La Salle beats Fordham as L-Train & Co. honored at halftime

Courtesy of La Salle athletics

Philadelphia, PA -- Sophomore Jordan Price finished with 15 points to lead the La Salle Explorers to a 60-49 victory over the Fordham Rams in an Atlantic 10 Conference battle at Tom Gola Arena.

It was a fortuitous result for a program which decided to dip into its glorious past on Saturday afternoon, honoring the mythical 1989-90 team which saw its memorable season come to a swift halt early in the NCAA Tournament. 

For the Explorers (10-8, 2-3 A-10), Cleon Roberts added 12 points with six rebounds and Jerrell Wright chipped in with 11 points. The hosts' defensive prowess can't be overlooked, as the 49 points marked the fewest La Salle has allowed since giving up 44 in a win over UMass in February of 2006.

Eric Paschall led all scorers with 25 points to pace the Rams (5-11, 0-5), while Ryan Rhoomes finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.

The Explorers opened the game on a 17-2 run thanks to eight points from Price, and went into halftime holding a 30-21 advantage. They hit on 44 percent of their shots from the field, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. The Rams shot just 32 percent from the field, including 2-of-10 from 3-point range.

In the break, the school paused to recognize former head coach William "Speedy" Morris along with Lionel Simmons, Doug Overton, Randy Woods and the rest of the team which took the MAAC playoff title against the current squad's Saturday opponent.

Morris' team, playing out of the now-demolished Convention Hall, went 30-1 in the regular season with their sole loss coming to Loyola Marymount by a 121-116 count. The Explorers were a #4 seed in the East Regional but fell in the second round, 79-75, to Clemson after beating Southern Miss by 13 in their first contest.

The Rams scored the first two baskets of the second half to cut the deficit to just five points but never got closer than that, as the Explorers held them off to secure the win and keep the Rams winless in league play. La Salle connected on 36.8 percent of its shots in the period, but made 14-of-19 from the free-throw line to stay ahead. Fordham hit 31.4 percent of its attempts in the frame.

The Explorers finished the game with a 19-8 scoring advantage at the free- throw line. The Rams did have a slight rebounding edge, 38-36.

Brown, Revere sign and avoid arbitration

The Phillies got some administrative work done before the deadline to sign arbitration-eligible players, inking outfielder Ben Revere to a one-year, $4.1 million deal, while Domonic Brown agreed to a $2.5 million contract for 2015.

Revere's second season in Philadelphia was a relatively healthy and fruitful one. He finished with a .306 batting average and collected two home runs, seven triples, 13 doubles and drove in 28 runs while finishing with a National League-high of 184 hits.

He also committed just four errors in 329 chances and chipped in with a pair of assists defensively in center field.

Brown, whom many are still waiting to see blossom as he enters his third full season and sixth major-league campaign, hit . 235 in a career-best 144 games in 2014. The Florida native and incurable Dallas Cowboys fan hit 10 homers with 22 doubles and added 63 RBI, a far cry from his career-best 27 longballs in 2013 which earned him his first and only All-Star nod.

Brown only made two errors and posted four assists in 188 chances out in left field.

Devils nip Phantoms thanks to third-period explosion

Allentown, PA -- The debut of special Orange and Black Friday home jerseys wasn't enough to carry the home team to a badly-needed win at PPL Center.

In the end, the Albany Devils surged to a positive result on the strength of three third-period goals, the last of which came from Stefan Matteau with 6:43 to play in regulation to give them a 3-2 victory over Lehigh Valley in a battle for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

Scott Clemmensen ended up with an AHL season-high 32 saves, while Rod Pelley and Paul Thompson also lit the lamp in the final stanza for the visitors (18-14-7), who were coming off a 2-1 overtime road win at conference-leading Springfield and have won three of their last four.

Nick Cousins and Andrew Gordon scored for the hosts (18-13-5), who had three games in hand on their former geographic rivals but saw their season-high four-game win streak ended thanks in large part to providing Albany a whopping 10 power-play chances.

In a rare, but telling move, head coach Terry Murray declined to offer postgame comments. Even in the darkest days in the bowels of the Glens Falls Civic Center, the former NHL coach stood and faced the gauntlet. On this night, it was an obvious sign that whatever he was preaching from the bench did not get through.

Anthony Stolarz stopped all 19 shots he faced in a frantic second period, but was charged with three scores on 12 shots in the deciding final frame.

Lehigh Valley continues its stretch of six games in the next eight days by welcoming the Binghamton Senators to Allentown tomorrow night. Not that it matters to Gordon, or anyone else on the team, that they had three games in hand over their opponents.

"Games-in-hand are a romantic thought. If you don't win them, they're nothing. I always say you try not to look at the standings. You win your games and you'll be fine," Gordon said. "We have to win the next one, we've gotta rebound and focus in the now. We're not worried about who's playing who or how many points we're behind someone."

Gordon pulled the Phantoms back even with 8 1/2 minutes to play on a blast from the left-wing boards. He was powerless to keep his teammates from wearing out the path to the penalty box, and, with Austin Fyten serving a questionable hooking minor, the Devils took the lead again.

Matteau picked up the puck near the outer edge of the left circle and his slow, low shot slipped through the legs of an unscreened Stolarz for a 3-2 game with 6:43 on the clock.

Phantoms defenseman Robert Hagg ended a tough third period with a holding minor at 14:16 when he allowed Reid Boucher free rein up the left wing before restraining him from taking an uncontested shot. The hosts survived that disadvantage, but came close only once with Stolarz pulled for an extra skater in the final minute-plus.

"It's correctable," Gordon admitted about his team's descent into chaos. "People have to go home, look in the mirror and say 'what in the Hell was I thinking?' With four minutes left ... tackle a guy ... don't do that! We take a penalty slashing a stick out of a hand a hundred feet from the puck. Don't do that. These are simple things where we find ourselves not thinking. For a split second, it could cost you two minutes, cost us a goal."

The Phantoms and Devils played twice previously this season, and in each of those matchups -- perhaps due to the cavernous and empty environs of Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City -- the first period passed without much passion or action. The same can be said for tonight's opening 20 minutes, which was largely controlled by the hosts, who racked up 10-5 shot edge but few quality chances in front of a larger and friendlier crowd.

They failed to click on three power-play chances in the first and held the Devils off the board on two successive short-handed opportunities.

