Philadelphia Flyers Daily Clips – October 18, 2014    FLYERS Headlines  1. Philadelphia Inquirer – Dallas-Ebola connection doesn't concern Flyers  2. Philadelphia Inquirer – Laughton, Gostisbehere lead Phantoms to win  3. Philadelphia Daily News – Opener in new arena signals a new era for Phantoms  4. CSNPhilly.com – Tough road trip a chance for Flyers to finally win  5. CSNPhilly.com – Flyers Notes: Rinaldo reminded of Dallas debacle  6. Delaware County Times – Parent: Pronger as overly sensitive disciplinarian ... what better choice?  7. Delaware County Times – Berube hoping to see Flyers get up to speed  8. Camden Courier-Post – Flyers: Grossmann faces old team at start of trip  9. Camden Courier-Post – Jason Akeson adjusting to role on fourth line  10. NJ.com – Flyers' Zac Rinaldo still feisty, but there's now a lot more to his play  11. Hockeybuzz.com – Flyers Gameday: 10/18/14 @ DAL, Phantoms, Prospect Updates, Quick Hits  12. Philadelphiaflyers.com – FIVE THINGS: Flyers at Dallas Stars    PHANTOMS Headlines  1. Allentown Morning Call – Manning goal lifts Phantoms in overtime  2. Allentown Morning Call – Phantoms opener makes PPL Center feel like home    NHL Headlines  1. ESPN.com – Milan Lucic apologizes for gesture      FLYERS Articles    1. Philadelphia Inquirer – Dallas-Ebola connection doesn't concern Flyers    Sam Carchidi  

 The Flyers are not overly concerned about being in Dallas, where a Liberian man died of Ebola and two nurses who treated him contracted the disease.    "They keep saying it's more possible for us to get in a car accident or a plane accident - knock on wood - than to catch the Ebola virus," winger Wayne Simmonds said after the Flyers finished practicing in Voorhees on Friday and boarded a plane for Dallas, where they play the Stars on Saturday night. "I'm hoping what they say is the truth."    "From what I've been told, Ebola is pretty much a deadly version of the flu, but more people die of the flu every year," winger Matt Read said. "It's a disease transmitted through saliva and stuff like that. I'm pretty sure if we stick to ourselves [everything will be fine]. I'm not too worried about it. It's not on our minds. It is an issue right now, but I don't think it's going to play a part in us for being there for 24 hours."    The Flyers' trainers talked to the team about the importance of good hygiene on the trip, coach Craig Berube said.    Berube kidded that everyone should "stay in your rooms" while in Dallas. "Order room service."    He paused.    "Coaches can go out," he added, smiling. "They [trainers] don't care if we get sick."    The Ebola situation in Dallas is "obviously something on our minds, but we just have to be careful what we do," captain Claude Giroux said.    "I don't pay attention to that stuff," winger Zac Rinaldo said. "Honestly, I don't. The media is [noise] to me as to what they're saying about it. It goes in one ear and out the other for me."    

The Flyers (0-2-2) start the three-game road trip in Dallas, then play in Chicago on Tuesday and in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.    "It's huge. We're playing three strong teams and I think that will bring out the best in us - it normally does," Simmonds said.    "I think this is going to be the turnaround of our season," Read said. "We get a chance to grow as a group on the road again. Play some good hockey and work hard. I think this will be a turning point and we start to learn how to win games."    Excluding an empty-net goal by New Jersey, the Flyers have lost all four games by one goal.    Dallas (2-1-1) has won two straight, including a dramatic 3-2 victory in Pittsburgh on Thursday. The Stars overcame a 2-0 deficit and scored twice in the final 2 minutes, 57 seconds, capped by Tyler Seguin's game-winner with 2.9 seconds left.    Breakaways. Berube said defenseman Braydon Coburn, who has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury, was "close" to returning, and that he would make a decision after the morning skate on whether he plays Saturday. . . . Berube hinted that Chris VandeVelde will center the fourth line Saturday; if so, Jason Akeson or Blair Jones figure to be out of the lineup. "I'll look at the Dallas lineup a little more and make what we think is the best decision," Berube said. . . . The Flyers spent a lot of time on shootout drills at practice.      2. Philadelphia Inquirer – Laughton, Gostisbehere lead Phantoms to win    Sam Carchidi    For the first time in a while, there are some genuine prospects in the Flyers’ minor-league system, headed by center Scott Laughton and defenseman Shane

Gostisbehere.    They were on full display Friday night, when the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, playing their first regular-season AHL game at the PPL Center, scored a 4-3 overtime win over Adirondack before a loud sellout crowd.    Laughton, the Flyers’ first round selection in the 2012 draft, had two goals, Gostibehere contributed three assists, and defenseman Brandon Manning deposited the winner.    Petr Straka also scored for the Phantoms, who improved to 2-0. Nick Cousins and Andrew Gordon added two assists apiece.  More coverage    2014-15 Flyers schedule    Buy Flyers jerseys and other gear    Forum: Will the Flyers be a contender this season?    Latest hockey odds    The Phantoms’ next home game is Friday against Hershey.    Flyers-Stars. The Flyers (0-2-2) play in Dallas (2-1-1) Saturday night, aiming for their first win of the season. Wayne Simmonds (five goals, seven points) and Claude Giroux (five points) have paced the Flyers. Jamie Benn (five points) and Tyler Seguin (four goals) have led the Stars.    Breakaways. Simmonds (plus-2), Braydon Coburn (plus-1) _ whose status for tonight's game won't be known until after the morning skate _ and Nick Grossmann (plus-1) are the team's only "plus" players. Luke Schenn is minus-6. R.J. Umberger, who is still looking for his first point, is minus 5.Scott Hartnell, sent to Columbus in the Umberger deal, had three assists and is minus-3.  

   3. Philadelphia Daily News – Opener in new arena signals a new era for Phantoms    Frank Seravalli    ALLENTOWN - Anyone who has spent any length of time in downtown Allentown in their lifetime probably would not have believed the scene on Hamilton Street last night if not for witnessing it firsthand.    As the sun slid past the horizon on an unseasonably warm October night, hundreds of orange-clad fans in Flyers jerseys mingled outside bars on patios, sipping beers.    Steps away, the buzz of Opening Night beckoned inside PPL Center - a hockey palace regal enough for the NHL, but small enough to not look out of place in the Lehigh Valley.    Smoke billowed from Phantoms' player introductions with pomp and circumstance that outdid the Flyers' home opener. All 8,500 seats were filled by people in orange T-shirts, like a Flyers playoff game. Suites were packed. On the bustling open concourse, right at street level, fans were able to sit at a table to enjoy a meal and not miss a minute of the action.    Less than a year ago, shuttered storefronts and broken-down bodegas blighted the same block that required constant police presence.    Now, the Flyers hope a beaming, new home for the Phantoms will jump-start their farm system, much in the same way PPL Center has revitalized a downtown.    For the first time since the Spectrum closed in 2009, the Phantoms finally have a place they are proud to call home again.    

The Phantoms aren't across the parking lot from the Flyers anymore - but they're a far cry from where they were the last five seasons. The 68-mile, door-to-door ride from Wells Fargo Center certainly provides convenience to the big club.    When Chris VandeVelde was recalled by the Flyers this week, he was able to drive himself, rather than hailing car service for a 5-hour ride from Glens Falls, N.Y.    With the Flyers' ECHL ("AA") affiliate now also only 30 miles away in Reading, the Flyers' development staff can take a more hands-on approach. Flyers president Paul Holmgren and player-development coaches Kjell Samuelsson and John Riley were able to take in the Phantoms' 4-3 overtime win.    They were able to watch Shayne Gostisbehere set up first-round pick Scott Laughton for two power-play goals.    Proximity is nice, Holmgren said. But he hopes the Phantoms' move means a lot more than that. The Flyers' farm system was in desperate need of a culture change.    "To have a first-class facility, from the locker room, to the training room, to the players' lounge, it's just an awesome place for the young kids," Holmgren said. "It's a place they're going to want to come to spend time with their teammates and work on their game."    Nothing about life inside PPL Center feels like "minor league," something that definitely could not be said about Adirondack's Glens Falls Civic Center.    A toxic component surrounded the Phantoms in Glens Falls, N.Y., for the past five seasons. The Civic Center woefully lacked modern amenities. There was a small weight room and barely enough space for players to complete postgame workouts. Visiting Glens Falls actually felt like a trip back in time to "Bull Durham."  

