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Flyers Game Day: Game 5 vs. VAN (home opener), Phantoms |
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Mini-Preview: Flyers vs. Canucks
The Philadelphia Flyers (1-2-1) will play their 2024-25 home opener on Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks (1-1-2). Game time at Wells Fargo Center is 7 p.m. EDT.
With the Flyers traveling back from Seattle throughout the day yesterday, there was no Friday practice prior to departure nor is there a Saturday morning skate. Head coach John Tortorella will speak at 4:45 p.m. and will announce the started goaltender (almost certainly Sam Ersson) and will also announce any lineup changes.
Depending on the readiness of defenseman Nick Seeler (knee) to exit IR and play in the game, the Flyers may activate him and send young defenseman Emil Andrae back to the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Andrae traveled with the team over the latter three games of the season-opening road trip but did not dress in any of the games.
Saturday's lineup will be added to blog after pregame warmups. It was also be listed in the Postgame 5 after the game.
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Phantoms Update
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms began a weekend home-and-home set against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with a 4-3 road loss on Friday evening. After the Phantoms stared at a cavernous four-goal deficit at the first intermission, they made a comeback bid over the rest of the game but fell one goal short of securing at least one point.
Rookie goaltender Aleksei Kolosov allowed four goals on 12 shots in the first period but was not beaten again over the rest of the game as Lehigh Valley attempted to chip away. The Belarusian goalie finished with 29 saves on 33 shots. He was also credited with a secondary assist on the Phantoms' first goal for his first North American professional point.
In a losing cause, Oskar Eklind (1st goal of the season), Jacob Gaucher (1st) and defenseman Ethan Samson (PPG, 1st) scored for the Phantoms. Elliot Desnoyers, goaltender Kolosov, Zayde Wisdom, veteran captain Garrett Wilson, and second-year player Samu Tuomaala each chipped in one assist apiece.
On the Baby Pens side, Boris Katchouk opened the four-goal floodgates in the first period with two goals in the first 13 minutes. The former Tampa Bay and Chicago player's tallies were followed by goals from Tristan Broz (power play) and Bokondji Imama. Veteran Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 33 of 36 shots for the game.
On Saturday, the Phantoms and Penguins will rematch. The venue will shift to the PPL Center in Allentown. Look for veteran goalie Cal Petersen in net for the Phantoms and Filip Larsson for W-B/S.
The Phantoms starting lineup on Friday was:
90 Anthony Richard - 18 Rodrigo Abols - 15 Olle Lycksell
13 Brendan Furry - 22 Rhett Gardner - 27 Samu Tuomaala
43 Oscar Eklind - 16 J.R. Avon - 91 Elliot Desnoyers
17 Garrett Wilson - 56 Jacob Gaucher - 74 Zayde Wisdom
19 Hunter McDonald - 7 Louie Belpedio
37 Adam Ginning - 5 Ethan Samson
3 Helge Grans - 12 Ronnie Attard
35 Alexei Kolosov
[40 Cal Petersen]
Scratches: 10 Matt Brown, 20 Cooper Marody (injured), 32 Eetu Makiniemi, 36 Sawyer Boulton, 55 Xavier Bernard, 57 Mason Primeau, 72 Alexis Gendron, 73 Massimo Rizzo.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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