosed isse, as the sophomore Clarkson defenseman has not played since scoring the game tying goal late in the third period of the Golden Knights' 2-2 tie with RPI on November 6. Overall, the 21-year-old Amorosa has one goal, three assists and is plus-two while dressing in just four of the team's 13 games to date. He dressed in 18 of 36 games as a freshman.
Flyers 2012 fifth-round pick Reece Willcox ihas dressed in all nine of Cornell's games to date this season after battling a high ankle sprain last season that somewhat limited his effectiveness. Now a senior, Willcox leads Cornell defensemen with six points (one goal, five assists). However, the lanky righthanded shooter's style has remained the same during his collegiate career: he's a puck-mover rather than an offensive defenseman.
Flyers 2013 seventh-round pick David Drake has dressed in 13 games for struggling UConn. The tall and lanky sophomore defensive defenseman has one assist, four penalty minutes and is minus-five to date. The team started out respectably enough this season, going 3-2-0 over its first five games but has dropped eight in a row to drop to 3-10-0. On Saturday, Boston College breezed past UConn, 5-1. Drake and defensive partner Joona Kunnas were on the ice for two of the BC goals.
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