In a 4-on-4 situation created when Taylor Leier and Thompson went off for mutual roughing minors in a scrap in front of Stolarz, Cousins flew up the left wing thanks to a lead pass by Oliver Lauridsen, and uncorked a blistering drive from the circle which beat Clemmensen high and inside the far post at 6:29.

Jason Akeson had a prime chance to double the hosts' advantage with just under eight minutes to go in the second, but pulled his backhander just wide of the left post as he cut in from the right wing mere seconds into a Jay Rosehill slashing minor.

Stolarz answered the bell with just over six minutes before intermission, swallowing up an unexpected open chance in close from Chris McKelvie, and made a half-dozen other stops to get his team to the final break ahead by a single goal.

Lehigh Valley's string of luck on the penalty kill finally ran out on Albany's second chance of the third period. Pelley was allowed to remain in the low slot and finally was able to whack a loose puck in the crease between the pads of Stolarz at the 5:05 mark to tie the game. The goal was the first allowed by the Phantoms in their last 18 short-handed situations.

Clemmensen halted back-to-back chances in tight from Petr Straka and Brandon Alderson just after the seven-minute mark, and came up huge with Alderson staring at a half-open net on a backhander at the period's midway point.

Thompson rewarded that effort by going up the middle as both Hagg and Lauridsen simply watched him fly by and beat Stolarz on the advantage with 9:48 left in regulation.

Notes: Albany has beaten Lehigh Valley in all three meetings this year, with the season series slated to end in Allentown on Jan. 29 ... The Phantoms also saw their streak of four home wins snapped, picking up their first loss since a 3-2 shootout decision against Bridgeport on Dec. 6 and their first home defeat in regulation since a 3-2 result against Springfield on Nov. 26 ... The 10 power plays were the most allowed by Lehigh Valley this season, besting the nine given to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Dec. 7 ... Gordon re-established the team lead in goals with 11, as Cousins had previously tied him with his 10th of the season ... The Devils have claimed a 42-32 edge in third period goals this year.

Chazz Witherspoon to battle Cory Phelps in Pennsauken

Pennsauken, NJ - The new GPG Event Center (Formerly the Woodbine Inn) in Pennsauken will host its inaugural boxing event on Saturday night, January 24 when heavyweight contender Chazz Witherspoon will take on Cory Phelps in a bout scheduled for 10-rounds.

The show is promoted by Witherspoon's Silver Spoon Promotions.

Witherspoon (31-3, 23 KO's) of nearby Paulsboro, New Jersey established himself as one of the top American heavyweights as the St. Joseph's University graduate won his first twenty-three bouts with wins over the likes of Michael Alexander (11-0), Talmadge Griffis (24-6-3), Jonathan Haggler (18-1) before suffering his first defeat to future two-time world title challenger Chris Arreola via controversial disqualification.

Witherspoon went on to win three win a row which was highlighted by an entertaining eighth round stoppage over Adam Richards (21-1). That fight was voted Ring Magazine's 2008 Heavyweight Fight of the Year. Witherspoon then dropped a fight to future two-time world title challenger Tony Thompson.

Witherspoon went on to score four-consecutive knockouts which included a devastating third-round destruction over Tyson Cobb (14-2).

Witherspoon then took on undefeated prospect Seth Mitchell on April 28, 2012 in a bout where Witherspoon had Mitchell badly hurt in several occasions before Mitchell came away with the victory.

In Witherspoon's last bout, he score an exciting eighth-round stoppage over Tyabb Beale on July 12 in West Deptford, New Jersey.

Phelps of Catlettsburg, KY has a record of 16-7-1 with 8-knockouts.

The 30-year old is a 10-year pro and captured the ABA Cruiserweight title with a 3rd round stoppage over Jason Williams (9-2) in 2014 and has a draw with former world title challenger Bobby Gunn (18-3).

In four round bouts:

Nick Valliere (3-0, 2 KO's) of Forked River, NJ will fight pro debuting Francisco Cruz of Philadelphia in a Welterweight bout.

Erik Spring (4-0, 1 KO) of Reading, PA will see action in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Clarence Joseph (4-0, 2 KO's)  of Oklahoma will make his pro debut in a Super Middleweight fight.

Malik Hawkins (1-0, 1 KO) of Baltimore will take part in a Welterweight bout against Josue Rivera (2-6, 2 KO's) of Philadelphia, PA

Courtney Blocker (3-0, 3 KO's) of Pensacola, FL will fight in a Jr. Welterweight bout against Domonic Goode (0-3) of Bridgeton, NJ

Matthew Gonzalez (1-0) of Vineland, NJ will fight  Emmanuel Lipscomb of Philadelphia in a Middleweight bout.

Paul Koon (2-0, 1 KO) of Philadelphia will fight Schyuler Marshall (1-5) of South Carolina in a Heavyweight out.

Vidal Rivera of Camden, NJ will make his pro debut in a Super Bantamweight bout

Reading heavyweight Kauffman is on the mend

Reading, PA - On the eve of one of the biggest heavyweight title fights to take place in the United States in years, contender Travis Kauffman (28-1, 20 KO's) is close to being ready for action following knee surgery and the former amateur standout is ready for a big run at the elite Heavyweights in the world.

"I can not wait to get back in the ring," said Kauffman

Kauffman, who has won nine straight bouts and has been off for a year as he injured his knee in the spring and had the surgery.

"I see that there is a lot of action now here in the states," Kauffman said.  "There is Deontay Wilder who is fighting for the title on Saturday and there has been a lot of rumblings about Bryant Jennings challenging Wladimir Klitschko in April.  When I get back it will be my time and I am looking to fight the best out there." 

Sixers sign Larry Drew II to 10-day deal

PHILADELPHIA – The 76ers have signed guard Larry Drew II to a 10-day contract.

Drew, who is the 17th call-pp of the 2014-15 NBA Development League season,  started 21 games for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, averaging a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists. 

At the time of his call-up, Drew ranked second in the D-League in assists.  He set a D-League single game record with 23 assists vs. Rio Grande Valley on Dec. 25, which helped earn him NBA Development League Performer of the Week honors for games played from Dec. 22 through Dec. 28.  Drew also spent last season with the Skyforce.

Drew finished his collegiate career at UCLA in 2012-13 after playing his first three seasons at North Carolina.  He set the Bruins single-season assist record as a senior and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

Drew’s father, Larry Drew, Sr., is an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Union takes Catic, Bird in SuperDraft

Chester, Pa. – The Philadelphia Union selected two players in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, forward Dzenan Catic from Davenport University with the No. 31 overall pick, and midfielder Eric Bird from the University of Virginia with the No. 41 overall pick. 

