Philadelphia Flyers Daily Clips – September 24, 2014

FLYERS Headlines

1. Philadelphia Inquirer - Youngster Nylander scores in Maple Leafs' win 2. Philadelphia Inquirer - Grossmann eager to return to Flyers 3. Philadelphia Daily News - Laughton looking to score spot on Flyers 4. Philadelphia Daily News - NHL players await lockout bonuses 5. Philadelphia Daily News - 5 Flyers observations from London 6. CSNPhilly.com - Flyers suffer shutout loss to Maple Leafs 7. CSNPhilly.com - Flyers counting on Streit's leadership for power play 8. CSNPhilly.com - Flyers prospect Aube-Kubel impresses in preseason 9. CSNPhilly.com - Flyers new alternate sweater won't be all that new after all 10. Delaware County Times - Maple Leafs put the clamps on Flyers in shutout win 11. Bucks County Courier-Times - Stolarz takes shots, comes away stronger 12. Camden Courier-Post - Brett Hextall fits with Flyers in more than just a name 13. NJ.com - Philadelphia Flyers shut out by Toronto Maple Leafs in 4-0 preseason loss 14. NJ.com - 5 Flyers who helped themselves in first week of training camp 15. NJ.com - Flyers' Michael Del Zotto surprises young buddy battling cerebral palsy with home visit 16. HockeyBuzz.com - Meltzer's Musings: Flyers Fire Blanks in Toronto, Rookies win in Newark 17. PhiladelphiaFlyers.com - POSTGAME: Maple Leafs 4, Flyers 0 18. PhiladelphiaFlyers.com - FIVE THINGS: Flyers at Toronto Maple Leafs 19. TSN.ca - Nylander scores in pre-season debut, Maple Leafs beat Flyers 20. NHL.com - Flyers mean business heading into new season

21. NHL.com - Flyers relying on better start, defense stepping up 22. NHL.com - Giroux growing into captain's role with Flyers 23. NHL.com - Flyers know they'll miss Kimmo Timonen, who's out with blood clots New Jersey Devils Headlines

1. NorthJersey.com - Devils raise skill level around Zajac NHL Headlines

1. TSN.ca - Crosby the betting favourite for Hart, Art Ross trophies 2. ESPN.com - Jordan Staal suffers broken leg 3. NHL.com - Red Wings' Datsyuk to have MRI on shoulder FLYERS Articles

1. Philadelphia Inquirer - Youngster Nylander scores in Maple Leafs' win

The Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) - William Nylander scored in the final minute to cap off the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-0 preseason victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.

The 18-year-old Nylander, the No. 8 pick in this year's draft, is trying to make the team. The Maple Leafs have 17 forwards on one-way contracts but only 13 or 14 spots. Nylander completed the scoring with 56.2 seconds left. He was robbed of a power-play goal in the second period by Flyers netminder Steve Mason. James van Riemsdyk, Brandon Kozun and Cody Franson also scored for the Leafs. Jonathan Bernier stopped all 12 shots he faced in 30-plus minutes. 2. Philadelphia Inquirer - Grossmann eager to return to Flyers

Marc Narducci

Nick Grossmann has appeared in 463 regular-season NHL games, but the 29-year-old Flyers defenseman can't wait to see preseason action - and with good cause. Grossmann, who could see his first action Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center against the New Jersey Devils, is returning after right ankle surgery that ended his postseason last year. He suffered tendon damage in his ankle during the Flyers' 2-1 win over the Rangers in Game 4 of their opening Stanley Cup playoff series and had surgery April 29. That's why he's more eager for the preseason than many veterans. "This is what I have been waiting for all summer and especially for me when I got hurt in the playoffs," Grossmann said after a workout in Voorhees that consisted of 10 players, while a split squad played a preseason game Tuesday in Toronto. "It's always frustrating to see the boys keep playing while you are hurt, and you can't wait until you are back on the ice." Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn said it doesn't look as if there are any ill effects from the injury. "He looks good," Coburn said. "He looks like the regular old Grossy out there, and it doesn't look like the injury is hampering him at all." Grossmann, who missed the final 18 games of the 2012-13 because of a concussion, played 78 regular-season games for the Flyers last season and had one goal, 13 assists and a minus-6 rating.

In four playoff games he averaged 16 minutes, 24 seconds and was even in plus-minus rating. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Grossmann is expected to be paired with Mark Streit again. This is a pairing of defensemen with different skill sets. "He is kind of an offensive player who is really good in making plays, a crafty kind of player, and I am the complete opposite," Grossmann said. "I'm a little slower guy, bigger trying to play a physical game and take care of the defensive zone." Still, Grossmann believes there is good chemistry in the pairing. "We tend to focus on different things, but he can really play good defense, and I will do whatever I can to contribute offensively," Grossmann said. Right now, Grossmann is just happy to be back on the ice. "It was a different summer with the focus on different things - to get healthy was No. 1," Grossmann said. "I put a lot of work in and really focused on getting back to 100 percent and coming to camp feeling good about myself, so I am feeling good and excited to get going." Exhibitions The Flyers dropped a 4-0 decision to the Maple Leafs in Toronto. Former Flyer James van Riemsdyk opened the scoring in the first period, beating Steve Mason on a wrist shot. The Leafs added three goals against Mason in the third period. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms defeated the Albany Devils, 4-2, in Newark, N.J. Taylor Leier scored two goals, including an empty-netter, for the Phantoms. Petr Straka and Shayne Gotisbehere added a goal apiece. 3. Philadelphia Daily News - Laughton looking to score spot on Flyers

Frank Seravalli

TORONTO - Scott Laughton stood alone during the national anthem at Air Canada Centre, spread out from the rest of his linemates, along the Flyers' blue line. Always serious and sincere by nature, his eyes were intently focused on the preseason task ahead. To his right, above the Flyers bench, a humongous Canadian flag spanning 15 rows of people was passed along the lower bowl.

The familiar Maple Leaf flag probably passed not all that far from Laughton's parents and older brother, who made the quick, 35-minute drive from his hometown, the Toronto suburb of Oakville. Despite the dream setting, his second preseason matchup at Air Canada Centre in as many years, last night's preseason tuneup was all business for Laughton. For Laughton, the Flyers' first- round pick from 2012, it was his second chance of the preseason to prove to team brass that he has what it takes to stick full time in the NHL. After two tests, centering Michael Raffl and Jason Akeson in back-to-back games against the Maple Leafs, Laughton left a little to be desired. He worked hard. He controlled the puck with poise when it was on his stick. He won more faceoffs than he lost against a skilled Toronto lineup. He just wasn't all that noticeable at times - a sentiment lingering from even the Flyers' rookie scrimmage last week against the Capitals. "I thought tonight, I was moving my legs pretty good, but we just couldn't get anything going," Laughton said. "We were clogged up by a bit of sloppiness. Everyone is so much better [in the NHL]. Gaps from defensemen are so much better. There really isn't a whole lot of room out there, it's still something that I'm getting used to." Laughton's development under the care of the Flyers has been incredibly hard to handicap. He stunned many by making the leap directly to the NHL during the lockout-shortened season in 2013, when he played the first five regular-season games. Some believed Laughton simply had a leg up on competition because he was playing full time with his junior team while his teammates were locked out. Last fall, Laughton also played five preseason games, but failed to make a dent and was sent back to the OHL's Oshawa Generals. Now, 20 years old and aged out of junior hockey with World Junior Championship experience under his belt, many already had Laughton penciled in for a full-time role with the Flyers after his third training camp. But through six NHL preseason games and five regular-season games, he has yet to register a point. "He obviously can put the puck in the net. He proved that in junior," head coach Craig Berube said. "He's like anybody else. We want him to put the puck in the net, but also he's got to play the other side of the puck. I think he's been pretty good with that."

Since taking over in May, GM Ron Hextall has preached that young players cannot be damaged by spending time in the AHL off the bat. That would include Laughton - even if on the surface to fans, not making the big club would seem like a regression after his initial surprise. Right now, sticking with the Flyers is an uphill climb for Laughton. Claude Giroux, Vinny Lecavalier and Sean Couturier are ahead of him at center. Berube hinted Laughton would need to find top-nine minutes with the Flyers in order to justify his development but said it's "still up in the air." "Definitely, I would be disappointed. You want to make the Flyers. You want to make an impression," Laughton said. "But you use it as motivation to try and get back up here." Game stuff The Flyers (1-1-1) were mostly outmatched in the 4-0 loss to a Toronto lineup stacked with stars Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk, Joffrey Lupul and Dion Phaneuf. Van Riemsdyk, now 25, craftily flipped a puck over Steve Mason from tight quarters to give the Leafs a 1-0 lead in the first period. Mason stopped 28 of 32 shots over a full 60 minutes in his first preseason work. An obvious goal by Mike Santorelli was also disallowed, mitigating some of the damage, since the NHL doesn't utilize replay in the preseason. "They dressed a pretty good lineup for their first game at home. I was glad to see that. It was a good test to get back in the swing of things," Mason said. Aside from Craig Berube joining the team in Toronto, the Flyers made minimal lineup changes from their first game in London. Jay Rosehill and Oliver Lauridsen subbed in for scratches Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Brandon Manning. Tough guy Zack Stortini also bloodied the Leafs' David Broll in a first-period fight. It was Stortini's third fight on the two-game swing through Ontario, placing him among the preseason leaders. Slap shots Defenseman Nick Grossmann (healthy) is the only Flyer regular to not appear in one of the first three preseason games. Ron Hextall said Grossmann will play tomorrow night against New Jersey at Wells Fargo Center . . . West Chester native and Junior Flyers product Eric Knodel, a Leafs' fifth-round pick in 2009, was scratched for both preseason games against his hometown team.

