In prime position to sweep the rookie series, the Philadelphia Flyers battled the New York Rangers. Last night, the first of the rookie series went to overtime, where Tyson Foerster notched the game-winner.
Olle Lycksell put the Flyers onto the scoreboard, tallying an equalizer. He joked postgame about the rink being smaller than the SHL. Perhaps it was the reason he had a quick step to Talyn Boyko. “It was a bit shorter to the net than in Sweden,” Lycksell said before admitting he might have thought that on the way to the goal.
Adam Ginning got into a fight with Jayden Grubbe. Ginning usually isn’t a fighter, but he stood his ground. He went to battle for his teammates the same way Wade Allison did in the 2021 Flyers Rookie Camp.
Tonight, the lineup changed slightly. The first defensive pair belonged to Egor Zamula and Ronnie Attard. Along with Noah Cates, Attard has the potential to arrive in Philadelphia during the 2022-2023 season. Samuel Ersson started between the pipes. Jonathan Lemieux, who blanked the Rangers last night, backed up Ersson.
Here’s everything you need to know about the finale of the Flyers and Rangers rookie series:
First Period
Ersson was electric in the first period. The beginning of the first period was not pretty for Philadelphia, but Ersson was on the money. He questioned his own ability to play confidently after suffering groin injuries but stood out heavily. Blanking the Rangers during the first period is validating proof of his recovery.
Finally, halfway through the first period, the Flyers recorded their first shot on goal. Zamula joined the rush in the offensive zone, available for an easy feed from Foerster. Accepting the open pass, Zamula fired on net, beating Olof Lindbom for the 1-0 lead.
Last night, Elliot Desnoyers expressed his preference to play C in the lineup:
“I prefer center. I think in the defensive zone, I’m more comfortable being in the middle and supporting my guys.”
Elliot Desnoyers; 9/16/2022
He continues to make a great impression, securing a primary assist from a faceoff victory. Speaking of a positive impression, Lycksell scored his second goal in as many games during this rookie series, extending the lead to 2-0.
Second Period
Stellar goaltending saved Philadelphia again to begin the second period. The Flyers were high on Ersson, and he looks healthy. He lasted longer than Lindbom, his opposing starter. An intelligent play by Ersson might’ve turned the momentum around in favor of Philadelphia at the beginning of the second period; he held the puck after making a glove save, slowing the pace.
Once Ian Laperriere mentioned that he would place the Cates Brothers on a line with Foerster, I got excited. The Cates Brothers featured the same line oozes chemistry and synergy between linemates. Featuring the Cates Brothers on the penalty kill proved to be brilliant. Jackson Cates broke out with the puck on a two-on-one with his brother. Noah Cates finished the shorthanded goal, extending the Flyers’ lead to 3-0.
Play began to get chippy later in the second period. Foerster served a cross-checking penalty that caused a small scrum. The Rangers crashed the net more aggressively on Ersson, causing another reaction as tension built.
Wisdom extended the lead before the second period expired, 4-0. To that point, Philadelphia scored four goals on nine shots.
Third Period
Finally, the Rangers solved Ersson. Bobby Trivigno took a shot similar to the angle Lycksell scored. He got his team on the scoreboard, 4-1. Stick taps for Ersson, who saved more than 20 consecutive shots on goal in his rookie series start.
“It’s almost great for him to see that many shots, from all angles. They were shooting from everywhere, they had great chances.”
Ian Laperriere; 9/17/2022
Notable about Ersson is his rebound control. Throughout every period in tonight’s game, he remained stable.
“My main focus was ‘get through the game,’ really. I’ve been thinking all summer I want to come back with a statement to show that I’m able to handle adversity and come back strong.”
Samuel Ersson; 9/17/2022
Attard added to the lead, 5-1. He unleashed a quick shot from the blue line on the powerplay, while Lycksell notched the primary assist. Throughout the period, Attard played with incredible skill in the offensive zone. Some tic-tac passing earlier between a defenseman-heavy line (Colin Felix and Adam Karashik dressed as forwards) nearly turned into a scoring play. Flyers fans saw flashes of this during the 2021-2022 season, especially versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Overtime wasn’t required as Philadelphia swept the 2022 rookie series.
Next Up
The 2022 Philadelphia Flyers Rookie Camp finishes with a session tomorrow.
(Photo by Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire)