Both players won national championships for their respective schools in 2014.

“When Catic fell into our lap, we were shocked,” said head coach Jim Curtin. “That part worked out very well. He’s a guy who brings some size; very good in front of the goal. Talking with a lot of the coaches at the combine, they saw him as one of the top players – not just the top forwards.”

Catic, 22, played two years at NAIA-member Davenport University, located in Caledonia Township, Mich. In 2014, he scored 39 goals and handed out 11 assists to en route to being named the NAIA Player of the Year. Catic was the driving force behind the team’s national championship. He also scored 24 goals and had three assists in his first season at Davenport in 2013. He was born in Jablanica, Bosnia and moved to Michigan with his family when he was eight years old.

Bird, 21, played four years for the University of Virginia. In 2014, he scored five goals and had two assists in 19 games en route to being named to the All-ACC First Team. As a junior in 2013, he scored seven goals and had five assists in 24 games and was named to NSCAA All-America Third Team. In high school, Bird was the 2011 Virginia High School State Player of the Year and won two state championships while at Cox (Virginia Beach, Va.).

2015 MLS SuperDraft

Union selections

Secon round, No. 31 overall

Name: Dzenan Catic

College: Davenport University (Michigan)

Position: Forward

Height: 6-3

Weight: 185

Hometown: Jablanica, Bosnia

Second round, No. 41 overall

Name: Eric Bird

College: University of Virginia

Position: Midfielder

Height: 5-11

Weight: 170

Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va.

The Union received one of those picks by loaning goalkeeper Zac MacMath,  who appeared in 103 games for the Union, garnering a 34-39-29 record, to the Colorado Rapids.

Philadelphia Union’s schedule became official Wednesday as Major League Soccer released the 2015 season slates for all 20 clubs.

The Union opens their 2015 season on March 7 and thes schedule features home matches against 2014 Supporters Shield and U.S. Open Cup winners Seattle Sounders FC (June 24), MLS Cup finalist New England Revolution (April 19, Aug. 29) and Eastern Conference regular season champion D.C. United (May 17).

Philadelphia also welcomes MLS newcomer New York City FC to PPL Park twice (April 11, June 6), in addition to closing the season at home against fellow newcomer Orlando City SC (Oct. 25).

The Union’s complete 2015 League schedule is listed below:

DATE                                     OPPONENT            

Saturday, March 7                Colorado Rapids     

Saturday, March 14                at Real Salt Lake       

Friday, March 20                  FC Dallas

Sunday, March 29                   at Chicago Fire

Sunday, April 5                       at Sporting Kansas City

Saturday, April 11                New York City FC

Thursday, April 16                  at New York City FC

Sunday, April 19                   New England Revolution

Saturday, April 25                  at Columbus Crew SC

Saturday, May 2                    Toronto FC

Saturday, May 9                     at Vancouver Whitecaps

Sunday, May 17                    D.C. United

Sunday, May 24                      at New York Red Bulls

Saturday, May 30                   at D.C. United

Wednesday, June 3               Columbus Crew SC

Saturday, June 6                   New York City FC

Saturday, June 20                   at LA Galaxy

Wednesday, June 24             Seattle Sounders FC

Saturday, June 27                 Montreal Impact

Saturday, July 11                  Portland Timbers

Saturday, July 18                    at Toronto FC

Sunday, July 26                      at D.C. United

Saturday, Aug. 1                   New York Red Bills

Saturday, Aug. 8                     at Orlando City SC

Sunday, Aug. 16                    Chicago Fire

Saturday, Aug. 22                   at Montreal Impact

Saturday, Aug. 29                 New England Revolution

Wednesday, Sept. 5                at San Jose Earthquakes

Saturday, Sept. 12                 Columbus Crew SC

Sunday, Sept. 20                    Houston Dynamo

Saturday, Sept. 26                  at New England Revolution

Saturday, Oct. 3                      at Toronto FC

Saturday, Oct. 18                    at New York Red Bulls

Sunday, Oct. 25                     Orlando City SC       

Freeman joins Soul for 2015

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Soul announced defensive back Brandon Freeman will be a member of the Soul for the 2015 season.

“Brandon was definitely a guy that was high on our list,” said Soul Head Coach Clint Dolezel.  “He is comfortable with Coach (Derek) Stingley’s system and had the results to back it up.  This is a great addition to our secondary.”

Freeman, who is entering his fifth AFL season, had a career year in Pittsburgh in 2014.  The former UMass Minuteman recorded career highs in solo tackles (52), assists (21), total tackles (62.5), pass breakups (10) and interceptions (8), while adding two fumble recoveries in 2014.

Brandon began his AFL career with the Arizona Rattlers in 2010, where he recorded 52.0 total tackles, six pass breakups and three interceptions.  He spent 2012 with the Chicago Rush where he tallied 40.5 total tackles, three pass breakups and one interception.  Freeman then went to Pittsburgh in 2013 and had 59.5 total tackles, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two interceptions under then-head coach Derek Stingley.

Freeman, a native of Ruther Glen, VA, played four years collegiately at UMass where he was a major contributor in the secondary and on special teams.

Union season opener will be against Colorado

Chester, Pa. – The Philadelphia Union will open the 2015 MLS season at PPL Park against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, March 7, at 4:00 p.m.

The Union are 3-2-0 all-time in home-openers, including a 1-0 victory over the New England Revolution last season. The lone goal was scored by Sebastien Le Toux, who has made a name for himself in Union home openers by tallying five goals and an assist in four matches.

Soul adds three from Pittsburgh

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Soul have added three former Pittsburgh Power players – wide receiver Tyrone Goard, defensive lineman Justin Lawrence and offensive lineman Keith Newell – to their roster for the 2015 season. 

The team also acquired Philadelphia native, wide receiver/linebacker Dominique Curry in a trade with the San Jose SaberCats for a claim order pick.

“We definitely added high-quality players,” said Soul General Manager Tom Goodhines.  “We feel that we have landed a solid group of players that will flourish under the guidance of our coaching staff (Clint Dolezel, Phil Bogle and Derek Stingley) and will have an immediate impact on our team.  We are excited to continue to add pieces and make a run at the championship.”

“Adding Curry and Goard gives us size, versatility and legitimate receiving weapons on offense,” added Soul Head Coach Clint Dolezel.  “Newell and Lawrence will help strengthen our offensive and defensive front, while both are versatile enough to play different positions.  This is definitely a great day for the Soul.”