4. Philadelphia Daily News - NHL players await lockout bonuses

Frank Seravalli

TORONTO - Chris Pronger has not skated in an NHL game since Nov. 19, 2011. Yet Pronger, in addition to every player on the Flyers' payroll in 2012-13, will receive a long-awaited bonus check in the mail next month. Every player with an NHL contract from the lockout-shortened campaign will receive the first of three "transition payments" on Oct. 15, when their first paycheck is distributed. The payment was first reported by sportsnet.ca's Chris Johnston. The transition payments, doled out on Oct. 15 in 2014, 2015 and 2016, were negotiated as part of the NHL's new Collective Bargaining Agreement when the lockout ended. The NHL set aside $300 million to help players adjust to receiving 50 percent of the revenue share, as opposed to the 57 percent they received prior to the 113-day lockout. In that lockout-shortened, 48-game season, players were paid a pro-rated amount of approximately 53 percent of the salary negotiated on their contracts for that year. As such, each player will receive the first installment of $190,000 in a transition payment next month for each $1 million in scheduled salary for that year. So, Pronger will be paid roughly $1.368 million divided over each of the next three Octobers, since he was due $7.2 million in 2012-13. Many long-gone Flyers, such as Danny Briere ($1.33 million), Scott Hartnell ($608,000) and even retired players like Jody Shelley ($171,000) and defenseman Matt Walker ($380,000) will receive checks from that season. Few Flyers have made out better as a bandit than Walker, who last played hockey in 2012. Acquired in a salary-dump trade with Tampa Bay for Simon Gagne in 2010, Walker was paid just south of $5 million for an astounding eight games in a Flyers uniform. 5. Philadelphia Daily News - 5 Flyers observations from London

Frank Seravalli

LONDON, Ontario — Heading into the Flyers’ first split squad preseason contest of the season on Monday night at Budweiser Gardens, there were many things that we already knew about the lineup.

For instance, we already knew that veteran Zack Stortini - who is in camp on an AHL contract with the Phantoms - likes to fight. He has 725 penalty minutes in 257 career NHL games. Last night, Stortini took on two of the Maple Leafs’ heavyweights, Frazer McLaren and Troy Bodie, in two separate bouts. We also already knew that goaltender Anthony Stolarz would see a piece of the action, since he spent the last two seasons with the hometown London Knights. Today’s newspaper story focuses on why that start was different than last year. But there were also a few things we learned. Here are five quick observations from Monday’s preseason warmup: 1. Bellemare on PK: Newcomer Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who is first in line to be the Flyers’ fourth line center, saw quite a bit of time on the penalty kill. He was teamed up with Zac Rinaldo on the penalty kill. Scott Laughton and Darroll Powe were the other killing unit, as the coaching staff gave Sean Couturier a bit of a rest from his normal role. Even though the Flyers gave up two goals while shorthanded, Bellemare’s awareness and communication were impressive. “He’s a very heady player, a very intelligent player, and he skates very well. He gets around the ice,” assistant coach Gord Murphy said. “He’s got great conditioning. He doesn’t seem to get tired out there. For a centerman, he knows how to support the play very well. He uses his speed to his advantage. To come in from Europe and the smaller ice and to be able to hold his position well, it was really encouraging.” 2. Ctrl + Alt + $: Phantoms defenseman Mark Alt was promoted to the veteran group in camp on Sunday and settled in for a nice preseason debut on Monday. He was paired with first round pick Samuel Morin. While Morin was rather quiet during the contest, Alt seemed to be noticeably more comfortable as the game progressed. “He brought a lot,” Murphy said of Alt. “He may have been the most pleasant surprise in this game. I thought he had an outstanding game. He was aggressive. He’s got good quickness. He closed on people really well. He was talking a lot out there. I was very confident playing him in all situations. It was an excellent showing by him.” 3. New wrinkle: Aside from Stolarz, defenseman Michael Del Zotto was probably the Flyers’ best player on Monday night. He was controlling, poised with the puck and extremely active and engaged in the play. His vision created more than a handful of scoring chances, giving us a feeling he might be one of the best free agent signings of the entire summer. It is clear Del Zotto will be given every opportunity by the coaching staff to earn a spot on the power play, something that didn't happen during his stop in Nashville last season.

Del Zotto quarterback the power play for a bit, using Jason Akeson and Matt Read to his left and right to funnel the puck to Michael Raffl and Wayne Simmonds. During the power plays, Del Zotto wasn’t afraid to engage down low near the net, working give-and-go plays and getting dirty on the boards to make sure the puck remained in the offensive zone. Solid start for him. 4. Raffl strong: Not sure what Michael Raffl’s summer workout plans entailed, but he seemed noticeably stronger on the puck. He won most of his battles in the corners on the forecheck and was hard to bump off the puck. He danced around a couple Maple Leaf defenders to beat Cal Heeter for the Flyers’ second goal. Raffl remains a candidate to play on the left wing with Claude Giroux’s line once the captain returns from his vague, lower-body injury. For now, Brayden Schenn has the inside track. 5. The new Hal Gill: It’s always tough to judge any player based on one preseason showing, let alone a veteran on a new team in a new town, but free agent signee Nick Schultz seemed to be exactly what the Flyers thought they might be getting. The veteran of 880 NHL games was steady, but not fast or flashy, on Monday night while paired with Brandon Manning. He seems poised to take Hal Gill’s spot as the Flyers’ 7th defenseman, as it will probably be tough to beat any of the six defensemen ahead of him on the depth chart (MacDonald, Streit, Coburn, L. Schenn, Grossmann, Del Zotto). The lines in London were: Matt Read - Sean Couturier - Wayne Simmonds Michael Raffl - Scott Laughton - Brandon Alderson Zac Rinaldo - Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - Jason Akeson Darroll Powe - Nick Cousins - Zack Stortini Luke Schenn - Michael Del Zotto Mark Alt - Samuel Morin Nick Schultz - Brandon Manning Anthony Stolarz Steve Mason For tonight’s contest against the Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre, expect Jay Rosehill and Oliver Lauridsen to be inserted into the lineup, as well as Steve Mason to start in net.

6. CSNPhilly.com - Flyers suffer shutout loss to Maple Leafs

The Associated Press and Tim Panaccio

TORONTO -- William Nylander scored in the final minute to cap off the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-0 preseason victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. The 18-year-old Nylander, the No. 8 pick in this year's draft, is trying to make the team. The Maple Leafs have 17 forwards on one-way contracts but only 13 or 14 spots. Nylander completed the scoring with 56.2 seconds left. He was robbed of a power-play goal in the second period by Flyers netminder Steve Mason. James van Riemsdyk, Brandon Kozun and Cody Franson also scored for the Leafs. Jonathan Bernier stopped all 12 shots he faced in 30-plus minutes. Rookies reach 2-0 The Flyers' rookie/prospect group raised their record to 2-0 on Tuesday with a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils prospects in Newark. Taylor Leier scored two goals while fellow forward Petr Straka and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere each scored once. Goalties Connor Knapp and Martin Ouellette shared the net. This was a closed game inside Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., at the Devils' practice rink without spectators. Knapp faced 12 shots with 11 saves. Ouellette faced 19 shots with 18 saves. 7. CSNPhilly.com - Flyers counting on Streit's leadership for power play

Tim Panaccio

There’s a new leader emerging on the Flyers power play unit and it’s entirely predictable -- Mark Streit. With defenseman Kimmo Timonen (blood clots) likely out for the entire season, a new point man with a hard shot has to take his place on the top unit. That would be Streit.

Exhibition games are nothing to get excited about, yet Streit performed very well with a goal and three assists as part of a four power play goal explosion in the Flyers 5-4 win over Washington on Monday night. Interestingly, the Flyers did not practice the power play during their first three days of training camp, which was more about integrating newcomers to the systems’ play. “Obviously, Kimmo was on the top power play in the last year, so Streiter will be in that position,” Flyers coach Craig Berube said. “Not only that part of it, but with Kimmo out his leadership is more important. He's been a captain before. He's a very good leader, he leads by example. A true professional.” Streit is a leading candidate to wear one of the “As” as an alternate captain this season. “Yeah he could,” Berube agreed. “We'll see when the season starts with that stuff. He's been a leader before on a team. Like I said he's been a captain.” Previously, Streit captained the New York Islanders (2011) where he became the first Swiss-born captain in NHL history. Streit admits trying to take on more of a leadership role given Timonen’s absence. “I’m one of the older guys, I’ve been around,” Streit said. “I’ve been in this position before and I love taking responsibility on and off the ice so there is a lot of leadership in this room. “With Kimmo not here at the moment, everybody needs to step up and do a little bit more on and off the ice. [Monday] worked well we had a pretty good game and you gotta keep going.” Berube will be trying various combinations for power play units during preseason. What the coach likes about Streit is that he gains the offensive zone quickly and has a hard, accurate shot on net, which is exactly what is needed to start a power play. “Streiter shoots the puck better, like harder [than Timonen],” Berube said. “It’s different. Kimmo has a good wrist shot for deflections from [Scott] Hartnell and [Wayne] Simmonds that were here. “Streiter shoots a lot of slap shots harder, pounds them in there … been on the power play for a long time, going back to his Montreal days, and wherever he's gone the power play has been good.” The Flyers’ power play has been ranked among the top six in the league the past three seasons and there’s no reason why that should be any different this season, either, provided the club has a physical presence in front of the net, much like Hartnell provided.