 Without a reason to spend much time at the Civic Center, most players lived 35 miles away from the rink in Saratoga Springs, a college town where nightlife percolated.    Holmgren acknowledged the team had a tough time recruiting veterans to play and live in Adirondack. The Flyers had few promising prospects to keep the team competitive. With the team so isolated from the NHL, a sour attitude spilled out onto the ice, and the Phantoms went through four coaches and never sniffed the playoffs.    "The biggest difference is when you come to the rink in the morning, guys are happy to be here," said defenseman Brandon Manning, who scored last night's overtime winner. "We brought in guys from different organizations, we've got 20- and 21-year-old rookies who give our team a fresh look. The building definitely helps, but I think [change] starts with the people we brought in."    With the Flyers hoping to use this season as a bridge to the future, the Phantoms finally have talent worth paying to see. The sparkling building only adds to it.    "We made due in Glens Falls with what we had. I'm not complaining about it," Holmgren said. "But this is going to be helpful. It's good timing."      Slap shots    Flyers coach Craig Berube said Braydon Coburn would return to the lineup tonight in Dallas if he "feels better and more confident." Berube said he'd err on the side of caution, especially this early in the season, if Coburn didn't feel as if he is "100 percent" . . . Before flying to north Texas, the Flyers spent a significant chunk of their practice yesterday working on the shootout . . . Call-up Chris VandeVelde could crack the lineup on this road trip. VandeVelde, who would play center, could bump out Jason Akeson or Blair Jones.    

4. CSNPhilly.com – Tough road trip a chance for Flyers to finally win    Tim Panaccio    VOORHEES, N.J. -- There are probably easier places for the Flyers to find their first win of the season (Buffalo, perhaps?) but the schedule is what it is for Craig Berube’s club.    They don’t get to pick the team they face or the arena in which they play.    Saturday’s match in Dallas is the first of a six-day, three-game road trip for the 0-2-2 Flyers against the Stars, Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins.    Everyone is well aware of the Flyers' success at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, where they are 10-2-1 since the building opened, including the playoffs.    Dallas? They’ve won two of the last three games played at American Airlines Center.    Chicago is going to be a problem. The Flyers are 0-4 since the 2010 Stanley Cup Final at United Center.    Still, the odds are in the Flyers’ favor for at least one victory in the days ahead.    “It’s special to be on the road, especially this early in the season,” defenseman Mark Streit said. “This road trip comes at the right time, especially with the start we’ve had so far. We’re gonna face good teams, a big challenge, and I think the team is ready for it. You go on the road, you go for dinners together, you hang out a lot, you play on the road, and it’s probably a more simple game instead of trying to be too cute or an extra pass here or there.    “You go out there, have a great start and keep it simple and work really hard

and compete out there.”    The Flyers took a 5-1 pounding in Dallas last December even though they led at the outset.    That loss was punctuated by Zac Rinaldo’s 27 penalty minutes 75 seconds into play.    Right now, the Flyers are a fragile bunch after two consecutive shootout losses in which their inability to sustain play through 60 minutes cost them dearly at the end.    Which is why they want to get out of town and take their chances elsewhere after three days of hard practices.    “Sometimes when you are not winning games at home you feel that pressure,” Jakub Voracek said. “You feel you have to force things to win the game. Sometimes you go on the road and play more simple, more patient with puck because the pressure is always on the home team. I think this will help us and it will be a successful road trip.”    Added defenseman Braydon Coburn, who is expected back in the lineup after missing the last three games with a lower-body injury, “We want to get some wins under our belt. This would be a good building block for us in some tough teams’ barns. We got to be ready to go.”    The Flyers will face Jamie Benn (five points) and hot Tyler Seguin (four goals) in Dallas; Patrick Sharp (four points), Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith (each three points) in Chicago; and Sidney Crosby (seven points), Evgeni Malkin (five points) and surprising Patric Hornqvist (five points) in Pittsburgh. Hornqvist came to the Pens from Nashville during a draft day trade last summer as part of the James Neal deal.    “It’s a big challenge and a fun challenge when you play against the best players in the world,” Flyers captain Claude Giroux said. “That is what it’s all

about. When you play against the top team that is how you get better. It’s good to go on the road a couple days with your teammates and spend time together.”    Wayne Simmonds is among seven players tied for second place in the NHL scoring race with seven points. He’s looking forward to the trip.    “Hopefully, we can get together, talks things out and we figure this thing out,” Simmonds said of the Flyers’ poor start.    Getting out of their own zone and clearing pucks under intense pressure cost the Flyers wins against Montreal and Anaheim. And in both cases, it wasn’t just five-on-five play, but on the penalty kill, as well.    “If I had to pick one thing we have to do better it’s getting the puck out of our zone,” Simmonds said. “There are crucial points in the game that it seems for the first little bit we’re getting it out and then they start hammering us on the walls and deep in the zone and we’re making little mistakes. We got to bear down and get better.”    Streit didn’t disagree with Simmonds.    “He’s certainly right,” Streit said. “It’s puck decisions in our end and on the offensive blue line. I thought against Anaheim, as soon as we started to soft chip the puck a little more, their defense had to turn and it tired them out. We had to use our speed and we played physical and it made it hard on our opponent.”    In the shootout losses to the Canadiens and Ducks, the Flyers couldn’t get a sustained forecheck at crucial junctures that would have given them a chance to relieve pressure on their defense and goaltenders.    “When you get to the blue line and chip it in, get a forecheck going [as opposed] to them turning it up and going the other way and being in your end for 30 seconds, that’s a huge difference and momentum changer,” Streit said.

“We need to be better.”    For the Flyers, it could be the ultimate difference between coming home with some much-needed points instead of extending their winless skid.      5. CSNPhilly.com – Flyers Notes: Rinaldo reminded of Dallas debacle    Tim Panaccio    VOORHEES, N.J. -- No one has to remind Zac Rinaldo about what happened last December in Dallas.    How could anyone possibly forget that game’s opening 1 minute and 15 seconds?    “Yeah, I had 27 minutes in penalties right away,” Rinaldo recalled.    Rinaldo began the game exchanging words with Antoine Roussel, chasing him down the ice before jumping him.    He received two minutes for instigation, five for fighting, a 10-minute misconduct and a game misconduct, giving the Stars a seven-minute power play.    Officially, Rinaldo had four seconds time on ice and 27 minutes of penalties.    “I think about that because it was the only thing I did in Dallas,” Rinaldo said. “We didn’t practice because of the ice storm. Stuff happens. I learned from it.”    Assistant coach Ian Laperriere reminded Rinaldo this week about discipline.    “Lappy talked to me last practice and said, don’t do it again, basically,” Rinaldo said.  

 To the Flyers' credit, their penalty kill units burned off the entire seven-minute power play but it left them gassed in what would become a 5-1 loss.    Berube hinted that he might also say something to Rinaldo when the team gets to Dallas.    Coburn iffy?  Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn practiced again with the club but took his regular shift with partner Andrew MacDonald.    Every indication is that Coburn will return to the lineup during this road trip but he might not be fully ready for Dallas.    “He’s close but we’ll see tomorrow,” Berube said. “See if he is cleared to play. There are some things I am looking for that I don’t see. There are good things that I do see. It’s a day-to-day thing.    “See if he feels better and more confident. I think it is a confidence thing. I don’t like putting anyone in there who doesn’t feel like they are 100 percent this early in the season. We’d like to have him back but I want to make sure he is ready.”    Coburn has not played since the season opener in Boston because of a lower-body injury that left him on crutches.    Lineup change?  Chris VandeVelde was called up earlier this week as the extra forward on the trip and would give the Flyers more options — namely, speed — centering the fourth line.    On Thursday, Berube said there was “a chance” VandeVelde would play during this road trip. On Friday, VandeVelde’s odds went up.    “There’s a possibility he could be in tomorrow,” Berube said of seeing

