Hockey returned to PPL Center over the weekend one month away from puck drop on the regular season. The top prospects of the Philadelphia Flyers took on the youngsters of the New York Rangers with many ties to the AHL. Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere was behind the bench for both games to coach the youngsters. The Flyers prospects ultimately won and lost a game beyond regulation in a much-improved effort to a year ago.
Michkov Moments
The highlight for most in attendance on Friday night was seeing forward Matvei Michkov in game action for the first time in a Flyers jersey. Michkov, selected seventh overall by the team in 2023, is in Philly earlier than anticipated and expected to play for the big club. He more than proved his mettle in the showing, scoring a goal and making several elite passes.
Michkov maneuvered around goaltender Dylan Garand to tuck in his unofficial first goal as a Flyer. New York’s rookie team consisted of plenty of players from the Hartford Wolf Pack with experience. Although Michkov stood out with his elite talent, it proved to be a good test for him moving to the NHL.
“(I was) happy in the third period because (I) started playing more and more,” Michkov said through interpreter and teammate Egor Zamula. “When you have a lot of ice time, you start playing better.”
“Just to have (Michkov) on the bench, it’s fun because you can tell he loves the game,” Laperriere said. “He wants to be out there, and he was out there quite a bit. I was impressed by him.”
Top Prospects
Flanking Michkov for most of the game was another youngster in forward Jett Luchanko. Philly’s top pick in this year’s draft, Luchanko just turned 18 last month and was the youngest player at the draft. His skills were on display with blazing speed on the ice and good offensive instincts. He pushed the pace and had a strong outing so early into his career.
Fans in Allentown are looking for players who are going to make the Phantoms better this fall. One of those players had one of the biggest moments in the game from incoming forward Massimo Rizzo. He swatted home a rebound of a point shot with less than 15 seconds to spare, tying the game and sending it to overtime.
Rizzo, who the Flyers signed to a two-year, entry level contract in the spring, hasn’t played a whole lot in recent time. He spent time with the Phantoms during the spring on an amateur tryout agreement but wasn’t able to get into any action. He’s got some exciting skills that should make him a big addition to the Phantoms this year.
Defensive Prowess
The Flyers got a good showing from their blue line over the weekend. Defenseman Emil Andrae had a solid weekend after his first full season at the AHL level in 2023-24. It’s been said that he’s put on some more muscle over the summer and worked on his game. Andrae, a second-round pick of the team in 2020, figures to be a big part of the team’s future. He set up the game-winning goal in the second game.
Another player with a good showing is defenseman Spencer Gill. Selected in the second round of the 2023 draft, Gill turned 18 in August and is entering his third year of juniors. He made a crucial contribution preceding Rizzo’s goal defensively with the Flyers’ net empty. Gill stopped the Rangers from scoring with a two-on-one break on the empty net. It allowed the Flyers the other way to tie the game. Gill has the tools to become a regular at the NHL level and his development will continue in juniors. He even had an assist, shooting the puck for Alexis Gendron to deflect into the net.
In goal, Carson Bjarnason turned in a strong showing over the two games. He played all of Friday’s game as well as the first period of Saturday’s tilt. His goals against were largely perfect plays that would be tough to pin on him. At just 19 years of age, he’s got one more year of juniors at least before he joins the Phantoms.
Phantoms of the Opera
A few of Lehigh Valley’s familiar faces stood out over the weekend. Samu Tuomaala tallied the winner in overtime and was noticeable. He’s fresh off of representing the Phantoms as an AHL All-Star in 2024. J.R. Avon’s speed and stickhandling skills were on full display as he made one dazzling pass after another. He’s been a menace in overtime and the shootout, where he had five goals on seven shootout attempts.
Hunter McDonald picked up right where he left off at the end of the regular season for the Phantoms. He figures to be another key player on the blue line for the Phantoms and embodies their identity well. McDonald figures to be on the Flyers’ radar if they need a call-up in the regular season.
Another player who embodies the Flyers’ identity well is Sawyer Boulton, who made his presence known. Every time he was on the ice, Boulton threw his weight around and scored a goal set up by Zayde Wisdom. He figures to be a key contributor for this Lehigh Valley team looking to build upon last season.
Jacob Gaucher continued to make strides in his development. He factored in on the Tuomaala winner in the second game, one of two assists on the night. After scoring the series-winning goal against Wilkes-Barre in the spring, Gaucher looks for a bigger role in Allentown. The weekend set of games proved to be another good showing for him.
Next Steps
The Flyers will open training camp on September 18, with preseason action kicking off in Washington on the 22nd. These rookies will continue to be evaluated, with younger players making their way to their junior teams soon enough. Assignments to the Phantoms will begin ahead of their preseason opener on October 1.
It all leads up to their home opener on October 12, a rematch of this weekend’s festivities. The Phantoms open their season at home against the Rangers’ affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