“It’s all about supporting each other and having a net presence and hard work,” Streit said. “Some nights it works and we don’t know why. Some nights, we struggle a little bit, but it’s certainly good to start with a positive like that.” Like many players, Streit has a downside and in his case, he’s not as defensively strong as a shutdown guy. Then again, he never was a shutdown-D – he’s an offensive-minded player and plays to his strength much like offensive-minded forwards. “I thought he got better as the year came along,” Berube said of Streit’s defense. “He defends well with his stick. Guys that aren't as big playing against big bodied guys out here, gotta have good sticks, he has good reads and good gaps. “Defending nowadays you look at your defensemen as well as your good defender. It’s about five guys now a days with the new rules, you need help, you need numbers out there to eliminate offensive zone play.” Rookies/prospects The Flyers' rookie/prospect group raised its record to 2-0 on Tuesday with a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils' prospects in Newark. Taylor Leier scored two goals while fellow forward Petr Straka and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere each scored once. Goalies Connor Knapp and Martin Ouellette shared the net. This was a closed game inside the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., at the Devils' practice rink without spectators. Knapp faced 12 shots with 11 saves. Ouellette faced 19 shots with 18 saves. 8. CSNPhilly.com - Flyers prospect Aube-Kubel impresses in preseason

Tim Panaccio

To watch Flyers prospect Nicolas Aube-Kubel is to forget that this 5-foot-11 forward from Slave Lake, Alberta, is still just a teenager on skates. He has remarkable skills that seem a tad advanced for someone who is just 18. His skill set reminds you of someone several years younger. “Well, he’s gotten better every year, which you want to see,” said Flyers general manager Ron Hextall.

Aube-Kubel has some uncanny moves and ability with the puck. Last week during the rookie scrimmage against the Washington Capitals' prospects, he was simply everywhere on the ice. And Monday night, as the Flyers opened preseason with a 5-4 victory against the Caps, the right wing was again in motion, though he didn’t earn a point in 15:38 of ice time. He’s the Flyers' second-round pick from last June’s NHL draft. “Kubel looked impressive to me,” Berube said. “You’re talking 18 year old kids playing against men out there.” He played on Blair Jones’ line with speedy Taylor Leir, where Jones impressed. The line came up with two assists and some chances. Aube-Kubel also spent time on the second power-play unit with defensive prospect Shayne Gostisbehere. “It’s been fun to be here with the guys,” Aube-Kubel said of his training camp thus far. “The practices are really intense. It’s different from major junior. It’s a good experience to be here with a couple older and younger guys.” Much of prospect camp he was with Scott Laughton and Leier. “It’s really good on the ice,” he said. “I learned from them – good example. I tried to be like them. They are good examples for me.” This figures to be a season of transition for Aube-Kubel. He played on offensive juggernaut Val-d’Or last year and was pretty much a defensive forward because the Foreurs were simply loaded up front with Anthony Mantha (57 goals, 120 points), Louick Marcotte (42 goals, 100 points), who had an amateur tryout here earlier, and Guillaume Gelinas (92 points). Those players are all gone. That means Aube-Kubel (22 goals, 53 points) moves up to a first line scoring role in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season. “He was kinda in a secondary role at Val-d’Or because they had all those big boys on the first line,” said Chris Pryor, the Flyers director of scouting. “Now he is going to get an opportunity and you have seen that here, just in preseason, to play bigger minutes and better situations. He’s capable and got some skill.” Aube-Kubel, who weighs in at 190, put on some muscle this summer. “From my [previous] year, I was not big enough to use my skills,” he said. “I think it was one of my main strengths to my game. I am bigger this year and it will help me better with puck protection.

“During the past year, my coach [Mario Durocher] really put pressure on me to be better defensively. My skills offensively are there. I try to be better offensively. Practiced a lot on this.” His NHL idol is Chicago’s Jonathan Toews. Aube-Kubel says he’s more confident this fall closer to the net and has already gotten some power play time there with his junior club, which began its season already. He played just one game and scored two goals. “With that space in front and top forward, I have to score goals, and to be on power play makes me more confident,” he said. “To be here and being drafted high, tells me I have more confidence with the puck to be better offensively.” 9. CSNPhilly.com - Flyers new alternate sweater won't be all that new after all

Greg Paone

Were you among those holding your breath hoping for the Flyers to come out with a new alternate sweater that had never been seen before? Well, poor you. You’re going to have to keep holding your breath a while longer because the team has decided to bring back a sweater from its past as its “new” alternate this season. The Flyers announced over this past weekend that they are reviving the 2012 Winter Classic sweater as an alternate sweater. The team also announced that the sweater will be worn during 12 game, mostly on select weekend dates, starting with the Saturday, Oct. 11th visit from the Montreal Canadiens. It’ll be worn 10 times at home and twice on the road – Wednesday, Nov. 19 at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers and Saturday, March 7th at TD Garden against the Boston Bruins. Personally, I have always really liked these sweaters so I back it 100 percent. The captain “C” and assistant captain “A” inside the keystone patch are particularly awesome.

I’m looking forward to seeing these on the ice on a consistent basis. What do you guys think? Preseason roundup On Monday night, the Flyers played two split-squad preseason games – one at home against the Washington Capitals and one in London, Ont. against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team in Philadelphia beat the Capitals, 5-4, thanks in part to four power-play goals and four points from defenseman Mark Streit. The crazy part about that is that the Flyers hadn’t even really worked on the power play in camp before the game. The Flyers had a really good power play last season, when the unit finished ninth-best in the league. Granted it was only the first preseason game, Streit and his offensive skill sliding into that top power-play defenseman spot to replace Kimmo Timonen may make the Flyers power play even more lethal than it was last year. A slimmed-down Jake Voracek recorded a goal and an assist. It could be a monster year for No. 93. The team in London lost, 3-2, in a shootout. Matt Read and Michael Raffl scored for the Flyers and Wayne Simmonds punched a guy a bunch of times. As is customary in NHL preseason games, like a million fights happened in each game. The same group of players who played in London last night will be in Toronto tonight to face the Leafs at the Air Canada Centre at 7 p.m. The game can be seen on the NHL Network. 10. Delaware County Times - Maple Leafs put the clamps on Flyers in shutout win

The Associated Press

TORONTO — William Nylander scored in the final minute to cap the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 4-0 preseason victory over the Flyers in a preseason game Tuesday night.

The 18-year-old Nylander, the No. 8 pick in this year’s draft and the son of former NHL standout Michael, is trying to make the team. The Maple Leafs have 17 forwards on one-way contracts. but only 13 or 14 spots. Nylander completed the scoring with 56.2 seconds left. He was robbed of a power-play goal in the second period by Flyers netminder Steve Mason. Former Flyers James van Riemsdyk, Brandon Kozun and Cody Franson also scored for the Leafs. Jonathan Bernier stopped all 12 shots he faced in 30-plus minutes. He was relieved by Antoine Bibeau, who had 15 saves in the combined shutout. Mason faced 32 shots by the Leafs, stopping 28 of them.

11. Bucks County Courier-Times - Stolarz takes shots, comes away stronger

Wayne Fish

VOORHEES – They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and Anthony Stolarz is finding out all about that one. Last season presented just such a test for the Flyers young goaltending prospect. Powered by Queryly Game On! Game On brings you expert analysis, player and coach interviews, and special features for sports in Bucks and Montgomery County. Playing in a game for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, Stolarz suffered a horrendous cut to the pack of his leg, one which required a hurried trip to the hospital and 55 stitches worth of surgery to get under control. That took a chunk of eight weeks out of the Jackson, N.J. native’s season. But the trials and tribulations weren’t over yet. Just a few games after coming back from the gashed leg, Stolarz got into a stick-swinging incident as the playoffs got underway and had to sit out another few weeks due to a suspension.

Stolarz acknowledges there wasn’t much he could do about the freak accident (although he says he’s donned cut-proof Kevlar socks and added protective devices on the backs on his legs). But the 6-foot-6 Stolarz does admit he can do a better job of controlling his emotions while in the heat of battle. Stolarz looked well under control in the Flyers’ 3-2 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in London, Ont. on Monday night. He allowed just the two regulation-time goals and impressed the coaching staff with his play. As for last year, Flyers’ management has told Stolarz to keep his chin up. “Yeah, they pretty much said you live, you learn,’’ Stolarz said. “There’s nothing wrong with adversity, especially at such a young age. You learn to battle through it. You find ways to overcome it. “Getting cut, you can’t control that. But, I can control my actions on the ice, so going forward, I’ll be able to keep my composure and not let that happen again.’’ How scary was the incident with the cut? Well, for starters, there was no big hospital nearby and the emergency room staff for the middle of the night was kind of limited. “I thought it was my Achilles (tendon) at first,’’ Stolarz explained. “Once I got to the trainers’ room, they kind of established that it wasn’t. From there, I went to the hospital, it was a long wait. They had an emergency heart bypass surgery going on, I had to wait for that. So I had to wait until 5 or 6 in the morning to get surgery.’’ Yeah, nothing like waiting half the night while your leg is gushing blood like a fire hydrant. . . The stick-swinging incident (he hit a Windsor Spitfire player in the back of the head after the opponent jabbed him a few times in the legs) made all the television highlight shows but not for the right reasons. “I took the suspension just when I was kind of getting back into things,’’ said the 2012 second-round draft pick. “It just kind of stopped that progress for the season. I had to sit out another month and a half and we ended up losing to Guelph in the second round. “Looking back, it was a mistake by me because it ended up hurting our team. Things could have been different if I was there.’’ But like he said, you live and you learn. With Steve Mason entrenched as the Flyers’ starter and Ray Emery here as backup for at least one more year, Stolarz will have plenty of time to gain experience with the Phantoms.