VandeVelde against the Stars. “I’d put him at center if he were in. We’ll look at Dallas’ lineup and make the best decision then ...    “I thought [VandeVelde] had a real good camp, to be honest with you. It was a tough decision on sending him down.    “I thought that he came to camp, he moved really well, good-sized guy, knows how to play the game without the puck ... I thought he was physical in training camp, which was a really good sign.”    Among his options are moving VandeVelde to center and moving Blair Jones to wing. Jason Akeson would come out.    “He’s done some good things and also some things where he has to get out of his game because he’s in that role,” Berube said of Akeson.    “He tends to turn the puck over in wrong areas and make some soft plays at times, but also he’s done some good things. He’s been gritty and taken the body at times and played a hard game, so he’s capable of doing it. It’s just the consistency level.”    Shootouts  For the second day in succession, the Flyers devoted a decent portion of their practice to shootouts. Their last two losses to Montreal and Anaheim were via the shootout.      6. Delco Times – Parent: Pronger as overly sensitive disciplinarian ... what better choice?    Rob Parent    Since it became clear to the NHL Powers That Be that players clobbering each other over the head was not only detrimental to the players’ physical and financial health, but also to the reputation of the league they’re all attempting

to market as a forward thinking global entity, there has been a Players Safety Department.    In three years under Brendan Shanahan — who ran it as an unpopular overlord until he wangled a real job out of it in April, becoming the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs — it was a dictatorial legislative body that nevertheless expanded its mission.    Though the league had disciplinarians before the department was created, in Shanahan there was a high-profile, Hall of Fame level player who was smart and talked a good game off the ice. And he never had a problem getting down and even a little dirty while playing either game.    Shanahan took the title of Senior Vice President of Player Safety, which looked good to the marketing folks, and set about expanding the disciplinarian role, perhaps because he and his corporate bosses realized it would look better to the network execs if they didn’t only punish acts of violence by players, but showed concern toward player-victims.    That way, maybe they can avoid a few lawsuits by introducing stricter rules to prevent dangerous hits and other ugly acts of what used to be called ... well, hockey.    For a Shanny successer, though, they came up with Stephane Quintal, whose reputation as a player was ... well, he had no reputation.    Quintal was a long-serving, two-way defenseman for a bunch of teams. Don’t recall him ever brutally assaulting other players, though, which probably should be a requirement for this job.    Anyway, Quintal had been one of Shanny’s office helpers, and figured he needs a few ex-player guys by his side. Probably smart that he found one who not only had as high a playing profile as Shanahan, but was just as mean, too.    Enter Chris Pronger.  

 Unfortunately for the former Flyers captain, who like Keith Primeau had to stop playing because of repeated concussions leaving him perhaps permanently damaged, there was a little glitch in his taking the job.    Doing so could easily be construed as a conflict of interest, since he was still drawing paychecks from the Flyers.    Ah, but you know Pronger. Honest Abe of the defensive goon set ... no conflict when it came to him. And if the Flyers thought him taking the job meant they could be free and clear of that annoying shuffle of paperwork, putting his near-$5 million cap hit in the Long Term Injured Reserve pile on Ron Hextall’s desk, then all the better.    But Gary Bettman, Inc. didn’t agree, and so it was a conflict with his old team right from the start, which might have been why it took quite a while for Pronger to finally agree to talk about it with some of his favorite people, the Philadelphia-area hockey media.    He finally did that a few days ago, after Bettman essentially told the Flyers to shut up and butt out.    “I look at myself as an adviser,” Pronger said of his new position as Quintal’s sergeant-at-harms. “It’s not all about discipline. But they want my take on, ‘What happened in that play?’”    On anything dealing with Flyers, of course, Pronger said he will opt out of the advisory business. But when gently pressed a bit on the issue of conflict of interest Pronger showed his old grittiness.    “I am not disciplining anybody,” Pronger said. “That’s not my job. That’s Stephane’s job. He’s the one that doles out supplementary discipline. I am merely a sounding board to him; another set of eyes from somebody who recently played, three years ago. Obviously I’ve had my run-ins with the law to be able to understand the process, to understand where things can go

haywire. I’m a sounding board for him.”    So Pronger will be there to advise Quintal, and Flyers cap considerations aside, what better choice could have been made?    Pronger as player doled out punishment on a daily basis with no recriminations of conscience. He’s a guy of obvious intelligence, has no trouble speaking his mind in blunt terms and, since he on occasion has suffered leftover headache symptoms where “my brain felt like it was popping out of my head,” he has motivation.    Good for him. Just don’t mention that “conflict of interest” stuff, OK?    7. Delaware County Times – Berube hoping to see Flyers get up to speed    Rob Parent    VOORHEES, N.J. >> Still without a win on the season and insistently proclaiming themselves as a team playing more effectively than their record might indicate, the Flyers embarked Friday for a three-game road swing that carries not only daunting challenges but one obvious implication ...    Better get a win before you get back home.    “It’s a challenge,” coach Craig Berube said. “We’ve been challenged before as a team and we’ve come up real big. I don’t expect anything different.”    Once again, Berube has taken the patient approach with what is now his 0-2-2 club, saying wins will come with some tinkering that produces better play overall. It took a while, but he has a track record on these matters; he took a slow-starting, woebegone team to the playoffs last season.    Now, Berube again has a slow team that’s trying to avoid a start as slow as the 1-7 mess of a year ago.    

“I still think we can play a faster game out there,” said Berube, looking ahead to Saturday’s road game with the Dallas Stars. “We’re trying to quicken things up with our speed to create more 5-on-5 opportunities; both ways, defensively and offensively. I think in the first four games, we need to be better 5-on-5. We all know that. We said that going into the season that we need to improve on it.”    Voorhees wasn’t built in a day, you know. But three games in Dallas, Chicago and Pittsburgh might have the Flyers eager to get back to their South Jersey practice haven as quickly as possible.    RJ Umberger, on the other hand, might not feel that way. Once a young two-way contributer to a Flyers club on the rise, Umberger has returned via a Scott Hartnell trade with Columbus to find himself as a veteran for another, altogether different Flyers club ... one that should be on the rise.    Like Umberger’s start, however, the Flyers don’t appear to fit that presumed description.    His personal on-ice struggles don’t exactly mirror his defensively challenged team, but better success for Umberger would be good news, anyway, for the Flyers.    “I’d like to find an offensive game; be a secondary scorer for our team and add some more threats,” Umberger said. “I got a little power-play time the last game, so that will help. There’s been a lot of other things that have been good.”    Baby steps. That’s what the Flyers and Umberger hope to continue on this tough road trip. For him, maybe it’s more about concentrating on what he can do differently ... from a third-person perspective, of course.    “You’ve got to shoot more and it goes from having the puck more and find yourself away from the puck,” he said. “You’ve got to get open and get to spots. Create more line rushes. Two games ago, I passed up a shot in the third

period. When you’re not scoring, those things happen.”    8. Camden Courier-Post – Flyers: Grossmann faces old team at start of trip    Dave Isaac    Going back to Dallas isn’t exactly a homecoming for Nick Grossmann.    In fact, they didn’t know the defenseman all that well when he played for the Stars for five-plus seasons from 2006 to 2012. They spelled his name wrong from the first night he got called up from the AHL’s Iowa Stars in December 2006 until he was traded.    It wasn’t until Grossmann arrived in Philadelphia that he admitted his first NHL team left off the second “n” on his last name. No big deal to the 6-foot-4, 230-pound defenseman. It had happened all his life.    Now in his third full season with the Flyers, Saturday’s game in Dallas is hardly anything special.    “It’s just another game,” Grossmann said. “The first time was a little special because I hadn’t been back there for that long. Just coming back to the place you were for a while. Now it just feels like another game. I don’t really have too many teammates left there.”    A lot of things have changed since February 2012 in Dallas, and in Philadelphia for that matter. Grossmann’s game isn’t among them.    “He’s the same as last year,” coach Craig Berube said. “He’s a big, stable guy back there and a good penalty killer. A big guy who blocks a lot of shots.”    Grossmann’s style isn’t sexy, but effective. So far this season he’s blocked eight shots in four games and shored up the front of the Flyers’ net so his teammates can get the puck out.  

 “He’s a tough Viking,” defense partner Mark Streit said. “He’s a battler and a warrior. He throws himself in front of the puck blocking slapshots and in the stats, two or three blocked shots, so some people that doesn’t say anything. If you see actually what he did, what kind of shot it was, he maybe saved a goal or two.”    Ever since Streit signed with the Flyers as a free agent last season, Grossmann has been his main defensive partner.    “I think we have really good chemistry,” Streit said. “I can’t remember in my NHL career that I’ve been with a guy for that many games and it makes it so much easier.”    Not everyone on the roster will find similar camaraderie this weekend, but they think a three-game road trip will help bring everyone together in a time of need. Through four games, the Flyers are still without a win and away from Philly might be the best way to do that.    “Sometimes it’s good to get on the road,” Grossmann said. “You love playing at home, but it’s getting away from some things and getting together, doing everything together. Even if it’s getting a bite to eat or practicing together, I think it will be good for us.”    So far, the Flyers have yet to put together the 60-minute game they’ve been working for. In defeat, they’re seeing aspects of their game get better, but realize there’s a long way to go.    “Some things have to be cleaned up,” Grossmann said. “A lot of details of the game. It sounds like beating a dead horse, but it’s true. It’s the small things that matter and you have to do them night in and night out. There’s certain things we have to clean up and that’s things we’ve been working on and we’ll work on all year to be the team we want to be.”    Up first is Grossmann’s former team, which presents a big test. The Stars have

