PHL Anon
We told you earlier how Jake Voracek has virtually been invisible so far this season. That’s not good. This was to be expected, however, if you truly know hockey, since the team has a new head coach in Dave Hakstol. It takes time for systems to gel in this league. This was the case with Peter Laviolette and Craig Berube, whose teams played terribly after they respectively took the reigns, but after about two months, started to play better.
Despite having a new coach, who I like very much, and finally having a GM that gets it, the Flyers are still burdened with bad contracts. The offense isn’t nearly as great as it has the potential to be, and the defense still stinks out loud. On the ice, it’s embarrassing.
https://twitter.com/PHLAnon/status/662470264819736577
But, it’s off the ice where the team is truly winning.
While I’m currently excited about our prospects that are tearing it up in the minors, we shouldn’t be expected to see a sudden change on the ice. Therefore, I would like to introduce everybody to the new Flyers in-arena host, Alex Kraemer.
Follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Also, let her know you’d like to see her do a weekly spot with us here on the state of the Flyers, and everything going on in the Philly hockey scene.
Let me say this: They chose wisely.
So, while I’m very excited about the future of the team in regards to our fantastic prospects, I’m even more excited for the current talent the Flyers are adding. At least it’s not all unsightly when we head down to Broad Street.
Now that we’ve introduced you to Ms. Kraemer, here are some clips to get you excited for the on ice product as well.
Travis Konecny, Center, Ottawa 67’s
Stats: 17 GP, 5 Goals, 21 Assists, 26 Points, +3 Rating
https://twitter.com/HockeyWebCast/status/661224213055971328
Konecny’s torrid point-scoring streak has finally come to an end. He was held off the scoresheet in a 2-1 win over Kingston last week but had plenty of chances, firing six shots on goal. He bounced back with an assist in a 3-1 loss to Kitchener on Friday and now has five goals and 26 points in 17 games for the 67’s. The 2015 first-round pick is also slated to represent the OHL in the CHL’s Canada/Russia Series.
Travis Sanheim, Defenseman, Calgary Hitmen
Stats: 18 GP, 6 Goals, 16 Assists, 22 Points, +14 Rating
The Hitmen had a busy week and Sanheim got off to a solid start. The 19-year-old picked up two assists in a 6-3 win over Saskatoon on Tuesday. Unfortunately, he suffered an upper-body injury in Wednesday’s loss to Prince Albert and missed a weekend back-to-back situation for Calgary. The 2014 first-round pick was named an alternate captain for the WHL’s team in the CHL’s Canada/Russia series but it’s unclear if his injury will keep him sidelined for the event.
Ivan Provorov, Defenseman, Brandon Wheat Kings
Stats: 18 GP, 3 Goals, 13 Assists, 16 Points, +6 Rating
Provorov, the Flyers’ top pick in the 2015 NHL draft, scored Brandon’s lone goal in a 3-1 loss to Victoria on Friday. He followed that up with a rough outing against Swift Current on Saturday, however, posting a minus-3 rating in a 4-1 loss. In 18 games overall for the Wheat Kings this season, the 18-year-old has three goals, 13 assists and is a team-best plus-14.
Samuel Morin, Defenseman, LHV Phantoms
Stats: 12 GP, 0 Goals, 1 Assist, 1 Point, +1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT_kPdQKpP8
There have been some growing pains for Morin. That’s partially because of injuries on the back end. There hasn’t been solid pairs and it’s sometimes difficult to get into a rhythm when you’re skating with a different partner every night, which has been the case for Morin. But there are most definitely some kinks to work out. Morin, the towering blueliner hasn’t yet recorded a point as a professional and his discipline has left much to be desired. He’s been whistled for a handful of ill-advised infractions, already racking up 10 PIMs.
Shayne Gostisbehere, Defenseman, LHV Phantoms
Stats: 12 GP, 1 Goal, 6 Assists, 7 Points, -5 Rating
*Ghost had 3 Goals in the Preseason with the Flyers
Congrats to Shayne Gostisbehere who scored his first pro goal last night with the @LVPhantoms!
Watch it here → https://t.co/tXhoOMk6lJ
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 29, 2015
Gostisbehere recorded his first goal as a professional and also had an assist to lead Lehigh Valley to a 5-1 victory over St. John’s on Wednesday. The 22-year-old added another helper in Sunday’s 5-4 win over Hershey, as well. Elsewhere on the blue line, Sam Morin earned his first point as a pro against Hershey and second-year Phantom Robert Hagg is still working his way back from an injury
Radel Fazleev, LW/Forward, Calgary Hitmen
Stats: 20 GP, 11 Goals, 12 Assists, 23 Points, -6 Rating
The 19-year-old Russian is slowly emerging as Calgary’s top offensive threat. In four games for the Hitmen last week, Fazleev recorded three goals and two assists to jump past Sanheim for the team lead in points. The 2014 sixth-round pick, who will team up with countryman Ivan Provorov and play for Russia’s squad in the CHL’s Canada/Russia Series, now has 11 markers and 12 helpers in 20 games this season. He’s caught the eye of Flyers general manager Ron Hextall, too.
“He’s probably got a bigger piece of the pie than maybe we anticipated him having and he’s doing a great job with it,” Hextall told Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post during the Flyers’ stop in Calgary last week. “He’s progressing well.”
Nicolas Aube-Kubel, RW/C, Val-d’Or Foreurs
Stats: 17 GP, 11 Goals, 7 Assists, 18 Points, +11 Rating
The 2014 second-round pick recently returned from an upper-body injury but was held scoreless in two games over the weekend. Aube-Kubel, 19, has nine goals and seven assists in 16 games for Val-d’Or and will compete for the QMJHL’s squad in the CHL’s Canada/Russia Series this week.
Anthony Stolarz, Goalie, LHV Phantoms
Stats: 6 Starts, 1.86 GAA, .925 Save%, 3-3-0 Record
Stolarz continued to be steady in net for the Phantoms on Saturday. He turned aside 31 of the 33 shots fired his way but didn’t receive much offensive support in a 2-1 loss to Syracuse. The 21-year-old is 3-3-0 with a .925 save percentage and 1.86 goals-against average in six starts this season. With Jason LaBarbera underperforming, Stolarz could soon seize the starting job in Allentown.
Future Flyer? Here’s to Hoping!
Auston Matthews, Forward, ZSC Lions
Stats: 14 GP, 10 Goals, 6 Assists, 16 Points, +2 Rating
*Playing in the Swiss Pro League at only 18 years old
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AiMew4ugX8
“Well, I don’t think he broke my record for points in a season, he crushed it,” Kane told NHL.com. “It would have been nice if he just beat me by one or two points, you know? But Auston is a player with a bright future ahead of him.”
Matthews set records with the Under-18 NTDP for goals (55) and points (117) in a season in 2014-15, surpassing the 52 goals and 102 points in 2005-06 by Kane. Matthews, currently recovering from a back injury sustained Oct. 23 with the Zurich Lions in Switzerland’s top professional league, was actually contacted by Kane via Twitter when he tied his scoring mark with the NTDP.
Congratulations @A_Matthews34 on tying my NTDP points record. Good luck on breaking it soon #USA #bringhomethegold
— Patrick Kane (@88PKane) April 14, 2015