“For me, it’s just going out there and getting better,’’ he said. “ I think from the start of last year until the end of our season in London, I think I became a better goalie. That’s what I want to continue to do every year here in Allentown this year if that’s where I’m at. Work hard, earn a starting job. That’s my goal this year, just to earn a starting job in Allentown. “Give myself a chance to play at the next level sooner.’’ The Phantoms moving to Allentown is an added bonus. Shorter commute for family and friends to come watch him play. “Yes, about 1:45 from my family’s home in Jackson,’’ he said. “It’s going to be nice to be able to see my family. They’re going to be able to come to some games. Just being closer to Philadelphia, I’ll be able to work with (goaltending coaches) Neil Little or Jeff Reese a lot more often. “Just being closer to Philly it’s going to have benefits. The fans who can’t make it to Flyers games can come see us. It will be nice to have a full house.’’ 12. Camden Courier-Post - Brett Hextall fits with Flyers in more than just a name

Dave Isaac

PHILADELPHIA – The first preseason game had just ended when assembled veterans and rookies were throwing their pads into Flyers equipment bags in the locker room. Brett Hextall knows the room quite well. As a youngster, he was constantly hanging around the players, trainers and equipment managers during his father Ron’s playing career. These days Ron is the general manager and he signed his son, a 26-year-old forward, to an American Hockey League contract. “Yo, Hextall!” one equipment manager yelled at Brett, ribbing him for not putting his bag in the right place. “Come on,” a second equipment manager told the first. “There’s 19 other guys in the room.”

Brett just smiled, didn’t say a word. The fine line of nepotism and awkwardness is one he has walked since he signed with the organization in late August. It can be hard, though, when you don’t know what to call your boss at the office. “It depends,” Brett said half jokingly. “Mr. Hextall at the rink and dad at home.” It’s actually a rarity for the two to see one another at the rink. That’s partially by design so that Brett can make his own name for himself, separate of his father who was inducted to the Flyers’ Hall of Fame in 2008. “The fit with this organization, if my last name wasn’t Hextall I probably would have signed a lot earlier than I did,” Brett said. “This organization and this city and this area, they love the blue-collar, hard-nosed style of life and hockey player. That’s kind of what I am.” Gee, wonder how that might have happened. The young Hextall is the offspring of one of the most passionate Flyers ever. He also grew up watching videos of the Broad St. Bullies battling with his grandfather Bryan, who played 11 seasons with the New York Rangers, and his great uncle Dennis, a journeyman left wing. In his first season as general manager, Ron wasn’t so sure it was a great idea to bring his son into the fold. Instead of doing something as simple as texting his boy, he reached out to Brett’s agent, Steve Mountain, who used to represent Ron as well. “The fact that he’s my son, yeah, I was a little hesitant for a while,” Ron said. “We kind of went through the process and talked through it and felt like he’s the right guy for the job, so why the fact that he’s my son should that change things?” “I don’t know who thought about it more,” Brett added, “him or me and whether it was a good idea. It was definitely something I wanted to do at some point in my career and when it was the right time to do it. We kind of waited and waited and eventually it just kind of developed and the opportunity presented itself more than anything.” Brett brought just the kind of “sandpaper” his father thought was missing from the American Hockey League’s Phantoms last season. “When we got towards the end, I sat down and talked with him and said, ‘There’s gonna be some negatives here and some positives,’ ” Ron said. “You’ve got to sort through to see if this is right for you and in the end he felt like it was.”

For the last three seasons Brett was with the Portland Pirates, the Arizona Coyotes’ affiliate, so donning a Flyers jersey in the first preseason game was a new experience. “It’s exciting,” Brett said. “To come back, when I signed and got in the locker room and all the Flyers stuff…it brought me back a little bit to my childhood.” Brett grew up in Voorhees and went to Bishop Eustace for two years before going to the Northwood School in Lake Placid, N.Y., a prep school well known for its hockey. By the time Ron left the Flyers to go work for the Los Angeles Kings, where he spent seven seasons, Brett was 18 and already out of the house for two years. “Everything has come around full circle from when I left and my family left and went to L.A.,” Brett said. “He comes back, I come back and my little brother is playing at Skate Zone for the junior team there. It’s kind of like everyone is back in the area where we grew up.” Reach Dave Isaac at disaac@courierpostonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @davegisaac. devils at flyers • When: 7 p.m., Thursday • TV/Radio: TCN/97.5 FM • Regular-season opener: Oct. 8, at Boston

13. NJ.com - Philadelphia Flyers shut out by Toronto Maple Leafs in 4-0 preseason

loss

The Associated Press

TORONTO — William Nylander scored in the final minute to cap off the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-0 preseason victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. The 18-year-old Nylander, the No. 8 pick in this year's draft, is trying to make the team. The Maple Leafs have 17 forwards on one-way contracts but only 13 or 14 spots. Nylander completed the scoring with 56.2 seconds left. He was robbed of a power-play goal in the second period by Flyers netminder Steve Mason.

James van Riemsdyk, Brandon Kozun and Cody Franson also scored for the Leafs. Jonathan Bernier stopped all 12 shots he faced in 30-plus minutes. 14. NJ.com - 5 Flyers who helped themselves in first week of training camp

Randy Miller

VOORHEES – Flyers training camp, just about a week old, has consisted thus far of three practices and three split-squad squad games, which produced a win and shootout loss on Monday, and on Tuesday night a 4-0 road defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Wednesday is a day off, then it'll be back to work Thursday with another game, this time against the Devils. First cuts are coming soon, probably Sunday – the day after a Flyers and Phantoms scrimmage in Allentown which will involve mostly AHL and junior players. Who's stood out so far? Here are 5 players in camp who have helped themselves: 1. BLAIR JONES Center New to the Flyers, Jones is an experienced, two-way forward who showed grit, skill and poise when he assisted on two goals and fought twice in Monday night’s 5-4 home victory over the Washington Capitals while centering a line with first-year pro Taylor Leier at left wing and 2014 second-round pick Nicolas Aube-Kubel at right wing. Jones is experienced, too, having spent time in the NHL in seven of the previous eight seasons, logging 128 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Calgary Flames. Jones, 27, probably will begin the season in the AHL, but he appears to be a better call-up option for the Flyers than they had in recent seasons. 2. ANDREW GORDON Left wing A high character and pretty talented journeyman who is a two-time AHL champion, Gordon is another forward new to the organization who appears to be positioning himself for NHL time this season. He was a surprise choice to fill the opening on the top line against the Caps created by Claude Giroux’s lower-body injury and took advantage by scoring two points, one of which was a tie-breaking goal in the second period. 3. ROBERT HAGG

Defenseman The least hyped about of the Flyers’ so-called Big Four blueline prospects, Hagg looked solid and steady against the Caps in his first NHL preseason game. The 19-year-old Swede isn’t a flashy skater or passer like Shayne Gostisbehere or Travis Sanheim and he doesn’t hit or have the size of Samuel Morin, but he’s a stay-at-home defenseman who is smart and poised, He skates well and makes a lot of good safe plays. Hagg debuting in the NHL at some point this season still appears to be unlikely, but it's not impossible. 4. NICK COUSINS Center Once a top prospect when the Flyers’ farm system was a lot thinner, Cousins went from being a prolific OHL scorer/pest in junior to having a very quiet first pro season in the AHL last season. Now closer to 10th than 1st on the organization’s list of best prospects, Cousin opened opens Monday assisting on the Flyers’ only two goals when they lost to Toronto 3-2 in a shootout in London, Ontario. Cousins will return to the AHL this season still needing to improve his two-way play, but has enough skill and determination to someday be an NHL player. 5. MARK ALT Defenseman Alt, who is getting close to being NHL ready, entered training camp probably needing two injuries to have a shot at making the Flyers' season-opening roster. Like Hagg, it appears Alt is helping his cause to become a first option for a call-up. In the Flyers’ 4-0 loss in Toronto on Tuesday night, Alt logged 20:05 of ice time and was among only five of their 18 skaters who wasn’t a minus in plus-minus. He's not flashy, but a pretty good skater with good size and a good shot who really works hard. Alt playing his first NHL games this season is a possibility. 15. NJ.com - Flyers' Michael Del Zotto surprises young buddy battling cerebral

palsy with home visit

Randy Miller

VOORHEES – New Flyers defenseman Michael Del Zotto says that he's an outgoing guy who has been pretty quiet thus far around his teammates. He definitely has a big heart, too. This was illustrated in a Beyond the Offseason trailer released this week that features his friendship with a 12-year-old boy who has cerebral palsy.