a totally different roster since trading the 29-year-old blueliner a couple seasons ago.    This year’s team scored twice in the final 2:57 to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 Thursday night. Dallas has now won two straight led by captain Jamie Benn, who has two goals and three assists in five games.    “It’s a challenge,” Berube said. “We’ve been challenged before as a team and we’ve come up real big. I don’t expect anything different.”    This quest, however, is pretty darn big. If the Stars aren’t enough, the Flyers will have to contend with the Chicago Blackhawks and Penguins on back-to-back nights for their first multi-game road trip this season.    “This road trip comes at the right time, especially with the start we’ve had so far,” Streit said. “We’re gonna face good teams, a big challenge, and I think the team is ready for it. You go on the road, you go for dinners together, you hang out a lot, you play on the road and it’s probably a more simple game instead of trying to be too cute or an extra pass here or there.”    9. Camden Courier-Post – Jason Akeson adjusting to role on fourth line    Dave Isaac    One of the toughest parts of being a fringe NHL player is adjusting to a role that feels irregular just to stick around.    For the last three seasons, Jason Akeson was the leading scorer for the Adirondack Phantoms. Last season, when he got called up to play in the last regular-season game and all seven playoff games, he was put in more of a defensive role on Sean Couturier's shutdown unit.    Still, Akeson got his chances to play with the puck. He scored two goals and had an assist in the first-round playoff matchup against the New York Rangers.  

 This season, he made the team out of training camp — but on the fourth line.    "It's obviously a different game for me," Akeson said. "I'm used to getting those big minutes and being on the power play, but it's a good league and I just want to do anything I can to stay here."    At 24 years old, it was just about getting to be that "make-or-break" time for Akeson, who re-signed with the club July 2 to a one-year, two-way deal. Instead of getting sent back to the American Hockey League for a fourth season, Akeson was retained and put in the checking-line role.    "The way the lines are set up right now, that's where he fits," coach Craig Berube said. "He needs to find his niche there and make it work."    That's easier said than done when it's not a player's true role. Akeson isn't used to that crash-and-bang game.    "He's done some good things and also some things where he has to get out of his game because he's in that role," Berube said. "He tends to turn the puck over in wrong areas and make some soft plays at times, but also he's done some good things. He's been gritty and taken the body at times and played a hard game, so he's capable of doing it. It's just the consistency level."    If Akeson is capable of playing that role to Berube's liking, perhaps he can work his way into a greater role.    "You've got to start somewhere," said Zac Rinaldo, Akeson's linemate on the fourth trio. "A lot of good first liners and second liners start on the fourth line. You've got to start somewhere and work your way up. Who knows where he's gonna be next year or three games from now? Who knows? You've got to start somewhere, though."    Through four games, Akeson and Rinaldo have played with two different centers. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare started the season playing the pivot on that

line, then was moved up to replace the injured Vinny Lecavalier. Now Blair Jones is seeing action between Akeson and Rinaldo, but the goal of the line remains the same.    "We just kind of tried to talk to each other as a line and stay positive," Akeson said. "We know we're not going to get the minutes the first lines get. We just want to be ready when we're told to go. I think our game we just have to keep it simple."    • Coburn likely to return Saturday: Defenseman Braydon Coburn, who missed the last three games with a "lower-body injury," returned to practice Wednesday. The longest-tenured Flyer was eased into drills, rotating in as an extra defenseman, but is likely to play Saturday in Dallas as the Flyers embark on a three-game roadtrip.    "Everybody in this room tries to get back as soon as they can and I am not different," Coburn said. "Injuries happen all times of the year. Hopefully for us, we get them out of the way early."    Coburn was injured in the season opener against the Boston Bruins and the Flyers initially feared he would be out longer.    "After the game I got home, called Jimmy (McCrossin, the head athletic trainer) and something was wrong and we dealt with that," the wily veteran said, careful not to disclose exactly when or how he got hurt. "Just a hockey play."    If Coburn returns, it will be a tough call for Berube figuring out who comes out of the lineup.    "Yeah, it is," the coach said. "I'll have to think about it and go over stuff and see what the best fit for Dallas is at the time."    • Shootout woes continue: The Flyers just can't figure out what to do about the shootout. They have the worst winning percentage in the tie-breaking

gimmick that decides an extra point since it was established as part of the game in 2005.    Berube says he tries to go through the routine at the end of practices, but doesn't want it to disrupt what he normally does. No one in orange and black seems to be very confident, especially after dropping back-to-back decisions via the shootout.    "I did it in Columbus," said Jake Voracek, who was unsuccessful Tuesday night against Anaheim. "It feels like as I'm getting older, I'm losing confidence. When I was younger I had bigger (guts), I think."      10. NJ.com – Flyers' Zac Rinaldo still feisty, but there's now a lot more to his play    Randy Miller    DALLAS - The Flyers were killing off a Montreal Canadiens first-period power play last week when a surprise shorthanded scoring opportunity materialized.    Zac Rinaldo, new to being a penalty-kill regular, could have done what most would do when the puck ended up on his stick by immediately whipping the puck back to the Canadiens' end.    Instead, the fourth-line left wing showed skill, speed and intelligence in his decision. He used the side boards to push the puck past Canadiens point man P.K. Subban, raced to retrieve it and then turned on his jets before stopping near the right-wing circle to pass back to a trailing Luke Schenn, who fired a hard 50-footer on net.    Rinaldo sure has come a long way.    When Rinaldo seemed to be nothing more than a fourth-line winger who

would hit, fight and take a lot of bad penalties, Flyers management saw potential for more.    His skating, fearlessness, grit and the energy he brings were all positives, yet Rinaldo often crossed that fine line that separates a hard and clean momentum-building check from dirty hit that gives opponents power plays.    The 24-year-old Hamilton, Ontario native seems to be finally making a real effort to play a hard but clean game consistently, which is why he landed a two-year, $1.7 million contract extension this summer that kicks in next season.    Rinalddo still is a work in progress and points aren't his thing - he has seven goals and 18 points over 169 NHL games - but he's progressed from spending so much time in the penalty box that he should he paying rent to being a valuable penalty killer.    "Zac has improved his whole game over the last couple years," Flyers coach Craig Berube said after practice other day. "He's getting the ice time now. He is averaging probably 10 minutes a game, which is a huge improvement from where he was."    Rinaldo isn't quite that high, but he's jumped from 7:42 last season to a career-best 8:48 this season.    This molding Rinaldo into something more has been a slow process that began his rookie season in 2011-12.    That's when the Flyers started grooming Rinaldo for a future PK role by having him stay on the ice after practices to work on techniques with coaches.    "I've been working at it every since I was in the NHL and it's starting to pay off now," Rinaldo said. "To be honest with you, when I first came in, I didn't think it would be that big of a challenge."    

Oh, it was challenging. He figured he could get by using his foot speed, hustle and determination, but playing PK involves a lot of structure.    Rinaldo really didn't make big strides until getting a lot of 1-on-1 instruction last season from Ian Laperriere, who was promoted from player development to assistant coach when Berube replaced Peter Laviolette as head coach following the Flyers' 0-3 start.    Laperriere was a valuable penalty killer for the Flyers in their 2009-10 Cup Final season when paired with fellow forward Blair Betts, and his teaching methods got through to Rinaldo.    "With Lappy, it's the littlest details that make the biggest difference," Rinaldo said. "When I first started working on the PK in practice, it was the little details that I wasn't doing."    Such as?    "Being in the right position when the opponent is in the right position," said Rinaldo, a 2008 sixth-round draft pick. "It was just getting there and doing that. I finally got the mindset to pay attention to those decisions."    Rinaldo was used sparingly killing penalties last season, as he logged 31:13 of PK ice time over 67 games, seventh among Flyers forwards. This season, he's been paired on PK with center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and is at just 2:28 through four games because the Flyers have done such a good job of staying out of penalty box.    In four games, the Flyers have had 17 power plays compared to 10 for opponents. Usually it's the other way around because the Flyers routinely are among the highest-penalized teams in hockey.    Rinaldo seems to be understanding how he can be an effective pest on the ice without taking too many penalties, although his 2014-15 season didn't start the way.  

