Rookie Game 2 Recap: Flyers Drop 3-1 Decision

The Philadelphia Flyers Rookies lost to their New York Rangers counterparts, 3-1, in the second game of the 2023 Rookie Series at the PPL Center in Allentown on Saturday. The Rangers swept the two-game set after the Flyers won both games last year.

At 2:14 of the first period, Luke McNamara (1st) opened the scoring on a wraparound goal as he swooped around behind the net and stuffed the puck inside the left post off the pad before Carson Bjarnason could get all the way over to cover. The goal was unassisted. The top Flyers line got caught on a long shift.

The Rangers built a 2-0 lead at 17:17. Bobby Trivigno (1st) received a drop pass from Ty Emberson, cut to the slot and beat Bjarnason over the blocker. 

First period shots were 9-7 in the Flyers' favor.

The Flyers cut the gap to 2-1 at 17:27 of the second period on a nicely executed power play goal off the rush. Helge Grans made a good outlet pass to Matt Brown. Denver Barkey received the puck from Brown and made a perfect set up feed to Zayde Wisdom driving the net. From point blank range, Wisdom (1st) finished it off.

Second period shots were 8-7 in the Rangers' favor (17-16 Flyers through two periods).

With 32.2 seconds left in the third period, Sam Sedley lost the puck up high in the offensive zone. Trevigno soloed on a breakaway and slid a backhander through the five-hole (second goal of the game) to seal the win for New York. The goal was unassisted.

Third period shots on goal were 12-6 in the Flyers' favor (29 for the Flyers, 22 for the Rangers overall).

Carson Bjarnason went the distance in goal for the Flyers. In a losing cause, he stopped 19 of 22 shots.

Olof Lindbom started the game in net for New York, stopping all nine shots he saw in the first period, Taylon Boyko took over in net for the Rangers at the start of the second period. Boyko made 19 saves on 20 shots over the final 40 minutes.

FLYERS ROOKIES STARTING LINEUP

92 Alexis Gendron - 73 Elliot Desnoyers - 46 Bobby Brink
38 Matt Brown - 52 Denver Barkey - 71 Tyson Foerster
45 Alex Ciernik - 91 Brendan Furry - 56 Samu Tuomaala
87 Jonathan Fauchon - 78 Jacob Gaucher - 60 Zayde Wisdom

36 Emil Andrae - 3 Helge Grans
80 Will Zmolek - 67 Sam Sedley
63 Mason Millman - 76 Matteo Mann

34 Carson Bjarnason
[35 Nolan Maier]

Scratches: 50 Adam Ginning, 59 Oliver Bonk, 65 Carter Sotheran, Ethan Samson, 85 J.R. Avon (LBI).

POSTGAME 5

1. The Flyers had a pair of early power plays in the first period. They generated one shot on goal (defenseman Helge Grans from center point) on the first. The second went better with more effective entries and better puck movement. Neither, however, resulted in a goal.

2. Emil Andrae had two good looks from inside the point during the first period. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to put the puck on net. 

3. After McNamara scored on a wraparound, a couple Rangers teammates followed it up with wraparound attempts of their own. Most notably, Brett Berard tried one midway through the first period. Bjarnason was equal to the task and made the save at the left post. Another was fumbled away behind the net.

4. The Flyers made a mid-second push, most notably a Grade A chance off the rush for Alexis Gendron after he put on a burst of speed. A few shifts later, Grans made a good defensive stop on a play where Zayde Wisdom was initially beaten. Later, the Flyers had a 25-second two-man advantage on the power play.

5. The Flyers got a crucial power play ay 16:24 of the third period as Seth Barton clipped Tyson Foerster with a high stick. Elliot Desnoyers won the first faceoff (the sixth PP faceoff win on nine tries for the Flyers side) but no scoring chance ensued. Shortly thereafter, Foerster was called for a holding penalty at the 50-second mark of the power play. At 4-on-4, Grans came up with a clutch shot block to erase a developing scoring chance.