While beginning his NHL career with the Rangers, Del Zotto formed a friendship with Liam Traynor, a big Rangers fan from Blauvelt, N.Y. who plays sled hockey. For the Beyond the Offseason, an Internet series hosted by sports journalist Lisa Varga, Del Zotto made a surprise visit to the boy's home. While Liam was being interviewed on his sofa, Del Zotto sneaked in from behind and dropped one of his new No. 15 Flyers home jerseys on his chest. “What’s up buddy,” Del Zotto called out. “Oh my God,” the boy responded. Last week, Liam was the one surprising Del Zotto with a trip to Voorhees last Friday for the first day of Flyers training camp. The boy tweeted two pictures from his visit Skate Zone, one of himself watching from the glass and another of Del Zotto. It was apparent from the three-minute Beyond the Offseason trailer that Del Zotto has become a friend and role model to Liam, as they were filmed together in a driveway shooting balls into a hockey net. Liam also has signed photos in his home of them together in which he’s wearing Rangers and Nashville Predators jerseys. Del Zotto was traded to Nashville during the 2013-14 season, became a free agent last summer and signed a one-year contract with the Flyers in August. During the end of Del Zotto's home visit, he tells Liam, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Shoot me a text.” Cool story. As for the rest of it, it appears that it'll be available soon. In an email to NJ.com, Varga wrote: "Right now I'm trying to get the feature to air on the NHL network and the Comcast Sports Network in Philly. ... I want to keep the extended version for the networks for now so they have exclusivity to feature it. The long version has so many more beautiful moments. I hope we air it soon. "If we don't get air time from the networks by Oct. 1, I will release the long version on a digital platform for everyone to see. World Cerebral Palsy Day is Oct. 1, so that will be the day I reveal the extended version. Can't wait for everyone to see it. This is by far my favorite piece in the Beyond The Offseason series."

16. HockeyBuzz.com - Meltzer's Musings: Flyers Fire Blanks in Toronto, Rookies

win in Newark

Bill Meltzer

One night after being unable to protect a 2-0 lead and sustaining a shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ont., the Philadelphia Flyers laid a goose egg in a horrid 4-0 loss at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Leading 1-0 through two periods, the Leafs poured on three -- nearly four -- more goals in the final 20 minutes. Former Flyers forward James van Riemsyk, Brandon Kozun (shorthanded), Cody Franson and 2014 first-round pick William Nylander scored for the Leafs. Jonathan Bernier made 12 mostly routine saves in a half game's worth of action, while Antoine Bibeau went the rest of the way to turn back all 15 shots fired on his net. Steve Mason (28 saves on 32 shots) went the distance in net for the Flyers. His performance was uneven. Mason authored about five excellent saves but also would have liked to have had back one or two of the goals he yielded. The JVR goal at 13:33 of the first period was a beauty into the short side top corner from close range. With Mason down to try to take away the net, the ex-Flyer basically had the chance to pick his spot over Mason's stick-side shoulder from a tight angle. The 1-0 score held until 4:54 of the third period, which was when the wheels truly started to fall off for the Flyers. Philly yielded a 2-on-1 rush while on the power play. Michael Del Zotto was unable to prevent a cross-ice pass from Trevor Smith to Kozun. Mason had no chance on that one. Franson's goal at 9:37 of the final stanza put the game away. The goal was a long distance shot from the point that Mason simply failed to track. It may have deflected off Luke Schenn. Shortly thereafter, Van Riemsdyk appeared to have his second goal of the game but the goal was disallowed. Finally, with time ticking down into the final minute, Nylander closed out the scoring from near the net at 19:03. Phil Kessel drew the primary assist. Mason didn't have much help throughout large segments of the game. The team defense was lackluster, the offense virtually non-existent. Back-to-back strong shifts were rare, and Philly got outshot in all three periods. They were undisciplined with and without the puck and pretty much stopped competing over the course of the third period.

The best thing that can be said for the game from a Flyers' standpoint is that it was a just preseason game and still essentially a split squad roster. Much of the lineup consisted of players bound for the American Hockey League or the bottom part of the NHL lineup. The Flyers dressed mostly the same lineup as they used in the London split-squad game. This was a necessity because the players who stayed back in Philadelphia for Monday's split-squad 5-4 win over the Washington Capitals did not make the trip to Toronto. In last night's game, Philly dressed forwards Sean Couturier (minus-two, two shots), Matt Read (minus-two, zero shots), Wayne Simmonds (minus-two, zero shots) as the top line. The lineup also featured Michael Raffl (minus-two, two shots), Jason Akeson (minus-two, team high six shots), Scott Laughton (minus-one, 53 percent of faceoffs won, two shots, one hit in 18:41 of ice time), Zac Rinaldo (minus one, two hits, three blocks, one minor penalty), Stortini (two hits, 29 PIM in 7:30 TOI), Darroll Powe (11:11 TOI), Nick Cousins (minus-one, 14:20 TOI), Brandon Alderson (minus-one, three hits, two blocks, one shot, 12:30 TOI) and Jay Rosehill (two hits, one takeaway in 9:22 TOI). For the second straight night, recently signed Phantoms enforcer Stortini dropped the gloves in the first period. This time, he fought David Broll. By the end of the night, Stortini racked up 29 minutes worth of penalties, including a pair of misconducts, an unsportsmanlike conduct minor and a boarding minor for a hit from behind on Jake Gardiner. The Philly blueline consisted of a top pairing of Del Zotto (minus-three, three shots, six hits, two blocks in 22:53 of ice time) and Luke Schenn (minus-two, two hits, three blocks in 18:02 TOI). The second pairing featured a pairing of Samuel Morin (21:13 TOI, four shots, four hits, even plus-minus) and Mark Alt (20:05 TOI, two shots, one hits). The third pairing consisted of Oliver Lauridsen (16:29 TOI, minus-one, six hits) and veteran Nick Schultz (minus-one, 2 PIM, two hits, one block, one giveaway in 17:15). It is worth noting that defenseman Nicklas Grossmann is the lone Flyers regular apart from captain Claude Giroux (lower body injury, out two weeks) who has yet to appear in a preseason game. Everyone else appeared either in the London/Toronto games or against the Capitals in Philadelphia. Grossmann, who practiced normally in Voorhees over the weekend, is coming off surgery to repair torn tendons in his right ankle after suffering a playoff-ending injury in Game Four of the Flyers' playoff series with the New York Rangers in April. The Flyers will have an off day on Wednesday. Tomorrow they will take on the New Jersey Devils in a preseason game at the Wells Fargo Center. ************ PHANTOMS/ROOKIES WIN 'CLOSED' GAME VS. DEVILS PROSPECTS IN NEWARK, 4-2

In what was technically a preseason American Hockey League game between the Albany Devils and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms but in actuality the same type of Rookies Game that Flyers prospects played last week against the Washington Capitals prospects, the Philadelphia players grabbed a 4-2 win over the Devils' prospects yesterday afternoon. The closed-door game was held on the practice rink at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. At the direction of the New Jersey Devils, fans and all but team-employed media were not allowed to attend. The game was neither broadcasted nor streamed anywhere. A host of Devils and Flyers team personnel was on hand. Left winger Taylor Leier scored a pair of goals for the Phantoms side with a first-period power play tally and late-game empty net goal. Shayne Gostisbehere and Petr Straka also scored, while Robert Hägg, Travis Sanheim and Kevin Goumas each earned one assist apiece. Connor Knapp (11 saves on 12 shots) played the first period-and-a-half in goal. Martin Ouellette (18 saves on 19 shots) went the rest of the way. The Phantoms lineup featured forwards Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Radel Fazleev, Austin Fyten, Goumas, Matt Hatch, Andrew Johnston, Leier, David Marshall, Derek Mathers, Marcel Noebels, Straka and Sean Wiles. The defense consisted of Brett Flemming, Gostisbehere, Hägg, Maxim Lamarche, Jesper Pettersson and Maxim Lamarche. The Philadelphia prospects outshot their Devils counterparts by 30-23 margin and went 1-for-4 on the power play to Albany's 1-for-5 mark. Leier opened the scoring at 7:17 of the first period with a goal from the right circle. Former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins player Paul Thompson knotted the game nine minutes later with a power play goal of his own. An unassisted goal by Petr Straka at 7:38 of the second period put the Lehigh Valley side ahead to stay. At 14:53 of the middle stanza, Gostisbehere forged a 3-1 lead as he fired a slapshot that ticked off the inside of the post and went in the net past goaltender Maxime Clermont. In the third period, Leier nearly scored a goal but it was ruled to have hit the crossbar. After Ben Johnson got the Devils back within a goal with 3:55 remaining, the Albany side gained a late-game power play on a Fazleev slashing minor with 56 seconds left in regulation. With the Devils pulling the goaltender to skate 6-on-4, Leier won the puck away from a Devils player. From near the red line along the benches, he guided a shot into the vacant Albany net to seal the 4-2 win. On Saturday, the Phantoms will host their inaugural hockey event at the new PPL Center in Allentown. Members of the Flyers will participate in an exhibition game along with Phantoms players and prospects.