Curry, who is entering his second AFL season, was a three-sport star (basketball, football and track) at George Washington High School in Philadelphia.  Dominique caught 50 passes for 588 yards and 25 touchdowns in 14 games as a rookie with the SaberCats.  He also added 17 rushes for 35 yards and five rushing touchdowns, while tallying 21 solo tackles, 16 assists, six pass breakups, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Curry finished his collegiate career at California University (PA) in 2009 after playing three seasons at Cheyney University. At Cheyney, he had 134 receptions for 2,002 yards and 14 touchdowns.  He recorded 13 special teams tackles and blocked two kicks during his only season at California and recorded four catches for 100 yards and a touchdown as a senior.  He caught 134 balls for 2,202 yards and 14 touchdowns while at Cheyney and was a three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East selection and was named PSAC East Rookie of the Year in 2006 after catching 63 passes for 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns.  He spent time with the St. Louis Rams (2010-11), Detroit Lions (2012-13) and Carolina Panthers (2013).

Goard had a stand out rookie season with the Pittsburgh Power in 2014.  The former Eastern Kentucky Colonel hauled in 29 receptions for 306 yards and 18 touchdowns in only seven games with the Power in 2014.  A native of Charleston, WV, he ranked among the Top 10 in the Eastern Kentucky’s program with 36 game appearances, recording 1,842 receiving yards (No. 9 in school history) and 24 touchdown catches (tied No. 2 in school history).  In 2011, he was selected to the All-OVC Second Team.  Prior to coming to the AFL, Goard was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2013.

Lawrence recorded 17.5 tackles and three sacks in his first season with the Power.  Justin started in all 18 games seeing action at fullback as well as nose guard.  Lawrence, a native of Jetersville, VA, played at Morgan State where he was a three-year starter on the defensive line for the Bears.  As a junior and senior, Lawrence earned All-MAEC and All-American accolades after accumulating 47 tackles, 17 TOL, and 8 sacks in 2008 and 53 tackles, 8.5 TOL, and one sack in 2009.  After college, Lawrence continued his football career playing for the Milwaukee Mustangs (AFL).  In 2011, the two-way starter collected 25.5 tackles and two sacks on defense and had 15 carries for 24 yards and six touchdowns on offense as an AFL rookie.  The following season, Lawrence appeared in 14 games collecting 16 tackles and one sack on defense and rushed 21 times for 20 yards and six touchdowns on offense.

Newell appeared in 14 games with 10 starts along the offensive line as a rookie with the Power in 2014.  The former Hornet is a native of Trenton, NJ and began his college career at Rutgers University before transferring to Delaware State in 2009.  As a senior, Newell appeared in 10 games.

Union will train in Clearwater

Chester – The Philadelphia Union will move its spring training operations to Clearwater, Fla., beginning in 2015. 

The Union will train at the Joe Dimaggio Sports Complex, located across the street from the Philadelphia Phillies’ spring training site, Bright House Field.

“We are thrilled to be moving our spring training operations to the beautiful city of Clearwater,” said Philadelphia Union CEO and operating partner Nick Sakiewicz. “For more than 60 years Clearwater has proven to be a world class host to the Philadelphia Phillies and we look forward to forging a long tradition and relationship with both parties. I want to thank Mayor Cretekos, the Clearwater City Council and the Administration for their support of our agreement as we now aspire to create that long term tradition in Clearwater as our friends at the Phillies have done over the last 60 plus years.”  

The Union will make two trips to Clearwater throughout the month of February, including a two-week stay at the end of the month from Feb. 16 – Feb. 28 to participate in the IMG Tournament in Bradenton, Fla.

“Clearwater has had a very strong connection with Philadelphia through the Phillies, and now its residents have another through the Philadelphia Union,” said George Cretekos, Mayor of Clearwater. “Clearwater begins its 100th anniversary of its incorporation as a city in 2015, and Philadelphia Union locating its spring training in Clearwater gives the city another reason to celebrate.  We welcome the Philadelphia Union and its fans because while baseball is the national pastime, soccer belongs to the world.  Clearwater looks forward to celebrating a MLS Championship with the team and Philadelphia.”

Philadelphia begins spring training in Clearwater on Feb. 2 as it prepares for a preseason match against North American Soccer League (NASL) start-up Jacksonville Armada FC at EverBank Field on Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. The Union will also square off against Tampa Bay Rowdies at the Joe Dimaggio Sports Complex on Feb. 10, before returning home on Feb. 12.

Clearwater is the site of spring training for the Phillies, who have trained in the city for 68 years. The Phillies have played spring training games at Bright House Field since its opening in 2004.

The Union and the Phillies have always shared feeling of ‘brotherly love’ with prior cross-promotions and staff, including Dave Rowan, former GM of the Clearwater Phillies and current Union Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice President.

"I have no doubt that I speak on behalf of the entire City of Clearwater when I say that we are thrilled to have another Philadelphia professional sports team call Clearwater its Spring Training home,” said Phillies Director of Florida Operations, John Timberlake.  "We are eager to welcome the Philadelphia Union to beautiful Clearwater, giving both visitors and residents the opportunity to experience the excitement of Philadelphia sports in sunny Florida." 

 

2015 Philadelphia Union Tentative Spring Training Schedule:

-          Jan. 23 – Jan. 30: Team begins training at YSC

-          Jan. 30: Open training day at YSC for fans

-          Feb. 2: Team departs for Clearwater, Fla.

-          Feb. 7: Match vs. Jacksonville Armada FC at EverBank Field (5 p.m.)

-          Feb. 10: Match vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies at Joe Dimaggio Sports Complex (6 p.m.)

-          Feb. 12: Team returns to Philadelphia

-          Feb. 16: Team departs for Clearwater, Fla.; IMG Tournament begins

-          Feb. 19: Chamber Breakfast

-          Feb. 20: Spring Training Fan Trip Welcome Reception

-          Feb. 21: Spring Training Fan Trip match in Bradenton, Fla.

-          Feb. 22: Spring Training Fan Trip open practice and BBQ

-          Feb. 28: Team returns to Philadelphia

Canucks' Miller latest goaltender to befuddle Flyers

Philadelphia, PA -- Returning to action after missing two games with a touch of the flu Ryan Miller didn't miss a beat as his opponents missed all of theirs.

