ALLENTOWN — The Flyers’ rookies showed a lot of character on Friday night, coming from behind twice to win the Flyers-Rangers Rookie Series opener, 4-3, in overtime at PPL Center.
Example: After falling behind by a 2-0 score quite early in the first period, the Flyers rallied in the second period to tie the score on goals by Denver Barkey at 3:08 and Alexis Gendron (shorthanded) at 6:16.
Later in the period, the Rangers picked up a go-ahead goal from Raoul Boilard at 13:39. Carson Bjarnason played in goal for the Flyers.
But the Flyers bounced back again in the third period and got a tying goal from Jacob Gaucher at 10:02.
Overall, the Flyers outshot the New York team by a 33-24 margin in regulation time.
Nikita Grebenkin scored the overtime winner.
It was a rough first period for the Flyers. They fell behind by those two scores before the game was five minutes old.
Brennan Othman kicked things off for the New Yorkers with a goal from close range at 3:58. Then Dylan Roobroeck sent a shot past Bjarnason just 35 seconds later.
The Flyers generated some decent chances but couldn’t find the range against New York starting goalie Hugo Ollas.
The Rookie Series concludes on Saturday, 5 p.m., at PPL Center.
Coach John Snowden was pleased with the effort.
“I thought as a whole we were very good,” he said. “There’s a lot to like, a lot to be happy with. We haven’t had a lot of time to put together what our plan is. But I thought they did a heck of a job executing it. We saw some skill come out, which we all want to see.”
Denver Barkey once again showed why he has a legitimate shot at making the Flyers’ roster at some point in the season.
“Being a smaller guy (5-foot-10, 175 pounds), getting to the pro level, it’s just proving I can win puck battles,” he said. “Try to play as big as I can. Just play with energy and compete.”
Bjarnason settled down after that rough stretch in the first period and looked sharp the rest of the way.
“First game in a couple months, so I give myself the benefit of the doubt,” he said. “Obviously you want to start better. As the game went on I felt I got better.”
Bjarnason said he will play the first half of Saturday’s game against the Rangers.
“I want the opportunity, the trust and I want to earn it,” he said. “It should be exciting.”
>Important year for Tuomaala
It’s been a fairly long journey for former second-round (46th overall, 2021) draft pick Samu Tuomaala to position himself for a shot at the NHL.
The 22-year-old has spent the past two seasons with the Phantoms and the Finn also played several years back in Europe.
Phantoms coach John Snowden believes the right wing is getting closer to his ultimate goal of playing in the NHL.
“I think it’s an important camp for him for sure,” Snowden said. “Obviously last year he didn’t get to play at the end of the season (injury). This is a real big opportunity to take a step forward.”
Snowden said he thinks Tuomaala looks at it this way: “I don’t want to be in the American League everyday. I’ve got to make a mark to get to the NHL. He understands that and I think that’s a position that he needs to find himself in. When he steps into a rookie game, that’s his first step. He wants to make sure everyone knows he wants to be an NHL player.”
>Robertson trade a bit of a coincidence
When Flyers general manager Daniel Briere decided to trade J.R. Avon to Seattle, it might have crossed his mind that the player he was acquiring from the Kraken, Tucker Robertson, was Avon’s teammate on the OHL Peterborough Petes a few seasons ago.
Sort of like two ships with the same colors passing in the night.
“After it all went down, we were texting each other,” Robertson said with a smile. “Just laughing. It was crazy how we got traded for each other.”
Robertson, a 5-foot-11, 194-pound center out of Toronto, posted 77 goals in his final two seasons with the Petes. In the 2022-23 OHL playoffs, he registered 22 points in 23 games.
Both Robertson and Avon stood out during their years with Peterborough.
“I think it’s pretty rare that two guys who played on the game team in junior and know each other get traded for each other,” Roberston said. “That’s pretty cool.”
Asked to describe his style of play, Robertson didn’t hesitate.
“Fairly hard-nosed scoring forward,” he said. “Play both ends of the rink, a 200-foot game.”
Robertson, a fourth-round draft pick in 2022, indicated he had an inkling he could get traded.
“I had an idea that I might,” he said. “My first two years (in the AHL with Coachella) didn’t go the way I wanted. I was super happy when I found out I was going to Philly.
“I really don’t think I’ve proven the type of player I am yet for my pro career. So I’m excited to get a fresh start.”
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