17. PhiladelphiaFlyers.com - POSTGAME: Maple Leafs 4, Flyers 0

PhiladelphiaFlyers.com Staff

The Flyers four-game unbeaten in regulation streak in the preseason at the Air Canada Centre, previously 3-0-1, got snapped on Tuesday. The Flyers haven’t been shut out in a preseason game since Sept. 26, 2009 — a 1-0 loss at New Jersey. Michael Del Zotto led all players in the first period with 9:27 of ice time, second period with 15:30 and through the end of the game with 22:43 of TOI. Rookie defenseman Sam Morin posted the second most ice time of any player after the second period with 14:11 and finished third with a total of 21:13 of TOI. Steve Mason kept the Flyers in the game, stopping several shots from the doorstep in the second period and stopped all 11 shots from the Leafs to keep it a one goal deficit through 40 minutes of play. He ended the night with 28 saves on 32 shots. Forward Jay Rosehill and defenseman Oliver Lauridsen each got into their first game of the preseason. Taylor Leier scored two goals as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms defeated the Albany Devils, 4-2, in an AHL preseason game at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ… Shayne Gostisbehere and Petr Straka rounded out the scoring the Phantoms while Travis Sanheim and Robert Hagg each posted assists. The Flyers have a complete day off from on-ice practice Wednesday and will resume practice and preseason games at home on Thursday when they take on the Devils - That game will be the first of four preseason games in a six day span. 18. PhiladelphiaFlyers.com - FIVE THINGS: Flyers at Toronto Maple Leafs

PhiladelphiaFlyers.com Staff

1. BACK-TO-BACK The Flyers take on the Maple Leafs for the second straight night after suffering a 3-2 shootout loss on Monday in London, Ont. … Last season the Flyers split their back-to-back games against the Leafs, dropping the game in London, but earning a seven-round shootout win at the ACC, 3-2 with both Flyers regulation goals coming from

defensemen… In back-to-back games last season, the Flyers were stronger in the second game, owning a 9-4-1 record in the second half of games on back-to-back days, compared to a 7-7-0 mark in the opener. 2. AGAINST THE LEAFS Each of the last three preseason games against Toronto have been decided by one goal, including two in a shootout, while six of the last nine preseason meetings against each other have been one-goal games… At the Air Canada Centre, the Flyers are 3-0-1 in the last four preseason meetings with three of the four games decided past regulation play… In regular season play, the Flyers went 1-1-1 last season against Toronto, dropping an overtime decision, 4-3, the last time they visited the ACC on Mar. 8. 3. THIS, THAT & THE OTHER Flyers head coach Craig Berube will re-join the team in Toronto after coaching the Flyers to a 5-4 win vs. Capitals on Monday… The two teams won’t meet again until late December (Dec. 20) when they face off at the ACC for the first of two meetings in the regular season… With his two assists in last night’s game, Nick Cousins now has four points (1g-3a) in his last four preseason games with the Flyers… The Flyers have two players on their roster who have played for the Maple Leafs (Jay Rosehill, 2009-12 & Luke Schenn, 2008-12), while the Maple Leafs also have two players who played for the Flyers (Joffrey Lupul, 2007-09 & James van Riemsdyk, 2009-12). 4. PLAYER TO WATCH - FLYERS: (G: #35 - Steve Mason) Mason gets his first action tonight of the preseason after Anthony Stolarz appeared in the entire game last night in London… Mason ended last regular season with a 7-2-1 record… Last season he tied a career-high in wins (33), the most since his rookie season in 2008-09 when he won the NHL's Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year and had a 2.50 GAA which was his lowest since his rookie season & his .917 save percentage was the highest in his career… He won the Gene Hart Memorial Award for the Flyer who played with a lot of “heart”, becoming the first goaltender to win the award. 5. PLAYER TO WATCH - TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: (F: #62 - William Nylander) Toronto’s high first-round draft pick (8th overall) from this year’s NHL Draft will be in the lineup tonight for Toronto, making his debut for the Maple Leafs… He posted seven points (1g-6a) in 22 games with MODO of the Swedish Hockey League in 2013-14… He is the son of Michael Nylander, who played for seven teams and has 920 games in the NHL over a 15-season career. FLYERS ROSTER vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Air Canada Centre | Toronto FORWARDS 12 Michael Raffl 14 Sean Couturier

17 Wayne Simmonds 24 Matt Read 36 Zac Rinaldo 37 Jay Rosehill 42 Jason Akeson 45 Zack Stortini 46 Darroll Powe 49 Scott Laughton 52 Nick Cousins 64 Brandon Alderson 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare DEFENSEMEN 15 Michael Del Zotto 22 Luke Schenn 38 Oliver Lauridsen 39 Mark Alt 43 Brandon Manning 50 Sam Morin 55 Nick Schultz GOALTENDERS 35 Steve Mason 65 Anthony Stolarz 19. TSN.ca - Nylander scores in pre-season debut, Maple Leafs beat Flyers

The Canadian Press

TORONTO -- William Nylander's evaluation by the Toronto Maple Leafs is to be continued. Nylander scored in his NHL pre-season debut as the Leafs beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0 Tuesday night at Air Canada Centre and showed flashes of offensive brilliance. But the nerves he felt and teammates and coaches could sense make it hard to judge too much from one game. "Any young player playing in his first game in the NHL is going to be somewhat nervous, and I think that our evaluation process would kind of push this one aside in order to see more of a deeper evaluation on where he's at (Wednesday) night," coach Randy Carlyle said.

Carlyle called Nylander, the Leafs' first-round pick at No. 8 overall in June's draft, an "energetic, nervous young hockey player." Linemate Phil Kessel could sense that, too. The 18-year-old son of longtime NHL forward Michael Nylander acknowledged being nervous in his first taste of professional hockey in North America. "The pregame warmup, I was just looking around and I was like, 'This was crazy."' Nylander said. "Then the nerves started to kick in even more." Nylander earned plenty of quality scoring chances before his goal with 56.2 seconds left in the third period. He sailed one shot high and wide after a perfect pass from Kessel and thought he scored in the second when Flyers goaltender Steve Mason managed to get his glove on the puck at the goal line. "I had my hands up in the air, then I saw it came out on the other side," Nylander said. On one shift, Nylander made a picture-perfect tape-to-tape pass from blue-line to blue-line to David Broll, and on another the 18-year-old carried the puck around the net and managed to get it back even after he turned it over. If nothing else, he was noticeable. "He showed his skills, I thought," said winger James van Riemsdyk, who scored a goal and would've had a second if there was video review in the pre-season. "You see when he has the puck on his stick, he's pretty electric out there. He's got some of the quickest hands I've ever seen." Carlyle said no one can dispute Nylander's skill. But that doesn't mean his post-game review was glowing. "There's some things that we'd like to see him change, and one of them would be stopping more and being in position on the right side of the puck," Carlyle said. "He's one of those guys when he gets the puck, he has a little bit more of a burst of speed than the normal player, that's for sure." Nylander showed off that speed and his smooth-skating during his 15 minutes 55 seconds of ice time. Along the way, he became more comfortable, and in the final minute he got to smile along with linemates Kessel and Mike Santorelli when he beat Mason. "I was happy for him," Kessel said. "He's a kid. He's 18 and he's just getting in the league and he's going to have a lot of years to come." It remains to be seen when Nylander's NHL career will begin in earnest. The Leafs already have 17 forwards on one-way contracts and room for 13 or 14, so it could take injuries or several strong pre-season games for the young Swede to make the opening-night roster.

Nylander should get at least a couple more chances to show himself in exhibition action, perhaps as early as Wednesday in split-squad action against the Ottawa Senators in Toronto. He believes he'll be less nervous for that game. "I think now that you have one game in your shoes, and you played here, you'll get into it even quicker next game," Nylander said. Brandon Kozun and Cody Franson also scored for the Leafs, who improved to 2-0 in the pre-season after beating an almost identical Flyers team Monday night in London, Ont. In his first game action since injuries derailed him late in the 2013-14 regular season, goaltender Jonathan Bernier was sharp in stopping all 12 shots he faced in just under 30 minutes. "I felt pretty good," Bernier said. "Just seemed it took a while to get some action in the first period. But the second, I felt really good." Antoine Bibeau made 15 saves to complete the shutout. Notes -- Carlyle said injured forwards Tyler Bozak and David Clarkson would skate again Wednesday but did not give any indication when either player would play in a game. ... In Wednesday's split-squad setup, Carlyle will coach the team that remains in Toronto, and goaltender James Reimer is expected to make his pre-season debut. Assistant Steve Spott will run the team that goes to Ottawa. 20. NHL.com - Flyers mean business heading into new season

Adam Kimelman

Craig Berube took over as coach of the Philadelphia Flyers three games into last season, giving him ample time to get his team playing the way he believes they need to play to be successful. However, there's nothing like having a full training camp. PROJECTED LINEUP FORWARDS B. Schenn C. Giroux J. Voracek M. Read S. Couturier W. Simmonds M. Raffl V. Lecavalier R. Umberger Z. Rinaldo P. Bellemare J. Akeson

