Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Ten observations from Flyers' OT loss to Isles in exhibition opener

Several Flyers' rookies played well in a 3-2 OT loss to the Islanders on Sunday.

Mike Vecchione, shown during development camp in June, scored a goal in the Flyers’ exhibition opener Sunday.
Mike Vecchione, shown during development camp in June, scored a goal in the Flyers’ exhibition opener Sunday.Read moreCLEM MURRAY

UNIONDALE, N.Y. _ Ten takeaways from the Flyers' 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Islanders in the teams' exhibition opener Sunday at venerable Nassau Coliseum:

  1. Left winger Oskar Lindblom continued to impress. The rookie had six shots and was strong on the forecheck and along the boards. It would be surprising if he didn't end up on one of the Flyers' top two lines.

  2. Matt Read and Michael Raffl, veterans being pushed by rookies, will not give up their spots easily. Both played well on a line centered by Scott Laughton, who also had a strong game.

  3. Laughton and Jori Lehtera (shorthanded goal, assist) look more than capable of replacing Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Chris VandeVelde on the penalty-killing unit this season.

  4. Nolan Patrick, who turns 19 on Tuesday, plays with poise beyond his years. So far in camp, Patrick does not look out of place as the team's No. 2 center.

  5. Goalie Alex Lyon was unflappable as he stopped 19 of 20 shots. It was a solid start for a guy who could be with the Flyers during the season if one of the goaltenders is injured.

  6. Rookie defensemen Robert Hagg and Sam Morin did not look overmatched. I especially like the calmness that Hagg brings to the defense.

  7. The power play looked good in the first period with its crisp passing, but it regressed as the game progressed. The PP went 0 for 5.

  8. Rookie defensemen Travis Sanheim and Phil Myers had uneven games, and they made critical errors that led to Islanders goals.

  9. The more you see Mikhail Vorobyev, the more you like him. The 6-2, 206-pound center looks like a fourth-round steal from the 2015 draft.

  10. Rookie Mike Vecchione, playing right wing for the first time in six years, scored a goal and is putting himself in a crowded mix for a roster spot. He is one of the many young players pushing the veterans to produce if they want playing time.