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Quick Hits: U18s, CHL, Phantoms, TIFH |
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Quick Hits: May 3, 2024
1) Flyers general manager Danny Briere, along with a contingent of the organization's amateur scouts, is in Espoo, Finland for the medal round of the 2024 IIHF Under-18 World Championship tournament. The semifinal round is set for Saturday, with Team USA taking on Slovakia and Team Canada playing Sweden. The two winning sides on Saturday will square off for the gold medal, while the other two will play for bronze. Both medal games are on Sunday.
USNTDP forward James Hagens, who is not NHL Entry Draft eligible until 2025 due to his late-year 2006 (Nov. 3) birthday, leads all players in the tournament with 19 points. Team Canada's Gavin McKenna of the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers, a top prospect for the 2026 Draft (born Dec. 20, 2007) has 15 points. Mississauga Steelheads (OHL) right wing Porter Martone is one point behind McKenna. Martone is another late birthday player (Oct. 20, 2006) and will be eligible for the 2025 Draft.
Among players potentially on the radar for the Flyers if they pick 12th (85.7 percent probability), well-rounded Team Finland center Konsta Helenius posted seven assists (tied for 5th) in five games. Sniping Team USA winger Cole Eiserman has six goals and eight points in five games. Kelowna Rockets center Tij Iginla has posted seven points to date.
Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL), the younger brother of Lehigh Valley Phantoms center/winger Elliot Desnoyers, is playing for Team Canada. Eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft, the 17-year-old center (born April 11, 2007), Desnoyers has dressed in three games in the tourney (1g, 3a).
2) Flyers goaltending prospect Yegor Zavragin has transferred from VHL (Russian minor pro league) club Yugra to KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg, signing a three-year contract with the SKA. The 18-year-old netminder, drafted by the Flyers in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, is coming off a spectacular 2023-24 season at both the junior (MHL) and VHL levels.
3) CHL: Three Flyers prospects have a chance on Friday to advance to the championship round of their respective league playoffs. In the OHL, the London Knights (Oliver Bonk, Denver Barkey) can close out their series in Game 5 against the Saginaw Spirit. In the QMJHL, the Drummondville Voltigeurs (Alexis Gendron) can end their series with the Victoriaville Tigres.
4) Calder Cup playoffs: The Phantoms will hold a practice day on Friday in advance of Game 2 of their Atlantic Division semifinal series against the Hershey Bears on Saturday. The Phantoms trail the best-of-five series, one game to zero, after a 2-1 loss in Game 1 on Wednesday.
5) May 3 Flyers Alumni birthdays: Jeff Chychrun (1966), Bob Dailey (1953-2016), Ron Hextall (1964), Robbie Moore (1954-2022), R.J. Umberger (1982).
6) Today in Flyers history: May 3
* 1997: Mikael Renberg's buzzer-beater goal with 0.2 second remaining in the second period starts a Flyers rally from a 3-1 deficit in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal against the Buffalo Sabres. In the third period, the Flyers scored three unanswered goals -- two by Rod Brind'Amour and one by Shjon Podein to skate off with a 5-3 win. The Podein goal and a Brind'Amour empty netter come in the final minute of regulation.
* 2008: The Flyers battle back from deficits of 1-0 and 3-1 to earn a 6-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal. R.J. Umberger leads the way offensively with two goals and an assist. The Flyers even up the series at one win apiece.
* 2012: In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal against the New Jersey Devils, the game is tied 2-2 after two periods. A controversial goalie interference penalty against Brayden Schenn on a late second period power play wiped out a James van Riemsdyk rebound goal after Martin Brodeur bought a call with a theatrical flop to the ice. After Zach Parise and Danny Briere (eighth goal of the playoffs) traded off third period goals, the game went to overtime. Philly controlled much of the sudden death frame until they were caught in a bad line change. Alexei Ponikarovsky scored the winning goal, putting Philly down in the series, two games to one.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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