 In the Flyers' opener, a 2-1 loss in Boston on Oct. 8, Rinaldo took a first-period roughing penalty that was retaliation, and it led to the Bruins' first goal. He also had a slashing penalty late in the third period when it was a 1-1 game, but those four penalty minutes have been his only ones thus far.    Four PIMs in four games isn't great, but it's progress for Rinaldo, who has 474 for his NHL career in just 169 games.    He's been fighting a lot less, too. He was in 28 fights playing in the AHL in 2010-11, then 15 as an NHL rookie in 2012-13. Since he's been in just 12 over his last three seasons.    "He's playing under control and doing a good job," Berube said.    11. Hockeybuzz.com – Flyers Gameday: 10/18/14 @ DAL, Phantoms, Prospect Updates, Quick Hits    Bill Meltzer    Still looking for their first win of the 2014-15 regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers (0-2-2) begin a three-game road trip with a visit to Big D to play Lindy Ruff's Dallas Stars (2-1-1). Game time at the American Airlines Center is 8:00 p.m. EDT. The game will be televised on CSN Philadelphia in the Delaware Valley and Fox Sports Southwest in Texas.    This is the first of two meetings this season between the teams, and the lone clash in the Lone Star State. The Flyers and Stars will rematch at the Wells Fargo Center on March 10. Last season, the clubs split two games with each side winning on its home ice.    After tonight's game, the Flyers will have until Tuesday to prepare for a tough back-to-back slate of away games that will see them play the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday and the archrival Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. The Flyers return home next Saturday to take on the Detroit Red Wings.  

 The Stars will host the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. On Friday, they make a trip east to play the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders on the road on back-to-back nights.    Flyers vs Stars 2013-14 season series in review    On Dec. 7, 2013, the Flyers traveled to ice-storm ravaged Dallas for a Saturday matinee. They left the American Airlines Center on the receiving end of a 5-1 shellacking. It was the first game of his Flyers' career that Steve Mason yielded more than three goals. Backup goaltender Dan Ellis (traded later in the season for Tim Thomas) earned the win in net for the Stars.    Entering the game, Tyler Seguin had just returned to the lineup after missed two games with concussion-like symptoms. Team captain Jamie Benn had been mired in a point drought, while highly touted Valeri Nichushkin had been moved around in some resulting line juggling. The line broke free against the Flyers, as Seguin erupted for a natural hat trick and an assist. Nichushkin racked up a goal and three helpers. Benn assisted on Seguin's first goal.    Things started out well enough for the Flyers. The team had to kill off nine minutes worth of penalties in the first period, including seven consecutive minutes resulting from penalties Flyers agitator Zac Rinaldo received for jumping Dallas counterpart Antoine Roussel in the opening minute of the game. Philly not only survived the nine minutes worth of penalties, they took a 1-0 lead to the locker room on a late-period goal by Andrej Meszaros (now with the Buffalo Sabres).    The second point was quite a different story. Seguin tied the game in the opening minute of the stanza. The scored stayed 1-1 until the clock ticked down under three minutes remaining in the period. Suddenly, the Seguin line erupted for three goals in a 63-second span and turned the tie game into a commanding 4-1 lead. Seguin finished off his hat trick and then Nichushkin added his fourth NHL goal.  

 The third period was played more or less like a formality. Ray Emery came into the game to mop up in goal for the Flyers. Cody Eakin added a shorthanded goal in the final five minutes to make it a 5-1 final.    On March 20, 2014, a red-hot Flyers teams downed a struggling Stars club by a 4-2 count at the Wells Fargo Center. The win, Philadelphia's fourth in a row, ran the club's post-Olympic record to 7-2-1. The Stars dropped their fourth game in a row and concluded a winless three-game road trip in which they got outscored by a combined 16-5.    This game, however, saw a markedly better performance by Lindy Ruff's team than it had exhibited in blowout losses in Winnipeg (7-2) and Pittsburgh (5-1). The match against the Flyers was a hard-fought one. The biggest difference in the outcome was a spectacular 33-save performance by Mason and a rather mediocre outing for Thomas.    First and third period tallies by Wayne Simmonds --the first on the power play and the latter at even strength -- were canceled out by tallies from Jamie Benn in the same manpower situations in the second and third period. Benn's second goal came just 30 seconds after Simmonds' second tally.    The Flyers won the game because they jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period on goals by Mark Streit and Simmonds, and then Mason helped nurse the advantage through several surges of momentum by Dallas. Finally, after the Stars quickly narrowed a two-goal deficit to 3-2, Michael Raffl put the game away with the clock ticking down near three minutes.    Raffl's goal started as a two-on-one rush led by Sean Couturier. Taking a pass from his center with defender Trevor Daley caught in no man's land, Raffl went in alone on Thomas. The Austrian forward got the two-time Vezina Trophy winner to commit early and slid the puck home on the backhand.    Flyers outlook    

The Flyers have not played since Tuesday night's 4-3 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks. As they have done in three of their four games to date, the Flyers played successful comeback hockey to catch up to an opponent only for victory to ultimately elude the Philly side.    Against the Ducks, Philadelphia battled back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 on power play goals by Streit (5-on-3) and Simmonds (5-on-4), followed by a highlight reel goal by Jakub Voracek to tie the game in the third period. Ultimately, however, the Flyers went down in a four-round shootout and had to settle for one point.    Special teams play has been the Flyers' strong suit through the first four games of the 2014-15 season. Entering this game, the power play has connected on five of 17 chances (29.4 percent) and has generated good puck movement and scoring chances on several other power plays that did not result in a goal. In the meantime, the Philadelphia penalty kill has staved off nine of 10 disadvantages thus far.    Something less discussed is an area of improvement thus far: The team has been taking fewer penalties and has an encouraging ratio of power play opportunities to shorthanded time. The Flyers will need to avoid bad penalties such as the one Rinaldo took in jumping Dallas counterpart Roussel in last season's game in Dallas.    The Flyers biggest weakness thus far has been its five-on-five play. The club has been outscored 12-6 at even strength, which is the single biggest reason that the club has come away with two regulation losses and two shootout losses in four games that were winnable. Additionally, the club has fallen behind -- twice by multiple goals -- in three of their four games to date. The only time Philly has led first was the game where they built a 3-0 lead that was squandered in the third period against Montreal.    By far, Simmonds has been the Flyers' best forward through the first four games of the season. The power forward has racked up five goals (three on the power play) and seven points and has been the club's most effective

forechecker. Team captain Claude Giroux has had some ups and downs in the first four games but has five points (one goal, four assists). Streit and Voracek have one goal and three assists apiece.    On the injury front, the Flyers hope to have veteran defenseman Braydon Coburn back in the lineup tonight. The big and mobile blueliner sustained a lower body injury on opening night in Boston and has missed the last three games.    Vincent Lecavalier (left foot injury) missed Tuesday's game and is not expected to play on the Flyers' three-game road trip. The estimated prognosis for his absence is two weeks from the time of the injury he suffered in the first period of the Flyers' 4-3 shootout loss to Montreal on Oct. 11.    In Lecavalier's absence, the Flyers have recalled forward Chris VandeVelde from the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms in order for the club to have 13 forwards available for their road trip.    Stars outlook    The Stars are coming off a dramatic late-game comeback on Thursday night, stunning the Pittsburgh Penguins with goals by Jamie Benn and Seguin in the final three minutes of the third period to skate off with a 3-2 win. Dallas concluded its three-game road trip with regulation wins in Columbus and Pittsburgh.    Dallas played a terrible first period in Pittsburgh, getting itself in penalty trouble against the Penguins' potent power play (2-for-4 in the opening stanza), losing puck battles in all three zones and frequently turning over the puck. The team was lucky to escape the first period trailing "only" 2-0. It took a 27-save performance by Kari Lehtonen, line juggling by Ruff and the dramatic late-game rally to pull out the victory against one of the NHL's top team.    In the second period, Ruff significantly jumbled his line combinations.

Antoine Roussel and Ales Hemsky were put a line with Vernon Fiddler while Jason Spezza on a line with Cody Eakin and Ryan Garbutt. At 6:08 of the middle frame, Roussel cut the Dallas deficit to 2-1. On the play, Fiddler made a centering pass from the behind the net out to Roussel at the right circle. The feisty French forward snapped a shot past Fleury.    The Penguins hung on to the one-goal lead until the Stars' late-game explosion. Early in the third period, Dallas offensive defenseman Alex Goligoski briefly left the game after getting struck in the leg with a puck. He returned shortly thereafter.    With 2:57 remaining in the third period, Jamie Benn tied the score at 2-2 as he got to a loose puck in a scramble around the net and stashed it home. Just 36 seconds earlier an apparent tying goal by Jason Spezza was disallowed.    On the disallowed goal, the officials ruled that Seguin interfered with Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleuy (25 saves on 28 shots). It was a debatable judgment call, as Seguin appeared to have been pushed into the goaltender. Immediately after play resumed, the Stars came close again to tying the game, as Goligoski ripped a shot that clanged off the crossbar and stayed out of the net. Finally, on the Stars' next scoring opportunity, Benn potted the tying goal.    The Penguins' collapse continued as Sidney Crosby was whistled off for tripping Benn. With just 2.9 seconds left in regulation, Seguin sniped the game-winning goal from the left circle off a perfect cross-ice feed from Spezza.    The current Stars team is an upgraded version of the one the Flyers played last season. The club has added Spezza (zero goals, three assists to date) and Hemsky (off to a slow start with one assist in four regular season games after a productive preseason) to form the crux of its second line. The team also added Patrick Eaves and backup goaltender Anders Lindbäck for depth, while resigning checking line center Vernon Fiddler.    