The veteran American backstop turned away all 30 shots he faced to post his fourth shutout of the season, and the Vancouver Canucks rode an early burst of offense to subdue the Philadelphia Flyers by a 4-0 count on Thursday.

Miller became only the second Canucks goaltender in franchise history to blank the Orange and Black here. Old nemesis Roberto Luongo had been the first and only when he made 38 saves in a 3-0 win in December of 2009 which ultimately spelled doom for the John Stevens head coaching era.

Nick Bonino, Henrik Sedin, Radim Vrbata and Jannik Hansen lit the lamp for the Canucks, who put the brakes on a three-game skid and picked up their first win on a five-game road trip.

Starter Ray Emery was pulled early in the second after giving up three goals on 12 shots. Rob Zepp finished the contest by permitting one shot by on 10 chances for the Flyers, who were blanked in back-to-back games for the first time since April.

Despite an increase in shots and chances from Wednesday's 1-0 loss in Washington, Craig Berube's club looked like dead men walking in a similar fashion to last Saturday's home loss to the Boston Bruins.

The hosts had the early shot and territorial edge, but the visitors hit the scoreboard first. Bonino made a spin move between the circles against Flyers defenseman Michael Del Zotto and beat Emery with a shot inside the right post at 6:35.

It was 2-0 at 13:21, only seconds into the Canucks' first advantage when Daniel Sedin fed brother Henrik for an expert mid-air deflection from the left side.

Vancouver needed only 15 seconds to capitalize on their second power-play chance as Vrbata let loose from the left circle at 1:21 of the second, and Zepp was rudely welcomed to the contest on a breakaway score from Hansen only 22 seconds later.

Miller robbed Brayden Schenn from the top of the right circle with a slick glove save with almost 6 1/2 minutes elapsed. He added eight more over the remainder of the period.

Despite facing 12 Philadelphia shots in the third, Miller was not seriously tested on any.

The setback dropped the Flyers to 3-12-1 in eight sets of back-to-back games this season. They have one more gauntlet before the All-Star break, against the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division: at Uniondale with the Islanders on Monday afternoon and then back home Tuesday night to entertain the Penguins.

Notes: After failing to hold the Flyers off the scoreboard in any of his previous starts against the club, Miller has recorded shutouts in back-to-back appearances against them -- one with the Blues and one for the Canucks ... Vancouver improved to 14-0-0 this season when scoring at least four times ... The last time the Orange and Black were shut out in back-to-back games: Apr. 1-3, 2014 (1-0 shootout loss at STL and 2-0 loss vs. CLB), while the last time both occurred in regulation was Nov. 28-Dec. 3, 2009 (1-0 at ATL and 3-0 vs. VAN) ... Flyers forward Scott Laughton missed the contest, ruled day-to-day after taking a hard, high hit from Caps defenseman Matt Niskanen on Wednesday.

Hawks get past Rams in battle of A-10 basement dwellers

Philadelphia, PA -- Chris Wilson scored 23 points to lead his lowly Saint Joseph's Hawks to their first Atlantic 10 Conference win this season and a trip out of the conference basement in a 66-55 victory over the Fordham Rams at Hagan Arena on Wednesday night.

 DeAndre' Bembry (13 points, eight rebounds, four assists) and Aaron Brown (12 points, eight rebounds) also netted double figures for Saint Joseph's (7-8, 1-3 A-10) in the victory.

Fordham (5-10, 0-4) was led in scoring by Eric Paschall who had 16 points. Bryan Smith (14 points) and Mandell Thomas (10 points) also contributed to the Rams' scoring effort.

These two Jesuit institutions separated by a little more than 100 miles met for the 37th time overall and the Hawks won for the 10th consecutive time and upped their all-time record against the Rams to 31-6 including a 17-1 mark as a true home team.  They will meet for the second and final time in the regular season on Feb. 15 at Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx.

Neither team shot well in the opening period as the Hawks went just 33.3 percent from the field and Fordham connected on only 29 percent of its first- half tries. Saint Joseph's did knock down five 3-point tries, and held a slim 25-21 lead going into halftime.

Both teams were much better offensively in the second half, as Fordham made 52.4 percent of its tries from the field and the Hawks converted 45.8 percent of their field goal attempts. But Saint Joseph's built on its lead by connecting on 17-of-20 free-throw attempts in the closing 20 minutes, securing its first league win this season.

The Hawks dominated the rebounding battle, 42-25, and had more second-chance points (14-3) than Fordham.

Zepp and Flyers deal shock to the Lightning

Philadelphia, PA -- The goals came one after another, five in all during an electric and unexpected second-period burst.

Riding a healthy power play, offensively-challenged Philadelphia beat the highest-scoring team in the NHL at their own game.

Jakub Voracek, Mark Streit and Brayden Schenn had power-play goals and the Flyers scored five 
times in the second period to snap a nearly two-year losing streak against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 7-3 win on Monday night in the finale of a four-game homestand.

Chris VandeVelde, R.J. Umberger and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare also scored for the hosts, who have netted at least one power-play goal in 11 of their last 13 home games and in six of their last seven overall. 

Schenn, who snapped a 15-game goal drought, said they moved the puck well and kept it simple on the power play.

"I don't think we did anything we don't normally do," he said. "We just got some shots on net and the pucks went in."

It was their first win over Tampa Bay since Feb. 5, 2013, snapping a six-game losing streak. It was just their second win over the Lightning in the last 11 meetings and tied a franchise record for most goals in one game against the Bolts.

With Steve Mason out for two weeks with a lower-body injury he suffered in Saturday's loss to Boston, the Flyers turned to Rob Zepp, the 33-year-old who became the oldest NHL goaltender in 88 years to win his first career start last month.

Zepp made 21 saves in his second victory over as many starts and the Flyers won for the third time in four games after a five-game losing streak.

''There's emotion from the first time of working so hard toward that opportunity. It was overwhelming,'' Zepp said. ''No matter what I did, it was tough to suppress those feelings. Tonight coming in, I've been through that. I was ready to go. I was very comfortable right from the start.'' 

The news wasn't all sparkling despite the rout (and when is it ever?). Braydon Coburn was lost due to a suspected broken foot after taking a shot off his skate in the first period. It's the same foot which was injured on opening night and caused him to miss 12 games. This time, he's expected to miss a month. 
 
Steven Stamkos and Ryan Callahan had power-play goals and Brian Boyle also scored for the Eastern Conference-leading Lightning, who had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Two penalties by former Philadelphia defenseman Matthew Carle in the second period, including a double-minor for high-sticking, led to three Flyers goals.

