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Flyers Gameday: 12/17/22 vs. NYR; Phantoms Rematch vs. Providence |
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Game 32 Preview: Flyers vs. Rangers
John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers (10-14-7) are home on Saturday to take on Gerard Gallant's New York Rangers (16-10-5). Game time at the Wells Fargo Center is 7:00 p.m. ET.
The Flyers enter this game coming off a 2-1 win in New Jersey on Friday, as the team concluded a four-game road trip (1-1-2). Hart was outstanding in making 48 saves on 49 shots. The Flyers got a second period power play goal from Scott Laughton (5th) and a breakaway goal by Konecny (12th) in the third period to win the game.
For the second time this season, Tortorella benched team leading scorer Kevin Hayes for the duration of a third period. He will be scratched against New York per Tortorella.
Tony DeAngelo has returned to the team from a personal leave to mourn the passing of his paternal grandmothers. He will play against the Rangers. Justin Braun will be scratched.
Lukas Sedlak has requested that the Flyers terminate his contract that he can return home to the Czech Republic to be with his young family. Sedlak said that returning to the NHL was not bringing him as much happiness as he thought it would -- adding that it had nothing to do specifically with the Flyers' season itself or the organization -- and he wants to be back with his family now rather than after the season. He may join Czech team Pardubice.
The Flyers have recalled Kieffer Bellows from the Phantoms. He will be in the lineup against the Rangers as will Olle Lycksell. Additionally, Patrick Brown will return to the lineup after a one-game absence for an upper-body issue.
The Flyers have placed Cam Atkinson, who has been on the active roster the entire season despite not playing in any preseason or regular season games due to an upper-body health issue, onto IR on Saturday.
The Rangers bring a five-game winning streak into Saturday's tilt. On Thursday, the Blueshirts skated to a 3-1 home win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Filip Chytil opened the scoring. Later Jimmy Vesey added even-strength and empty-net goals.
For an in-depth preview, see today's Five Things on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com
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Phantoms Rematch with Providence
Coming off a dramatic 5-4 overtime road win on Friday evening in Providence, Ian Laperriere's Lehigh Valley Phantoms (12-9-2) are set to host the Providence Bruins (15-4-6) at the PPL Center in Allentown on Saturday for second half of the clubs' home-and-home set. Saturday Night's game is the Phantoms' annual Teddy Bear Toss game, with all of the stuffed animals that cascade onto the ice after Lehigh Valley scores its first goal subsequently being donated to Valley Youth House.
On Friday, the Phantoms trailed 4-2 in the third period before rallying to force OT and then winning the game in OT. The Phantoms would up winning all three road games of their 2022-23 season series with the powerhouse Bruins team.
Veteran center Artem Anismov scored twice for Lehigh Valley including the game-winning goal on a 4-on-3 power play in overtime. On the game-winning goal, Anisimov set up shop near the post and converted a setup from Bellows, who was stationed in the high slot. Egor Zamula earned the secondary assist. Anisimov, who played 13 seasons in the NHL and was once one of the league's more underrated two-way forwards, has tallied seven goals in eight games since joining the Phantoms first on a PTO and then on an AHL contract for the remainder of the season.
Kieffer Bellows scored for the third straight game and registered a three-point (1g, 2a) night. Rookie center Elliot Desnoyers notched his second shorthanded goal of the season (his team-leading 10th overall). Rookie defenseman Adam Ginning picked an opportune time for his first AHL tally, scoring the goal that sent the game to overtime.
Friday's game was not a goalie-friendly one. Samuel Ersson earned the win with 24 saves on 28 shots. He made nine saves in the third period. At the other end of the ice, veteran Keith Kinkaid stopped 35 of 40 shots. He stopped each of the first five shots he faced in OT before Anisimov ended the game.
Bellows opened the scoring at 4:45 of the first period. From a sharp angle, Bellows fired home the rebound of a Garrett Wilson shot. At 14:07, the Bruins tied the game on a Joona Koppanen marker. Shots on goal in the first period were 13-13.
The Phantoms grabbed a 2-1 lead at 2:14 of the second period. Desnoyers pounced on a Providence turnover near the attacking blueline and then sped off to a lead a 2-on-1. Desnoyers elected to shoot and beat Kinkaid. The P-Bruins retied the game on a Fabian Lysell 5-on-3 power play goal at 11:41 with both Linus Högberg and Wilson in the penalty box for the Phantoms. During the remaining 5-on-4 power play time, Providence took a 3-2 lead on a goal off the rush scored by Marc McLaughlin at 13:06 off a set up pass from Georgii Merkulov.
Providence extended their lead to 4-2 at 17:12. Samuel Asselin took a drop-pass from Lysell and fired a shot past Ersson from the from the slot. Second period shots were 9-6 in the Phantoms' favor but three of Providence's shots found the net.
The Phantoms narrowed the gap to 3-2 at 2:14 of the third period. Anisimov finished off a nicely executed passing sequence started by Bellows and Tyson Foerster. At 11:57, Ginning drew the Phantoms even at 4-4. Desnoyers won an offensive zone faceoff back to the point with a little help from Cooper Marody. Ginning blasted a shot that beat Kinkaid.
In OT, at the 2:45 mark, Providence's Luke Toporowski was nabbed for closing his hand on the puck. That set the stage for Anisimov's winning goal on the power play at 4:33 of sudden death.
After the Phantoms and Providence rematch in Allentown on Saturday night, the Phantoms will head to Chocolate Town on Sunday for a 5:05 p.m. game against the archrival Hershey Bears (17-6-3).
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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