Although Dallas is strong down the middle with a 1-2-3 punch of Seguin, Spezza and underrated two-way forward Eakin, it is really the top line with Jamie Benn and Seguin that still drives the bus for the team. After being held off the scoresheet in the season-opening games against Chicago and Nashville, Seguin exploded for a hat trick against Columbus and the game-winner in the waning seconds of the Pittsburgh game. Benn, meanwhile, racked up a four-point game (a spectacular individual-effort goal and three assists) against the Blue Jackets and the game-tying goal against the Penguins.    In contrast to the Flyers' even-strength problems, the Stars have outscored their opponents by a 7-4 margin during five-on-five play in their first four games. However, the Stars are just  2-for-12 (16.7 percent) on the power play thus far.    On the injury front, second-year forward Valeri Nichushkin has been battling a hip/groin problem since training camp and has missed the last two games. Officially, he is on a day-to-day basis but he will remain unavailable for tonight's game. Veteran offensive defenseman Sergei Gonchar is on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Forward Rich Peverley (heart condition) is on the non-roster long-term injury list.    As a team, the Stars' biggest asset is their speed. The Stars have assembled a squad of players who can motor up and down the ice as well as any team in the NHL, both the forwards and defensemen. The club has considerable depth up front, and one of the better bottom-six groups in the League. Even agitating forwards Roussel and Ryan Garbutt can put the puck in the net when they get the opportunity.    When healthy -- which he has been for the most part the last few seasons -- Lehtonen is one of the most underrated starting goaltenders around the NHL. Before the team started to bolster its roster, Lehtonen was the number one reason why the Dallas club even came close to making the playoffs in the near-miss seasons of 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.    However, Lehtonen has never had much success against the Flyers in his

career. He is winless for his career in games against Philly, although most of the losses came during his early years with the Atlanta Thrashers. Last year, Ruff started the backup goaltender in both games against the Flyers. Even so, Lehtonen is eminently capable of shutting down any team in the NHL.    Dallas' main weakness on the roster is the same as the Flyers: a suspect blueline mix that lacks a true number one defenseman and has players forced to play more minutes than they would on clubs with superior top-end defensemen. However, the composition of the Stars' defense corps is a bit different than Philly's.    Brenden Dillon is one of the NHL's more underrated young defensemen, bringing both a physical element and some puck-moving ability along with a take-charge attitude. Trevor Daley and Goligoski are both undersized but bring outstanding mobility. Daley is a solid two-way player while Goligoski is a potent (if somewhat streaky) offensive performer. Neither have a physical side to their games.    The bottom end of the Dallas blueline is adequate if unspectacular. Number four defenseman Jordie Benn (Jamie's older brother) has worked hard to make himself into an NHL-caliber defenseman and remade his game a bit to erase an early perception that he was shaky in his own end of the ice. He competes hard, makes some good breakout passes and has become passable in most defensive aspects of the game. On a deeper team, he'd probably be a serviceable sixth defenseman.    The Stars hope that at least one among rookies Patrik Nemeth or Jamie Oleksiak (a former first-round pick) emerges into minutes-eating NHL defensemen in the near future. Currently, Nemeth plays on the third pairing. Stylistically, he is similar to former Stars and current Flyers defenseman Nicklas Grossmann. Oleksiak, who has only dressed in one of the team's first four games, rotates in and out of the lineup with offensive minded Kevin Connauton. The hulking Oleksiak (6-foot-7, 240 pounds) has done well in the AHL in his two pro seasons but has struggled in his NHL cups of coffee.    

Dallas has had some penalty killing issues in the early going of this season. Entering tonight's game, the Stars have killed 12 of 16 disadvantages.    Forward Curtis McKenzie might make his NHL debut tonight. Ruff said after yesterday's practice that he would like to get the left winger, who was recalled earlier in the week from the AHL's Texas Stars, a look in the lineup. With veteran Erik Cole battling the flu, there may be an opening for McKenzie to make his first NHL regular season appearance.      Projected lineups (Subject to change)    FLYERS    12 Michael Raffl - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek  10 Brayden Schenn - 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 17 Wayne Simmonds  18 R.J. Umberger - 14 Sean Couturier - 24 Matt Read  36 Zac Rinaldo - 41 Blair Jones - 42 Jason Akeson    47 Andrew MacDonald - 55 Nick Schultz  8 Nicklas Grossmann - 32 Mark Streit  15 Michael Del Zotto - 22 Luke Schenn    35 Steve Mason  [29 Ray Emery]    Scratches: Vincent Lecavalier (left foot), Nick Schultz (healthy), Chris VandeVelde (healthy).    STARS    14 Jamie Benn - 91 Tyler Seguin - 22 Colton Sceviour  18 Patrick Eaves - 90 Jason Spezza - 83 Ales Hemsky  21 Antoine Roussel - 20 Cody Eakin - 16 Ryan Garbutt  11 Curtis McKenzie - 38 Vernon Fiddler - 10 Shawn Horcoff  

 33 Alex Goligoski - 6 Trevor Daley  24 Jordie Benn - 4 Brenden Dillon  23 Kevin Connauton - 37 Patrik Nemeth    32 Kari Lehtonen  [29 Anders Lindbäck]    Scratches: Erik Cole (flu), Valeri Nichushkin (hip/groin), Sergei Gonchar (ankle, IR), Jamie Oleksiak (healthy).    **************    PHANTOMS WIN HOME OPENER AT PPL CENTER, RETURN TO GLENS FALLS TONIGHT    Playing their first regular season home game at the new PPL Center in Allentown, PA, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (2-0-0-0) captured a 4-3 overtime victory over the winless Adirondack Flames (0-3-1-0) on Friday night. A sellout crowd of 8,647 packed the new arena.    Rookie center Scott Laughton scored a pair of goals for the Phantoms, while defenseman Brandon Manning scored the game-winner in overtime. Second-year pro Petr Straka also tallied for the Phantoms while rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere racked up two assists. Goaltender Rob Zepp earned the win, turning back 29 of 32 shots.    Friday night's game was a seesaw affair. The Phantoms grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first period, fell behind 2-1 in the second stanza, rallied for the next two goals to take a 3-2 lead, yielded a tying goal and then won in overtime.    Tonight, the scene shifts to the Glens Falls Civic Center for the second half of the home-and-home set. It will be interesting to see how the Phantoms are received. The Flames have replaced the former tenants this season when the Phantoms relocated to Allentown after five years in Glens Falls. It had been

known for a long time that the Phantoms planned to move closer to Philadelphia and to build more state-of-the-art facilities for the team.    Laughton, the Flyers 2012 first-round pick, scored the first regular season goal in the Phantoms' new arena in Allentown. At 11:59 of the opening period, he notched a power play goal to forge a 1-0 lead. The goal was assisted by veteran Andrew Gordon and rookie Taylor Leier (who picked up his first regular season point since turning pro).    The Phantoms took their one-goal lead to the first intermission. Zepp, who would get much busier as the night progressed, turned back all six shots fired his way.    In the second period, the Flames notched a pair of power play goals to grab a 2-1 lead just past the midway mark of regulation. Sena Acolatse and David Wolf got the goals. With just 45 seconds left in the middle stanza, Laughton cashed in his second goal of the game to send the teams to the locker room tied 3-3. Gordon and Gostisbehere got the assists.    At 2:26 of the third period, Straka scored at even strength to put the Phantoms ahead by a 3-2 count. The goal was initially erroneously credited to defenseman Robert Hägg (six shots on goal for the game) but Hägg wasn't even on the ice when the goal was scored. Nick Cousins and enforcer Zack Stortini received the assists.    The lead would only last until 4:44 of the third period. Adirondack's Dustin Stevenson scored a game-tying goal that went to video review before being upheld. Zepp was busier than Flames' counterpart Joni Ortio in both the second and third periods; getting peppered with 26 shots after the first period.    At 1:24 of overtime, Manning ripped a shot past Ortio to win the game for the Phantoms. Gostisbehere and Cousins earned the assists.    After tonight's rematch in Glens Falls, the the Phantoms return home to the PPL Center next Friday evening to renew hostilities with the Hershey Bears.  