NHL points leader Voracek fired a slap shot past Evgeni Nabokov and Bellemare ended a 28-game drought with a re-direction through his own legs for an even- strength goal that knocked the Lightning goaltender out of the game 2:36 into the period and gave the Flyers a 4-1 lead.

Streit scored on a power-play at 7:02 after some nifty puck movement in front of Ben Bishop and the Flyers had a two-man advantage when Schenn beat the hulking former Maine netminder with a wrist shot from the right circle.

They ended 3-for-4 on the power play in a reversal of the role their embattled penalty killers have embraced over the season's first half.

Raffl made it 7-1 on an easy wrister from the edge of the right circle later in the period and the Lightning got a fluke goal 22 seconds later, at 15:23, when a shot by Boyle bounced over Zepp. Callahan scored 80 seconds into the third period.

 ''They were getting to pucks faster, we weren't touching anyone in front of our net, leaving our goaltender out to dry,'' Lightning captain and usual Flyers-killer Steven Stamkos said. ''It was an accumulation of things we got away with in the first but not in the second.''

Both teams had two players named to the NHL All-Star Game on Saturday and all four contributed on the first two goals.

First-time All-Star Voracek started the rush that led to Philadelphia's first goal with Claude Giroux getting an assist for his pass to Luke Schenn, whose shot from the point was re-directed by VandeVelde 6:12 into the game.

Tyler Johnson, who will also make his All-Star Game debut, fired a pass from the far side of the right circle to set up Stamkos' tying goal on a one-timer from the slot at 10:26.

The Flyers took the lead after Matt Read's pass hit the skate of a defender and Umberger slid a backhand inside the post with 3:45 left in the period.

Notes: Zepp received the second-highest goal total for a Flyers goaltender in his first home start for the franchise. Only Bob Froese (Jan. 13, 1983 8-1 win vs. Pittsburgh) and Ken Wregget (Mar. 19, 1989 8-6 win vs. Toronto) benefitted from a greater amount ... The last time the home team recorded five goals in a period was Dec. 19, 2013 in a 5-4 win over Columbus, when all of their tallies came in the third period ... Streit led the Flyers, who saw 14 different players record at least one point, with three points ... Nabokov gave up four goals on 13 shots and Bishop allowed three on 12 ... The Flyers are just 4-12-1 against Tampa Bay since the start of the 2010-11 season. Before that, they were 39-22-8-2 from the Lightning's inception in 1992 through the end of the 2009-10 season ... The Flyers visit Washington on Wednesday ... The Lightning remain on the road to play Boston on Tuesday.

Philadelphia Flyers: Mid-Season Report

by Rob Riches

Phanatic Hockey Writer

@Riches61  

It may seem hard to believe with almost daily  problems in secondary scoring, defensive coverage and steady goaltending, but the Flyers have just breached the midway point of their 2014-15 campaign.

Monday’s home tilt against Tampa Bay will be the team’s 43^rd of the season. They currently sit at 16-19-7 with 39 points -- only good enough for sixth place in the Metropolitan Division and thoughts of postseasons are dancing in their heads with little inkling they've figured out how to commit that to the on-ice product. Their 39 points are 13 points behind the recently red-hot New York Rangers for the division’s third guaranteed playoff berth, and 11 points behind Boston for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot.

At this midway point, it’s blatantly obvious that a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Orange and Black for the second-consecutive season is going to come at a premium. They have next-to-no shot at the division’s top two spots -- barring a big-time collapse, they will go to Pittsburgh and the surprising New York Islanders in no particular order -- so they’ll have to bank on that third spot, or either of the wild cards. It's a 47 percent chance of postseason play heading into the game against the Bolts.

A bright spot is that the two depicted Flyers above will represent the franchise in Columbus two weekends from now, marking the 32nd time in team history they'll send more than one player to the All-Star Game. 

Prior to the start of this season, I had the opportunity to preview the Flyers’ 2014-15 campaign through four facets -- offense, defense, goaltending and special teams. I’ll break down these four facets, as compared to what I wrote when the season was still fresh.

Offense

By far, the most exciting facet of the Flyers’ game is their offense, led by the NHL’s best one-two punch in captain Claude Giroux and linemate Jakub Voracek. With 50 points, Voracek leads the NHL (16 goals and 34 points) while Giroux’s 46 points -- 14 goals and 32 helpers -- place him fifth in the league.

If Voracek can keep up his scoring pace, he’d finish with 31 goals and 98 points. Those 98 points would be the highest for a team scoring leader since Eric Lindros struck for 115 points in 1995-96.

Giroux projects to finish with 28 goals 91 points at season’s end, which would fall two points short of his career-high 93-point season in 2011-12 and tie his career-high goal total, which he set last season as well as three years back.

Despite boasting some top-flight offensive talent in the era of explosive offense, no Philadelphia Flyer has ever won the Art Ross Trophy -- but Voracek is making a strong case to join an elite group, while Giroux is establishing himself to repeat as a candidate for the Hart Memorial Trophy.

Despite their terrific one-two punch, the Flyers offense is middle-of-the-pack and averages 2.64 goals per game -- tied with Anaheim for 17^thin the league. Secondary scoring has also been somewhat erratic at times this season, but there are three Flyers besides Giroux and Voracek -- Wayne Simmonds (16), Sean Couturier (10) and Michael Raffl (10) -- that have reached double-digit figures in goals. With nine goals, it's only a matter of time until Brayden Schenn joins up.

Eleven Flyers also have at least 10 or more points so far, though none have at least 30 aside from Giroux and Voracek. Nonetheless, the club has a long way to go to match last year's 236 goals (2.95 per game) which was good enough for second in the division (behind the Penguins) and tied for fourth in the East.

Defense

If there’s a facet of the Flyers that causes fans to utter the most four-letter expletives, it’s certainly the collection of guys who patrol the defensive zone. Shaky, inconsistent, maligned and frustrating are just four of the many adjectives used to describe the Flyers’ corps of blueliners.

Entering the season, the biggest question mark was the health of Kimmo Timonen, who was diagnosed with blood clots back in August. His health still continues to be a significant question mark, as he’ll find out whether or not he needs to continue taking blood thinners -- and whether or not he has any hopes of continuing his distinguished career -- within the next several days.

It’s simple: if he no longer needs blood thinners, he’s got a good chance of being able to return to active duty. But if he still needs to use them, he won’t be able to play at all. Subsequently, Timonen, who turns 40 in March, will have to contemplate retirement.