Extras: J. Rosehill R. White S. Laughton DEFENSEMEN B. Coburn A. MacDonald N. Grossmann M. Streit M. Del Zotto L. Schenn Extras: N. Schultz GOALIES S. Mason R. Emery "It's really important," Berube said. "That's where the consistency really is going to come in, through camp and us instilling what we want to do. It started in the summertime. There was a real focus on the off-ice conditioning and what kind of shape you have to be in to be a Flyer and what we're looking for. That's a high standard. We really held it high this year. I think it's really important that they're coming into camp in great shape. And we're really working and competing and getting our guys to where they need to get to at the start of the season. That's very important. "I think from my standpoint and the coaching staff, it's getting that system down to a T right away so when that puck drops Oct. 8 we're ready to go and we're not busy thinking about what we've got to do. We know what we have to do, we have our skating legs and we're ready to really compete. That's really important for us as an organization." The commitment to conditioning led to more players returning to Philadelphia sooner for pre-camp workouts, and the vibe around the team has been some anger at how last season ended. The Flyers recovered from a 1-7-0 start to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the energy exerted to get there left them with little left in the tank and a Game 7 first-round loss to the New York Rangers. "We have something to prove," captain Claude Giroux said. "You can see guys want it a little bit more. I don't know if it's just me, but it's obviously a good feeling." Forwards The biggest question among the forward group heading into training camp was who would fill the hole at left wing on the first line, a position that opened when Scott Hartnell was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, those plans were put on hold when Giroux sustained a lower-body injury 15 minutes into the first on-ice session Sept. 19. He is expected to be out about two weeks, which means he'll likely miss the Flyers' preseason slate but should return in time for the season opener Oct. 8. "We don't want to start camp like that but what are you going to do?" general manager Ron Hextall said. "We'll battle through and be the best we can be." Brayden Schenn opened camp on the top line alongside Giroux and right wing Jakub Voracek, and the Flyers hope that coming off his first 20-goal season his offensive production is on the rise.

"He's got a real gift at putting the puck in the net," Hextall said. "He scored 20 goals, which at this stage of the game that's a lot of goals. But we still think there's more there and there's more growth. I think the biggest thing is the consistency part." If Schenn stays on the top line, Sean Couturier could move into a more prominent role in the offense. He opened camp centering the second line, flanked by Matt Read at left wing and Wayne Simmonds on the right. In his first three seasons, Couturier has excelled as a checking-line center but his scoring hasn't developed as hoped; his 13 goals last season tied a career best. "He needs to push the offensive side of his game and continue to do the things he's done [defensively]," Hextall told the Philadelphia Inquirer. Simmonds will be looking to build off an outstanding 2013-14 when he set career-highs in goals, assists and points, and his 15 power-play goals were third in the League. Another option in the middle of the second line could be Vincent Lecavalier, 34, who is hoping to bounce back after struggling last season with injury and position issues; he spent time at left wing on the first and second lines, and center on the second and fourth lines. Lecavalier never seemed to be on the same page as Berube and was the subject of offseason trade rumors. "I think it wasn't a great year for him," Berube said. "There were some injuries there and different things that occurred and playing different positions, not used to playing the wing. … He understands that he has to change his game a little bit. We just have to work together and we'll get to where we've got to be. I've had good conversations with Vinny over the summer and he's ready to go." Despite all his issues Lecavalier scored 20 goals, and he reported for camp five pounds below his playing weight of 215 pounds last season. "I really worked hard like every guy did to be here," he told CSNPhilly.com. "… We need a good start to this season. Everybody needs to be on the right page and in the right frame of mind. I am. I'm excited about it. I really am." Another wild-card for the top nine is R.J. Umberger, who arrived from Columbus in the Hartnell trade. Candidates for the fourth line include Zac Rinaldo, Jay Rosehill, Ryan White (recovering from surgery for a torn chest muscle) and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who had 20 goals in 52 games for Swedish Hockey League champion Skelleftea last season.

Another option could be 2012 first-round pick (No. 20) Scott Laughton. A natural center, he has the size (6-foot-1, 177 pounds) to play the wing. Laughton, No. 30 in NHL.com's Top 60 prospect ranking, also could start the season the American Hockey League. Defensemen The Flyers will have to move forward without Kimmo Timonen, who is unlikely to play again due to blood clots in his leg and lungs. Timonen has been the closest thing the Flyers have had to a No. 1 defenseman since Chris Pronger left the lineup in 2011, playing big minutes in all situations. Last season he was second among the team's defensemen in goals and points, and fourth in ice time. SUMMER MOVES ADDITIONS: LW Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (free agent, Sweden); D Michael Del Zotto (free agent, Predators); RW Andrew Gordon (free agent, Jets); C Blair Jones (free agent, Flames); D Nick Schultz (free agent, Blue Jackets); RW Zack Stortini (free agent, Ducks); C R.J. Umberger (trade, Blue Jackets); C Ryan White (free agent, Canadiens); G Rob Zepp (free agent, Germany) SUBTRACTIONS: RW Steve Downie (free agent, Penguins); D Bruno Gervais (free agent, Avalanche); D Erik Gustafsson (free agent, KHL); LW Scott Hartnell (trade, Blue Jackets); C Ben Holmstrom (free agent, Hurricanes); LW Tye McGinn (trade, Sharks); C Kris Newbury (free agent, Capitals) PROMOTION CANDIDATES: D Robert Hagg; D Shayne Gostisbehere; C Scott Laughton; D Samuel Morin "You can't replace Kimmo," Berube said. "It's not about replacing Kimmo. We have other guys that are good players, and that are in that position to succeed and take over. He's where he's at right now, and we have other guys that are going to play and fill that position." Veterans Mark Streit, Braydon Coburn, Nicklas Grossmann, Luke Schenn and Andrew MacDonald will have to pick up the slack, but they were part of a veteran group that allowed 2.71 goals and 31.6 shots per game while being exposed by the faster Rangers forwards in the playoffs. Berube said he's excited by the potential of Michael Del Zotto, who was signed Aug. 5. "I've seen this guy play real good hockey for the New York Rangers at one point," he said. "I think he's going to get back to that standard." The loss of Timonen also could open the door for one of the Flyers' top defense prospects, Samuel Morin, Robert Hagg and Shayne Gostisbehere.

Morin, the 11th pick of the 2013 draft, was noticeably bigger and stronger at the team's summer rookie camp, and at 6-foot-6 he certainly has NHL size. Hagg played 10 games in the AHL last season after a solid season in Sweden and is similar to Timonen in size and skill set. Gostisbehere wowed Flyers brass last season with a memorable show at the Frozen Four, including a three-point, plus-7 performance in the NCAA title game at Wells Fargo Center that helped Union College win the national title and earned Gostisbehere the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award. Hagg is No. 55 on NHL.com's Top 60 prospect ranking, while Gostisbehere is No. 58. As good as they may be, the Flyers won't rush their future into the NHL. "They're going to have to come in and make a huge impression," Hextall said. "The way I view it is if a young player isn't going to make your team better, he's probably better playing bigger minutes somewhere else. He's going to have to come in and prove to us they can make the Philadelphia Flyers a better hockey club." Goalies It will be the same pair as last season, with Steve Mason backed up by Ray Emery. The 2013-14 season was Mason's best since his 2009 Calder Trophy-winning performance. He tied his career-high with 33 wins and played well in the postseason after returning from a concussion sustained late in the regular season. Emery was lauded for his professionalism last season when Mason emerged as the No. 1 goalie, which is a big reason he was re-signed. His teammates trust him in the event he's pressed into serious playing time. German league standout Rob Zepp, 32, was signed to provide veteran insurance with Lehigh Valley of the AHL and also mentor 2012 second-round pick (No. 45) Anthony Stolarz, who will start his pro career this season in the AHL. 21. NHL.com - Flyers relying on better start, defense stepping up

Adam Kimelman

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout September.

Craig Berube spent 17 seasons in the NHL as a player and seven seasons as an assistant coach. But when he got a promotion to coach of the Philadelphia Flyers three games into the 2013-14 season, he saw things in an entirely new way. "It wasn't like I got surprised by anything, but from game in and game out it's the competitiveness of the League and how tight the League really is," Berube said. "There's just no room for error. You're playing all these teams on different nights here and there, how good these teams are and how well you have to play and how consistent you have to be to be a really good team." Though he had 79 games to install his system and style of play, Berube said training camp would be big for him. He's hoping to lock in his game plan and improve some of the things that didn't work as well last season. "I think from my standpoint … it's getting that system down to a T right away so when that puck drops Oct. 8 we're ready to go and we're not busy thinking about what we've got to do," Berube said before camp opened. "We know what we have to do, we have our skating legs and we're ready to really compete. That's really important for us as an organization." Here are three things that will have to happen for the Flyers' season to be successful: 1. Have a better start -- Last season the Flyers lost their first three games and seven of their first eight. Though they were able to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, their terrible start allowed them almost no margin for error. Berube said he felt the team wasn't in optimal physical condition when last season began. That's why he spent this summer raising the bar on what would be acceptable when training camp opens. "There was a real focus on the off-ice conditioning and what kind of shape you have to be in to be a Flyer and what we're looking for," he said before camp started. "That's a high standard. We really held it high this year. I think it's really important that they're coming into camp in great shape. And we're really working and competing and getting our guys to where they need to get to at the start of the season. That's very important." 2. The defense must step up -- The closest thing the Flyers have had to a No. 1 defenseman has been Kimmo Timonen, but the 39-year-old may never play again due to blood clots in his leg and lungs. Timonen's loss hurts the Flyers on and off the ice, where he is counted on as an honest, dependable veteran voice. Berube is confident the holdovers on defense will step up, and believes that Michael Del Zotto, signed Aug. 5, can be an important addition.

