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The Good and the Bad From Tonight’s Philadelphia Flyers Preseason Matchup

By Amedeo Guglielmelli

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 08: Jakub Voracek
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 08: Jakub Voracek /
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As the Philadelphia Flyers took the ice at Wells Fargo Arena Thursday night against the Boston Bruins, the final roster continues to become more complete. With one forward and one defenseman left to be cut the decision becomes challenging. With that being said, let’s dive in and see who swam and who sunk when the lights began to shine bright in South Philadelphia.

To start off the game coach Dave Hakstol decided to continue his experiment to place Philadelphia Flyers’ captain Claude Giroux on the wing with Coots in the center. With the plethora of centers on this team, adjusting the forwards around wasn’t a question of “how,” but a question of “when?” with each passing shift. Throughout the game Giroux, Coots, and Voracek seemed to gel as if this wasn’t a new line.

The opening 10 minutes in the first frame saw the Flyers own home ice. There was a sequence where goals were exchanged, but then reversed. One thing that caught my attention in the first period was the awareness of Alex Lyon to let his team know that he was interfered with during one of the Bruins scoring chances. The play of defenders Sam Morin and veteran Brandon Manning. The awareness by both of them either clearing the puck, making the right read, and even netting the puck.

Coming off of a rehabilitating summer, Brandon Manning was the variable heading into training camp. Nobody knew if he would be the same reliable no. 7 option that everyone was comfortable with.

Tonight, no one could tell that he was coming off a back surgery, but i still wouldn’t hold your breathe on Manning making the top club. With the potential of keeping two of Morin, Sanhiem, and Hagg, a defender who can eat minutes and still be somewhat valuable (insert AMac here), expect Hagg and Manning being designated to the AHL club.

With that being said, the rest of the first period went as expected. The Philadelphia  Flyers had a man advantage a couple of times throughout the first, but failed to capitalize as the young guns could not handle the pressure of the best penalty killing team from last season.

Even though the Bruins played hard and physical, second year pro Travis Konecny and star winger Jakub Voracek were able to notch a goal each.

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Heading into the second period AHL goalie Alex Lyon was holding a shutout against a young, talented Bruins squad that was generating chances, but it was Brandon Manning who opened up the scoring in the second period with a shot from the top of the circle.

It was a bullet past perennial all-star Tukka Rask who doesn’t allow many goals. Almost 4 minutes later Morin pinched forward and found the Wayne Train for a beautiful goal to extend the lead to 4-0 in favor of the Philadelphia Flyers. Number two overall pick Nolan Patrick dropped the gloves with Bruins star David Krejeic, leaving him with a couple shiners.

When the final frame took place Boston elected to remove Rask and go with Malcom Subban, brother of Nashville star defencemen P.K. Subban.

This seemed to work at first as Boston netted their only goal 46 seconds into the period when Krejci buried a bullet high short side past Lyon. Four minutes later Coots got a goal back with the help of Konecny and Provorov. This would finish off the scoring for the rest of the game, but the Flyers were able to hold onto pressure in Boston’s zone.

Next: Did Travis Sanheim earn himself a spot

Like every young team, the Philadelphia Flyers will go through their peaks and valleys, and we will see the young athletes face adversity like no other. In the end, I believe that this team is capable of a playoff berth if the pieces fall into place, but if they should miss it isn’t the end of the world.

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