If he can return to the Flyers’ blue line, it’s still a matter of curiosity as to what Timonen could bring to the table. While he’s been the most consistent Flyers defenseman over the past several seasons, he still has regressed, and is no longer the same player the Flyers acquired prior to the 2007-08 campaign.

Without his services, the likes of Braydon Coburn, Andrew MacDonald, Nicklas Grossmann (who is set to miss two weeks with an upper-body injury), Luke Schenn, Michael Del Zotto, alternate captain Mark Streit and Nick Schultz are left to pick up the slack. Despite his rep when healthy, Carlo Colaiacavo has seen limited duty since being signed at the end of October, playing in just five games. Of the aforementioned, Streit is the only one to play in each of the team’s 42 games, while he, Coburn and Grossmann are the only defensemen to not have been healthy scratches at any point this season.

While Del Zotto was recently loosed, MacDonald has now drawn the short straw in Craig Berube's macabre wheel of misfortune in terms of who will sit for any given game. 

The Flyers’ defense ranks 23^rd in the league in goals allowed, allowing an average of 2.88 goals each game. They also contribute to the team’s rank at 23^rd in the league in Corsi for at 47.6 percent, and 22^nd in the league in Fenwick for at 47.8 percent.

Goaltending

Steve Mason is the one tasked with bailing out the shaky defense in front of him on a nightly basis, with Ray Emery as his backup. In 29 games so far, Mason stands at 8-12-6 with a 2.46 GAA and .920 save percentage, while Emery is 7-7-1 with a 3.21 GAA and .889 SP in 16 games in his stead.

In my season preview, I mentioned the possibility of regression following Mason’s brilliant first full season in Philadelphia. After all, he regressed significantly in Columbus after his hard-to-match rookie season.

But Mason has continued spectacular play, and has done much better than his record indicates -- further establishing that wins have minimal impact on a goaltender’s performance. During a game on Nov. 24, Mason made 46 saves in a 1-0 shootout loss to the Islanders, a game in which the Flyers could muster just 21 shots over 65 minutes. That performance was ranked No. 4 on a top-10 list of goalie performances this season, courtesy of The Hockey News.

But the Flyers will have to get by without Mason for up to two weeks, after leaving their game Saturday with a lower-body injury. Mason’s been struggling with injuries, after missing four games in December due to a back injury sustained in practice and undergoing an MRI last week -- which proved to be negative. For the second time this season, the Flyers recalled Rob Zepp -- the starter for their American Hockey League affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Zepp started just one game for the Flyers the last time he was called up, making 25 saves in a 4-3 overtime win over Winnipeg back on December 21. In 21 games this season for the Phantoms, his record stands at 11-5-4 with a 2.57 GAA and .921 SP. Not too shabby, considering its his first season on North American ice in 10 seasons and the fact that under defensive-oriented head coach Terry Murray, he's facing upwards of 30 shots per appearance.

Mason signed a three-year, $12.3 million contract extension with the Flyers nearly a year ago, and has continued to earn that pay over the course of the season. His injury is likely to sideline him until the All-Star Break, and the Flyers’ slim playoff hopes will only get slimmer with him out of the cage.

Special Teams

Charles Dickens would have a field day with this dichotomy.

The Flyers currently sport one of the NHL’s top power plays, firing at a 21.8 percent clip -- fifth-best in the league. Their 31 power-play goals are the fourth-most scored this season, and their 27.5 percent home power play is the second-best in the league -- yes, despite all the Wells Fargo Center faithful demanding the Flyers to shoot each time they touch the puck. Their road power play ranks 13^th in the league, with a 16.4 percentage.

Wayne Simmonds, who ranked third in the league last year with 15 power play goals, is now in a four-way tie for second place, with nine power-play markers. Giroux isn’t far behind, with eight scored on the man-advantage.

The Flyers’ penalty kill, aided and abetted by a frustrating penchant for following the puck-carriere en masse, on the other hand, is abysmal. Operating at 74.8 percent, the penalty kill units -- directed by assistant Ian Laperriere -- rank at 29^th in the league. The units have allowed 36 goals on 143 opportunities, and have scored just one short-handed goal -- potted by Sean Couturier in a 4-1 win over the Devils on Dec. 11.

Coburn leads the Flyers in shorthanded ice time per game, with 3:07 minutes. Sean Couturier and Schultz log 2:42 and 2:41 minutes, respectively. The penalty kill units have come under immense scrutiny at times, including a two-game series in mid-November against Columbus and Montreal, as well as following a Dec. 27 loss to Nashville, during which they yielded three goals.

Special teams have been very steady for the Orange and Black over the past several seasons, and that holds true for their power play numbers. The penalty kill is in desperate need of relief, however.

Front Office/Behind the Bench

In his first season in as GM, Ron Hextall is doing a good job sticking with the plan of patience that he has emphasized ever since his introductory press conference in May. He doesn’t have a lot of tools in his arsenal, as bad contracts signed by his predecessor Paul Holmgren have left him handcuffed in the short term.

While Hextall has stressed patience, he did hint recently that changes could be coming to the roster. The Flyers are, after all, a team with a strict “win-now” mindset which comes from the very top, and have not much of an interest in missing the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

Behind the bench, Berube (58-46-17) has come under fire for questionable lineups that he ices on a night-to-night basis. Las Vegas odds list him as a favorite to be fired, while fans are constantly discussing coaches they’d like to see behind the bench. It seems like Berube has the same expression and body language night after night -- looking emotionless, yet still looking annoyed at the same time. His tools of motivation seem to run the gamut from A to C. Encouragement, then yelling, then benching.

Ultimately though, Berube hasn’t lost the respect of the players in his dressing room. At least publicly, the same faces which have provided the same excuses for inconsistent play the last several years have expressed a liking of Berube, while some have felt as though they are letting him down. His future behind the Flyers’ bench, though, is hard to predict, and one can’t help but speculate as to whether or not he’ll return behind the bench next year.

Undoubtedly, the Flyers’ 2014-15 campaign, while it may not be a winning one, is hardly boring. They have a high-flying offense led by the league’s most dynamic duo in addition to goaltending which can steal as many games as cost, yet are hampered by an inconsistent defensive corps and a horrid penalty kill. 

Outlook

Making the playoffs for a second-consecutive season won’t be easy, but the Flyers aren’t an easy team to discount. Through the end of the month, Philadelphia has six of its next eight games on home ice and, if it should come down to a last stand, the club's final four games of the year take place in friendly environs.

