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Title - Billy Schoeninger, Flyers Front
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Flyers Lose Opener and Other News Starting with L
By Billy Schoeninger
HometownHockey.ca

Flyers Lose Opener and Other News Starting with L
Wednesday night, the Flyers dropped their home opener against the Maple Leafs by a score of 3-1. Brayden Schenn opened the scoring for the Flyers on a power play goal from the slot after a nice feed from Vinny Lecavalier.
PHOTO CREDIT - NHL.com

Philadelphia - October 3, 2013 - Wednesday night, the Flyers dropped their home opener against the Maple Leafs by a score of 3-1. Brayden Schenn opened the scoring for the Flyers on a power play goal from the slot after a nice feed from Vinny Lecavalier.

But after that, the Flyers were unable to generate any offense, as Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier played a very strong game, saving 31 of 32 en route to his first win as a Leaf. The Flyers had a number of power play opportunities to tie the game up, but were unable to cash in on any of them, finishing the game 1 for 7 on the man advantage. Wayne Simmonds also had a penalty shot where his attempt to go through Bernier’s five hole was thwarted rather easily.

Two Leafs’ goals came on blatant breakdowns in coverage in front of the net. On Phil Kessel’s goal, the backchecking forwards failed to pick up the trailer, Kessel, who darted into the slot to corral the loose puck and fire it home uncontested. Max Talbot appeared to be the closest forward to Kessel, but did not tie his stick up.

On Dave Bolland’s first goal, Luke Schenn and Mark Streit were the defensemen on the ice. Streit made a challenge into the corner and picked up a man while the puck was chipped behind the Flyers’ net. Joffrey Lupul corralled it behind the net and started to skate toward the opposite corner of Streit, and Schenn pursued, leaving Dave Bolland wide open in the slot, uncontested. Lupul made a nice pass to find Bolland wide open right in front of Mason, and he made no mistake in putting it in. The center on the ice for the Flyers was Lecavalier, but he was nowhere to be found in terms of offering support to the defensemen in front of the net, which is the usual defensive coverage for a center.

It would be unreasonable to say Steve Mason was at fault for either goal, as both were pointblank shots from a dangerous area on the ice. Both goals could have been prevented by the defense sticking to their assignment and playing more disciplined hockey.

There were a few players that stood out, both good and bad. They were:

Mark Streit: In his first game as a Flyer, Streit looked very calm and composed when the puck was on his stick. He demonstrated good vision and offensive creativity, pinching when necessary and making a number of strong passes.

Steve Mason: Even though the Leafs managed to score three goals on just 25 shots, Mason played well throughout the game. Two of the goals were a result of bad defensive breakdowns.

Brayden Schenn: Despite the fact that he scored the only Flyers goal, he played pretty poorly. He made a number of bad decisions with the puck, and looked out of place playing alongside Giroux and Hartnell. Jakub Voracek started the game on the lower lines, possibly to get him back into the flow of the game coming back from injury. Expect Voracek to return to Hartnell and Giroux’s line very soon.

In other news, Scott Laughton was returned to the Oshawa Generals after being a healthy scratch against the Maple Leafs. Many believed he was better served playing another year in junior compared to playing few minutes a night on the 4th line where his offensive development would be stunted. He did not particularly stand out in the preseason, so sending him back to play big minutes and likely play a bottom 6 role for Team Canada in the World Juniors seems like a good move to me.

Taylor Leier, a Flyers 4th round pick in 2011, was named the captain of the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL a few days ago. Leier, 19, was signed to an entry level contract with the Flyers over the summer. The Winterhawks project to be one of the best teams in the WHL, so being named captain is a big testament to the intangibles he brings to the table. Although Leier is not the biggest guy in the world, checking in at 5’11”, 177 lbs., he is a hard worker, good skater, and attentive defensive player in addition to being able to chip in some offense. He has 6 points in 5 games so far this season, and had 62 points in 64 games last year. Leier projects as a bottom 6 energy player, with his ceiling being a speedy two-way third line winger.

Follow Me on TwitterBill Schoeninger is a lifetime Philadelphia Flyers fan currently in enemy territory studying at Boston University. He has a great interest in prospects and the NHL Draft in addition to the Flyers and Boston University Terriers. He is also a passionate hockey historian. If you have questions or wish to contact the Bill, you can email him at bschoeninger@ourhometown.ca








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