 **************    FLYERS PROSPECT UPDATES    * WHL: Defenseman Travis Sanheim, the Flyers' first-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft scored the lone goal in regulation for the Calgary Hitmen in a 2-1 overtime road victory on Friday night against the Medicine Hat Tigers. In eight regular season games to date, Sanheim has racked up four goals, eight points and a plus-eight rating. Teammate Radel Fazleev was held off the scoreboard and was minus-one for the game. Calgary hosts Medicine Hat tonight in the return match of the home-and-home set.    * QMJHL: The Val-d'Or Foreurs took a 1-0 lead to the first intermission but yielded four unanswered goals to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies to sustain a 4-1 loss on Friday night. Flyers 2014 second-round pick Nicolas Aube-Kubel was held off the scoresheet for the second straight game and was held without a shot on goal (the Foreurs were outshot 31-13 for the game). The two teams will rematch in Val'd'Or on Sunday afternoon.    * NCAA: Bowling Green freshman defenseman Mark Friedman, the Flyers' third-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, earned an assist in his team's 5-0 whitewashing of Alabama Huntsville on Friday night. Friedman has two points (one goal, one assist) in his first three collegiate games.    * NCAA: Senior UND forward Michael Parks earned an assist in his team's 3-1 win over Colorado College on Friday night. The teams rematch again tonight.    **************    QUICK HITS: OCTOBER 18    * French Canadian sports network RDS reported yesterday that the Trois-Rivieres, Quebec home of Broad Street Bullies era Flyers defenseman Andre

"Moose" Dupont was burglarized earlier this week. Among the items stolen was Dupont's 1974 Stanley Cup ring from the Flyers.    * Today in Flyers History: Thirty years ago tonight, the Flyers savaged the Vancouver Canucks by an 11-2 score at the Philadelphia Spectrum. Brian Propp and Ilkka Sinisalo led the way with respective hat tricks. Philly outshot Vancouver by a 58-19 margin. The nine-goal margin of victory is tied for the most lopsided win in franchise history.    * Today in Flyers history: On Oct. 18, 1967, the Flyers traded their 1970 first-round pick to the Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Rosaire Paiement. The Bruins used the selection on forward Rick MacLeish, who ultimately became Flyers property in the three-way trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs that sent Bernie Parent to Toronto.    * Flyers Alumni birthdays: Current Flyers development coach and retired two-stint defenseman Kjell Samuelsson turns 56 today. Forward Norm Lacombe, who spent one-plus seasons with the Flyers in 1989-90 and 1990-91, turns 50.      12. Philadelphiaflyers.com – FIVE THINGS: Flyers at Dallas Stars    Staff reports    1. FLYERS IN BIG D    Besides last year’s 5-1 setback, the Flyers won the previous three trips to Dallas and since the 2008-09 season, the Flyers own a 7-1-0 record against the Stars… Since the club relocated to Dallas in 1993-94, the Flyers own a 10-8-9 record with nine ties and a 4-6-0 record in Dallas… Captain Jamie Benn has six points (2g-4a) in six games against Philly… Goaltender Kari Lehtonen has started three of the Stars’ first four games - he has also never beaten the Flyers, going 0-10-2 in 12 career appearances… Anders Lindback is the back-up goaltender… Claude Giroux averages a point-per game with seven points (2g-5a) in his career against the Stars, including a four-point game (1g-3a) in

2011-12… Defenseman Mark Streit has five points (2g-3a) in eight career games against the Stars.    2. SHOOTING STARS    Since starting out the season with two losses, one in a shootout, the Stars have won two straight games… Both victories came on the road including a win over Pittsburgh on Thursday in which they scored two goals in the final 2:57 of regulation and the winning goal with 3.9 seconds left by Tyler Seguin… The Stars return home for a two-game stint after being on the road for three straight games in a week span… Both of the Stars wins this season have come against Metropolitan Divison opponents… The Stars have allowed a power-play goal in three of their four games so far this season, including two to the Penguins on Thursday… Should he play tonight, forward Curtis McKenzie will be making his NHL debut - he won the AHL’s rookie of the year last season.    3. THIS, THAT & THE OTHER    Jakub Voracek is the only Flyer to have registered a point in all four games this season (1g-3a)… The Flyers are tied for second in the NHL for the most second-period goals (6)… The Flyers are 10th in the NHL in shots (133), but are second among NHL teams who have played four games or less… The Flyers have also surrendered the first goal in three of their first four games and seven of the 14 goals scored on the Flyers have come in the third period… The Flyers have points in two straight games, dropping both of those games in a shootout - the Flyers have never played in two shootouts in the first four games of the season since its inception in 2005-06… And should tonight’s game go past regulation play, it will be the first time they have had three of their first five games go past regulation in franchise history… The last time the team had three of its first five games end in a tie after 60 minutes was 1969-70 (44 yrs) when they had five of their first seven games decided in a tie.    4. PLAYER TO WATCH - FLYERS: (LW: #17 - Wayne Simmonds)  

 For the second game in-a-row Simmonds is the one to watch - he has a three-game goal scoring streak and three straight multi-point games… All seven of his points, including all five goals, have come in the last three games… His five goals are tied for second in the NHL, while his three power-play goals are tied for the NHL lead… Overall, his seven points are also tied for second in the League… Simmonds also was the player to watch last year against the Stars - he led the team in scoring with two goals and three points in the two meetings… In his career, Simmonds has seven goals and 12 points in 19 career games against the Stars.    5. PLAYER TO WATCH - STARS: (C: #91 - Tyler Seguin)    Tyler Seguin has four goals in four games for the Stars and scored the game-winning goal vs. Pittsburgh on Thursday with just 3.9 seconds remaining, marking the latest game-winner scored in regulation in Dallas Stars history… He led the team with 84 points last year, which was also good enough to finish fourth in the NHL scoring race, right behind Claude Giroux… In his first season since being traded to the Stars from the Boston Bruins, the former second overall draft pick is the only player besides Mike Modano to post a 30-goal, 80-point season since the team moved to Texas… Seguin posted six points in the two meetings against the Flyers last year, including a hat trick and four-point game to give the Stars a 5-1 win in their last meeting at Dallas… In his four-year NHL career, he has eight goals and 14 points in 12 career games against the Flyers.    QUOTABLE    “Put [the puck] on net from everywhere. It creates chaos for the other team. You look at the elite teams in the league over the last few years, that’s what they do. It’s important that we shoot off the rush.”    - Craig Berube      

PHANTOMS Articles    1. Allentown Morning Call – Manning goal lifts Phantoms in overtime    Gary Blockus    Shayne Gostisbehere is the top defensive prospect in the Philadelphia Flyers organization, and on Friday night, in front of a standing-room-only sellout crowd of 8,647 at the PPL Center, he showed Lehigh Valley Phantoms fans exactly why.    Playing in the first-ever AHL regular season game in Allentown, Gostisbehere stepped on the ice in overtime, picked up a bouncing puck along the right wall and sent a backhanded pass screaming across ice to fellow defenseman Brandon Manning, whose slapshot from the left boards 1:24 into the first overtime game provided a 4-3 win over the Adirondack Flames.  Watch: Lehigh Valley Phantoms' Home Opener  The Morning Call was at the Phantoms' opening night at the PPL Center to find out what people were excited to see on Friday night.    Not only did the victory improve the Phantoms to 2-0 on the young season, it marked the 700th win in franchise history. The Phantoms played 13 seasons in Philadelphia, the last five in Glens Falls, N.Y., where the Flames now play, and now call the Lehigh Valley home.    "It was a great player making a great play," said Manning, who scored his third-career overtime goal, all of which have come in October. "I gave him a yell and it came across on the fresh ice and I thought maybe I could get a good rebound and it went straight in."    The game featured a see-saw element as the teams scored a pair of power play goals over the first two periods, and both scored at even strength with Petr Straka's goal with 6:38 left in regulation sending it to the seven-minute extra period that started off four-on-four, and in a new format this year, reduced to three-on-three at the first stop with 3 minutes or less remaining in the extra

period.    The Phantoms, who entered the game with the AHL's most efficient power play (3-for-5 in the opener) picked up two power plays before the midway point of the first period against the Flames.    Laughton solved Flames goalie Joni Ortio on the Phantoms' seventh shot of the game, which came on the third power play with 8:01 left in the opening period on a wide angle shot from the lower right with Gordon and Gostisbehere getting the assists.    Things got scrambly, physical and chippy in the second with the Flames scoring two power play goals, one on a two-man advantage, and the Phantoms tying it on Laughton's two–man advantage goal with 45 seconds left in the period.    Adirondack's Mathieu Tousignant didn't like being forced to the boards by Manning and went to retaliate when Jay Rosehill tackled him from behind to prevent it. Rosehill received a double minor and a 10-minute misconduct, putting the Flames on a four-minute power play just 2:43 into the period.    Oliver Lauridsen made matters worse for the penalty kill when he took a boarding call and forced the Phantoms to go on a two-man kill for 2:30. Adirondack tied it up on a left point blast by defenseman Sean Acolatse at 6:07 of the period, putting the Phantoms back on a regular penalty kill.    Adirondack picked up its second straight four-minute power play when Manning got hit for a high sticking double minor at 7:36 of the second period. David Wolf, a German-born 25-year-old, made the Phantoms pay with a power play goal off a crease pass from behind the net from Tousignant.    Laughton scored his second power play goal of the game and season for the tying goal from wide on the right side with 45 seconds left in the second period and one second left in a two-man advantage after Bryce Van Brabant got a minor for goaltender interference and Stevenson hooked Straka.  