The Flyers established themselves as a formidable second-half club last season. They have the personnel to do it again, but it’s going to be quite a tall order without the will and obliging opposition.

Owls fall to Tulsa as Cummings exits with injury

Philadelphia, PA -- Shaquille Harrison scored 24 points and grabbed six rebounds as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane defeated the Temple Owls, 63-56, in an American Athletic Conference battle at the Liacouras Center on Saturday afternoon. 

Harrison's day was aided by a 10-of-12 performance from the free-throw line. James Woodward added 13 points for the Golden Hurricane (10-5, 3-0 A-10). The win was the fifth in a row for Tulsa.

As for the Owls, (12-5, 3-1), Jaylen Bond scored 16 points and pulled down 14 rebounds and Quenton DeCosey added 12 points. Jesse Morgan made just one of his 17 field goal attempts and came up empty on 13 shots behind the 3-point line on the day.

In the first half Tulsa shot a dismal 16.0 percent from the field and missed all seven shots from 3-point range. Temple shot 28.6 percent from the field and 27.3 percent beyond the arc as it took a 23-17 lead into the break.

The Golden Hurricane knocked down an impressive 56.0 percent from the field and 4-of-8 on the perimeter in the second half as they overcame an 11-point deficit in order to secure the win. 

Temple didn't help its cause with ice-cold shooting from that point, going more than eight minutes without a field goal while Tulsa used a 19-1 run to take the lead for good. The sudden burst by the visitors came after Owls senior point guard Will Cummings left the game with a strained muscle in his lower left leg and was pronounced day-to-day.

Even after that, the Owls didn't quit. DeCosey hit a three-pointer that narrowed the margin to four, 56-52 with 2:14 remaining. Josh Brown went 2-of-2 at the line with 26 seconds left to cut the deficit to three, but it was as close as Temple could get. 

The Hurricane made 4-of-6 at the line in the final 25 seconds while the Owls missed three shots from the field.
 
Temple, which forced 18 turnovers, connected on just 5-of-27 chances behind the 3-point line on the day.

Giroux, Voracek to rep Flyers in Columbus

For the 32nd time in franchise history, at least two members of the Philadelphia Flyers will represent the team an an All-Star weekend.

This season, it's no surprise that team and NHL-leading scorer Jakub Voracek along with line mate and team captain Claude Giroux were tabbed to make the list. On Saturday night, the NHL published its complete list for the upcoming ASG weekend in Columbus, Ohio, scheduled for January 24-25 at Nationwide Arena.

Voracek tops the ledger with 16 goals and 50 points, while Giroux ranks fifth at 46 points (14G, 32A), and the only other player on the roster deserving of special consideration is the injured Steve Mason. Mason, however, is injured but his 8-12-6 record despite a 2.46 goals-against average and .920 save percentage won't cut it among the league's elite.

Jeff Carter in 2008-09 was the last time a lone member of the Orange and Black was invited to take part in the mid-season festivities.

Former Flyers and current Nashville Predators head coach Peter Laviolette will lead one team, as his club racked up the highest winning percentage in the league at its midway point.

Desperate Bruins take down Flyers in Saturday matinee

Philadelphia, PA -- David Pastrnak scored the first two goals of his career and simply ran out of time in his quest for his first career hat trick and the desperate Boston Bruins did their usual shut-down job in a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.

Chris Kelly had the other goal and Tuukka Rask stopped 24 shots for the Bruins, who have won their past three and temporarily moved into a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with the red-hot Rangers and Washington Capitals with their respective outcomes to be decided later in the evening.

Claude Giroux scored the only goal of the game for the Flyers, who had won their previous two beyond regulation to kick off their current four-game residency. 

Steve Mason started, but unlike Tuesday's brief scare, was forced to exit this one seven minutes into the opening period with a right leg injury that will keep him out of action for at least one week. He stopped all five shots he faced while Ray Emery ended up suffering the loss after allowing three goals on 13 shots in relief.

The best news of Saturday came late, as the NHL confirmed the remainder of its roster for the All-Star competition in Columbus on Jan. 24-25. Giroux, along with the team and league-leading scorer Jakub Voracek, will represent the Orange and Black. 

Skating on the power play in the first period, the Bruins took a 1-0 lead on Pastrnak's first career goal. With Jakub Voracek in the box, Zdeno Chara sent a backhand pass from behind the net to the left circle where Torey Krug got off a one-timer. Emery made the stop, but the rebound sat out front and Pastrnak backhanded it in at 11:23.

The middle stanza passed without a goal, but the Bruins padded their advantage at 4:57 of the third as Pastrnak took a feed in the neutral zone and left a drop pass for David Krejci along the right wing. Charging the net, Pastrnak got the puck back from Krejci -- who drew three Flyers checkers in his direction and left the rookie wide open on the left side for an easy wrister and a 2-0 lead.

Philly was skating on a power play when Boston took a 3-0 lead after Loui Eriksson banked the puck off the boards in his own end to create a 2-on-1. Skating down the left wing, the fleet Finnish winger sent the puck to the other side where Kelly beat Emery high to the short-side for his fifth of the season at 9:51.

The Flyers were again on the power play when they finally broke through as Giroux's wrister from the left circle hit off the stick of a Bruin and went past Rask with Wayne Simmonds providing a screen in front and 5:47 showing.

Philadelphia pulled Emery with two minutes to play for an extra skater, but was unable to cut into the deficit.

Enter Pastrnak, who was dangling with the puck in his offensive zone but his successful challenged shot didn't hit the net before the final buzzer sounded. He would have become the first opposing player since the Blues' Vitali Prokhorov on Halloween night, 1992 in St. Louis, to record his first three NHL goals in the same game against the Orange and Black. 

Notes: Pastrnak (18 years, 230 days old) became the eighth 18-year-old in Bruins history to record a multi-goal game  and the first since Patrice Bergeron on Jan. 12, 2004) ... The Flyers announced during the game that Mason will be further evaluated on Sunday ... Philadelphia hosts Tampa Bay on Monday ... Boston hosts Tampa Bay on Tuesday ... The Bruins have won five straight against the Flyers ... Pastrnak was the 25th overall pick of the 2014 draft and was appearing in his seventh game ... Saturday's matinee occurred 28 years to the date of a Flyers' 5-4 win over the Bruins at the old Boston Garden.