ALLENTOWN – Flyers fans’ love affair with rough-and-tumble hockey has only been going on since about the 1960s, so it’s no surprise super-physical prospect Noah Powell receives the loudest cheers whenever he steps onto the ice.
A classic example of that came about Sunday night when Powell not only scored a goal – albeit of the empty-net variety – but also dropped the gloves and threw his body around on more than one occasion as the Flyers finished off a two-game sweep of the Rookie Series with a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers at the PPL Center.
Some of the most noise was raised when Powell took on New York’s Jackson Dorrington at 11:33 of the second period. Powell held his own, raised his arms and, of course, the crowd responded.
Coach John Snowden can’t say enough good things about him.
“He’s disruptive, he’s physical, he’s hard, he’s in the middle of everything,” Snowden said. “You notice him every shift for some reason, shape or form. Even at the end of the game, he played a hard game, he’s in fights, he’s finishing his hits. He’s in the middle of everything.”
The Flyers have always had an enforcer or two in their lineup throughout the years. Right now, they might be a little low in that department. Could Powell (someday) fill that bill?
Powell is aware a player of his nature can help any team. He’s also aware that Flyers and Phantoms fans appreciate a rugged player who can handle all situations.
“I think everybody knows that Philly is very passionate about sports,” he said. “They love tough, gritty-style sports. Especially with football and hockey here. I think that’s something that’s well-liked and people like to see.
“I feel like bringing that every night is something that can help us win and that’s why I’m going to do it.”
Powell said this kind of play comes natural to him. If he can separate the puck from an opposing player, it opens all kinds of doors.
“To a certain degree, it feels pretty natural,” he said. “Hockey is a violent game. I’m not saying I’m a violent person but when I get out there I like to play a violent and vicious style of hockey. Get out there and make sure it’s known.”
These two games were really just scrimmages but the Flyers’ prospects treated them like they were honest-to-goodness regular-season games.
The Flyers took a 2-1 lead with just 4.7 seconds left in the second period. Brek Liske’s wide-angle shot from just along the goal line eluded goalie Danai Shaiikov.
It was almost all Flyers in the first period. The Rangers were held to just five shots.
Denver Barkey finished off an odd-man rush at 16:28 of the opening period to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead. He picked up a pass from Oliver Bonk and sent a shot past Shaiikov.
Flyers starting goalie Martin Pshohlavec kept the Rangers at bay through the first half of the game. But when the Flyers went to Marek Sklenicka, the Rangers tied the score at 12:39 of the second period on a goal by Liam Greentree.
Powell and Porter Martone added empty net goals near the end of the game.
>Knuble: Flyers’ chance a dream come true
It didn’t take long for Cole Knuble to fit in with the Flyers. He’s been a fan of the team since he was a youngster, mainly because his dad, Mike, once played in Philly.
The 22-year-old center, coming off three solid seasons at Notre Dame, was selected by the Flyers in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
He’s old enough to remember when his father had a second stint with the Flyers back in 2012-13. Plus, he heard plenty of stories about dad’s fine four seasons between 2005 and 2009 when he registered a total of 114 goals.
“Since I was drafted I wanted to be a part of this organization,” Cole said. “I grew up loving this team. It’s a dream come true. Every offseason that was the goal, to get better, one step closer. It’s really exciting.”
>A good start for Bjarnason
It was an OK season for goaltender Carson Bjarnason last year with the Phantoms but he wasn’t really satisfied with his 14-11-7 record and his 3.43 goals-against average and .877 save percentage numbers.
But he looked pretty sharp in Saturday night’s 3-2 win over the Rangers in the first game of the Rookie Series.
“I worked on a lot of things this summer,” he said. It appears the Flyers are set in goal after a standout year from Dan Vladar and the addition of Joseph Woll from Toronto via trade.
After that, Aleksei Kolosov is considered the top netminder for the Phantoms. But Bjarnason is certainly a good depth option and if an injury or two pops up, he could fill in on short notice.
>Short shots
The Flyers’ rookie camp continues on Monday with a set of practices at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, N.J.
For the second straight game, Jett Luchanko centered the top line. This time he played the pivot between Barkey and Martone. Luchanko picked up an assist on the Barkey goal and Martone helped out on the Liske goal.
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