 Laughton's shot came off a crisp passing from Gostisbehere to Gordon at the right point.    Petr Straka put the Phantoms back on top 2:26 into the final period on a nice shot from the slot after taking a pass from Nick Cousins.    Stevenson tied the game with 4:44 gone on a slapshot that looked like it went through a hole in the side of the net. The referee signaled a goal and checked it during a lengthy review, although Phantoms goalie Rob Zepp felt it went through a hole in the side of the net.        2. Allentown Morning Call – Phantoms opener makes PPL Center feel like home    Emily Opilo    Friday wasn't the PPL Center arena's opening night — far from it.    An Eagles concert christened the shiny, new 8,500-seat facility at Seventh and Hamilton streets more than a month ago, attracting thousands of people to center city Allentown.    Friday wasn't the first hockey game held at the PPL Center either. A sold-out crowd attended the Battle on Hamilton in late September, an exhibition that was the first game played on the arena's newly frozen ice. Two preseason games followed, giving fans an early taste of the venue's premier sport.    What Friday did mark at PPL Center was the Lehigh Valley Phantoms' home opener — an occasion routine for almost all of the other hockey teams playing opposite them in the 30-team American Hockey League.    But unlike the rest of those clubs — many of them entrenched in the

communities where they play — one word took on special meaning for the Phantoms and will likely define the team's 2014-2015 season.    Home.    Home at Seventh and Hamilton.    Amid a sea of orange jerseys, T-shirts and sweatshirts flooding Allentown on Friday night, that notion wasn't lost on Mayor Ed Pawlowski.    As much as the $177 million PPL Center represents a home for the Phantoms and new opportunities for the neighborhood that surrounds it, it's also a reminder of the years when hockey had no home in Allentown.    Failed efforts to bring a team to the state's third-largest city date back more than a decade. In the late 1990s, then-Mayor Bill Heydt tried in vain to build a facility for a minor league team known as the Xtreme at Ninth and Hamilton streets, a site within view of the PPL Center. Those plans were abandoned by 2002.    It was in 2009, during Pawlowski's tenure, when Rob and Jim Brooks finally gave Allentown hope that hockey would call the city home. That year, the brothers announced plans to bring their Philadelphia Flyers affiliate to the area following the demolition of the Spectrum.    A flurry of activity followed that announcement, including the passage of a special tax district authorized by state Sen. Pat Browne that enabled the city to build the arena, and a frenzied effort to obtain, clear and build on a site in the heart of Allentown.    On Friday, the Phantoms for the first time called that site home.    "We've worked so long and hard to get to this point," Pawlowski said before the game. "I'm still in the shock and awe phase. Maybe when we drop the puck it will sink in."  

 Shortly after 7 p.m., the puck did drop before a sold-out crowd clad in free orange Phantoms T-shirts. A brief video preceded the drop with time-lapse footage of the Phantoms' new home being built — first a hole in the ground, then a mess of steel, then the glimmering house that Allentown built.    Players were introduced with more fanfare. Blasts of orange smoke shot into the air as each took the ice.      Before the game, fans waited patiently in lines 20 to 30 people deep to make their way inside. Cub Scout leader David Lease tried his best to wrangle at least a half-dozen young boys, each bouncing up and down in excitement.    Unlike some of the concerts that have been held in the arena's first month that attracted mature audiences, Friday's opener was a family affair. Young hockey fans were plentiful, many chasing each other at Seventh and Hamilton before the game.    Lease said he got a group rate for his Cub Scout Pack 71 of Macungie. He wanted the boys to be a part of an inaugural event, he said. And the kids? They mostly wanted the free T-shirts, he said.    "T-shirts, T-shirts!" they screamed giddily as the line advanced.    City businesses rolled out the red carpet for Phantoms fans. Orange lights cast a glow on Two City Center across the street from the arena and the Archive clothing store around the corner was also cast in orange light.    Shortly before the game, Pawlowski flipped a switch to illuminate new orange and purple lights on the city's Spiral parking deck, a facility that has not been so heavily used since the days when Hess's Department Store was Allentown's largest draw.    Fans were as festive as their surroundings. Despite the Phantoms' short tenure

in the Lehigh Valley, crisp new team gear was on display outside, as were many well-worn Flyers jerseys.    Steve and Kathy Fachet of Coplay were among the jersey-wearing fans. The pair used to make the drive to Philadelphia to see games. Now hockey has a home in their backyard, they said.    "First the Phillies [Triple A], now the Flyers," Steve Fachet said. "It's Philly north."    Paul and Betsy Little were also looking forward to having the sport closer to home. The Wilson couple bought season tickets and are already proud owners of Phantoms jerseys.    Some kinks need to be worked out at the arena before it really feels like home, the Littles said, but it's exciting to see the changes in Allentown. Transformation has taken hold in recent years in Easton, Betsy Little said. Why not Allentown?    "We have more of an open mind," she said. "This might increase our trips to Allentown."      NHL Articles    1. ESPN.com – Milan Lucic apologizes for gesture    Joe McDonald    BUFFALO -- Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic apologized Saturday for the obscene gesture he made to Montreal Canadiens fans during Thursday's 6-4 loss at Bell Centre.    On Friday, the NHL fined Lucic $5,000. After Saturday's morning skate, Lucic addressed the situation, apologizing to the Bruins, Canadiens and fans

of both teams.    "Obviously, I'm not proud of what I did there," Lucic said. "... I know (Canadiens fans) can get under your skin sometimes, but they are great fans. I apologize for my actions. I regret what I did."    With Boston trailing 5-4, Lucic was given a two-minute boarding penalty at 18:40 of the third period when he hit the Canadiens' Alexei Emelin. Lucic did not agree with the call and, as he entered the box, made a motion with his right hand and then mocked as if he was lifting the Stanley Cup.    After the Canadiens scored an empty-net, power-play goal, Lucic screamed something at the referee when he was leaving the penalty box and was ejected.    Lucic said it was the penalty call that sent him over the edge.    "It's inexcusable, the way I acted," Lucic said. "It was the call that was made, because I felt it did take away our opportunity of tying the game up.    "I disagree with the call 100 percent. When a guy turns at the last second ... we even get video shown to us at the start of the year that it's on the guy getting hit when you turn at the last second. I still disagree with the hit."    Without talking about Emelin specifically, Lucic said he doesn't like when opponents turn away from hits in that manner.    "It is bothersome, especially I know how I take hits. I don't turn and all that type of stuff," Lucic said. "I don't want to comment too much on other players and other teams and all that other type of stuff, but it is a little bothersome, yes."    Lucic also admitted he needs to do a better job of controlling his emotions.    "The Montreal crowd can get under your skin sometimes, but also they are great fans and they're what make the game fun," Lucic said. "It's what makes

it great to be an athlete and a hockey player -- to play in an atmosphere like that and in a rivalry like that. I just gotta do a better job of controlling my emotions.    "Hopefully this will be the last time we're talking about controlling my emotions, not letting them get out of control. Another lesson learned."    Bruins coach Claude Julien believes Lucic is genuinely remorseful for his actions.    "Everybody that knows Milan knows that he's a really good person," Julien said. "His teammates, coaching staff or any people he's come into contact with knows that he's a great person off the ice. I think his emotions sometimes on the ice have gotten the better of him and, to his defense, I think that penalty was probably a real tough call that maybe we don't really agree on.    "... The thing with Milan, it's hopefully having the ability to control those emotions to a point that it doesn't hurt the game, hurt the fans and hurts our hockey club. So, that's what he needs to work on."    

– FLYERS –