"I've seen this guy play real good hockey for the New York Rangers at one point," Berube said. "I think he's going to get back to that standard." 3. Consistent goaltending -- The 2013-14 season was Steve Mason's best since he won the Calder Trophy in 2009, and he was rewarded with a three-year, $12.3 million contract extension that starts this season. The Flyers are betting Mason, 26, will maintain that high level of play. "I think it's maturity more than anything," Berube said. "Him and [goaltending coach] Jeff Reese really have a good relationship and they've made a few subtle changes in his game, some different things they're working on, and that's the biggest key for me. Mentally he feels good, he's played really well for us. I don't see that changing." 22. NHL.com - Giroux growing into captain's role with Flyers

Adam Kimelman

NHL.com continues its preview of the 2014-15 season, which will include in-depth looks at all 30 teams throughout September. Claude Giroux's play was a microcosm of the Philadelphia Flyers' 2013-14 season. After 15 games, Giroux had no goals, seven assists and a minus-11 rating; the team was 4-10-1, last in the Metropolitan Division and 15th in the Eastern Conference. From that point on, however, Giroux had 28 goals and 79 points in 67 games and was a Hart Trophy nominee, while the Flyers went 38-20-9 to finish third in the division. However, their season ended with a 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conferenc First Round. The effort exerted to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs left the Flyers unable to get past the first round. "We need a good start so we're not climbing up the standings like we were last year," Giroux said. "That drained us a little bit. Every game was a have-to-win." Part of a better start this season will come with continued maturation from Giroux. Entering his third season as captain, the 26-year-old admits he's still finding his way as a leader. Part of that growth comes from the adversity he and the Flyers faced last season.

"Just don't read into things too much," he said of what he took from 2013-14. "Go out there and play the game. It's a beautiful game; you have to go out there and enjoy it. If you start thinking about it too much or stressing about the little things, that's when you're not focusing on the game anymore, so just go out there and play the game." Those who watched Giroux could tell the Flyers' struggles were wearing on him, especially early in the season. "I think the biggest thing about [Giroux] is he puts a lot of pressure on himself and he's starting to realize he doesn't have to do everything by himself," teammate Wayne Simmonds said. "We have a close-knit group of guys and we do everything for each other. Now he's not putting as much pressure on himself. That's why after that slow start last year he put up the numbers he's always done. If he's a little more loose, the better he'll play." Giroux understands better now the need for him to take a more relaxed approach to things. "My composure needs a little work," he said. "But there's not a better way to be a leader on the ice than by example. You want to be able to talk a little bit and get the boys going. At the end of the day, you have to go out there and do your job." Part of that job this season will be helping his teammates be in better shape for training camp. Flyers coach Craig Berube said subpar conditioning was one reason for the early struggles last season, and in conversations with players during the offseason the bar was raised for what fitness level would be acceptable when training camp started. "The demand for us to be in better shape is there," Giroux said before camp opened. "We're professional athletes. If you're not in your best shape, you're not doing your job. Guys got the message." Giroux sustained a lower-body injury on Sept. 19 during the Flyers' first on-ice workout. He'll miss two weeks and though he likely won't play in any preseason games, he's expected to be ready for the regular-season opener Oct. 8 against the Boston Bruins. In or out of the lineup, Giroux will have the biggest role in the team's leadership group, but he'll have some new players assisting him. Scott Hartnell, who was an alternate captain last season, was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets; defenseman Kimmo Timonen, another alternate captain, is unlikely to play again while being treated for blood clots in his leg and lungs. One player who could step into more of a leadership role is Simmonds, who set career-highs last season with 29 goals and 60 points, and was third in the NHL with 15 power-play goals.

"He's a great leader," Giroux said. "He goes out there and there's nobody that works harder than him on the ice. … I think he's loving the challenge. He's playing a lot of minutes on the ice. In the room he's one of our leaders now. He enjoys the role and everybody respects him on the team." None are more respected than Giroux, however. He knows that as he goes, the team goes. So a quick return to health and continued maturation in his off-ice duties will be a boon toward accomplishing the Flyers' goal of playing deeper into the spring. "We have something to prove," Giroux said. "You can see guys want it a little bit more. I don't know if it's just me, but it's obviously a good feeling."

23. NHL.com - Flyers know they'll miss Kimmo Timonen, who's out with blood clots

The Canadian Press

The biggest hit to the Philadelphia Flyers' playoff hopes happened before they even stepped onto the ice for training camp. Veteran defenceman Kimmo Timonen was diagnosed with potentially life-threatening blood clots over the summer in Finland and will be lost for the first three months of the season and likely the entire year. "I don't think anybody can replace Kimmo," captain Claude Giroux said recently before suffering a lower-body injury early in training camp. "It's going to hurt the team." The Flyers will have to try to replace Timonen's 20-plus minutes and 28 shifts a game, spread out over all situations. For years he has been their power-play quarterback and one of their most reliable penalty-killers. For a blue-line that has been maligned as the Flyers' biggest weakness, the responsibilities will be spread around to Andrew MacDonald, Braydon Coburn, Mark Streit, Luke Schenn, Nicklas Grossmann and free-agent additions Nick Schultz and Michael Del Zotto. Del Zotto, who could be in the lineup against the Toronto Maple Leafs in pre-season action Tuesday night, signed a US$1.3-million, one-year deal the day Timonen's health

problems were announced. New general manager Ron Hextall said Philadelphia had been looking at 24-year-old throughout the off-season. Given Timonen's status, there's pressure on the inconsistent yet intriguing Del Zotto to deliver and not just be a bottom-pairing defenceman. "It's a great opportunity for a guy like Michael Del Zotto to step in and play a lot of minutes for us and move the puck," Giroux said. A first-round pick in 2008, Del Zotto played big minutes early in his NHL career under coach John Tortorella before the New York Rangers traded him last season to the Nashville Predators. Nashville didn't give him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent for most of the summer. Beyond Del Zotto, MacDonald — acquired from the New York Islanders before the 2013-14 trade deadline and then signed to a $30-million, six-year extension — will be called on to shoulder the load. The 28-year-old is the Flyers' de-facto No. 1 defenceman now, and Coburn isn't far behind. Up front, Philadelphia has another prominent player to replace in left-winger Scott Hartnell. In his first shake-up on the job as GM, Hextall traded the popular but penalty-prone power forward to the Columbus Blue Jackets for R.J. Umberger. "I was shocked. It was a sad day," Giroux said. "Me and Scott are really good friends and been playing (together) for six, seven years now. At the same time it's the business side of it. You can't control it. You've just got to roll with it and you've got to respect it." With Umberger expected to fill a bottom-six-forward role, the Flyers now must find a new winger to go with Giroux (once healthy) and Jake Voracek on the first line. Giroux already has a few ideas. "A guy like Michael Raffl or Brayden Schenn or even Vinny Lecavalier can step in there and start playing with me and Jake if the chemistry's good," the 26-year-old centre said. "I guess 82 games is a lot of games, a lot of things can happen." On the power play, big winger Wayne Simmonds could fill Hartnell's spot in front of the net. And Simmonds thinks there are other players who can make up for the trade. "I think when you take Hartsy out of the lineup, we have players who can move up in the lineup," Simmonds said. "We're a pretty well-balanced lineup with forward lines." Trusting just four defenceman hurt then-coach Peter Laviolette and the Flyers in the 2010 Stanley Cup final against the Chicago Blackhawks, but Craig Berube found balance there last year.

And while Timonen's absence will be noticeable this season, the organization and its players have said all along his life is more important than his presence on the ice. "You just want to make sure that he's healthy to live a good life for himself and his family outside of hockey," Simmonds said. "If he can come back and play, that's awesome. But you just want to make sure that he's all right." New Jersey Devils Articles

1. NorthJersey.com - Devils raise skill level around Zajac

Tom Gulitti

NEWARK – While Travis Zajac was struggling to produce in the first half of last season, Devils coach Pete DeBoer often said he didn’t worry about his No. 1 center’s point total because he does so many other important things for the team. Heading into this season, however, DeBoer envisions Zajac continuing the chemistry he forged in the second half of last season with Jaromir Jagr and forming a potent top line with summer free agent signing Mike Cammalleri. "As we have upped the skill level around him, he’s a better player," DeBoer said Tuesday of Zajac. "He had some great years with [former Devils Zach] Parise and [Ilya] Kovalchuk. I don’t think that’s an accident. Jagr is that type of player. Cammalleri’s that type of player. … I think Travis is a guy who brings you consistently every night the same game. He, obviously, is more successful when we can surround him with a little bit of skill." Having not dressed for the Devils’ 5-4 win over the Rangers on Monday in their preseason opener, Cammalleri, Zajac and Jagr are still waiting for their first chance to see what they can do in a game situation. It seems likely that will come in Thursday’s exhibition in Philadelphia, but DeBoer said his lineup for that game is not set, yet. After finishing last season strong, Zajac is eager to see what the line can do. "You can see their skill," Zajac said of Cammalleri and Jagr. "Obviously, playing with Jags last year I’m used to him, but Cammy, he’s going to get in positions to score. You

can already see that. You can already see his release, how he gets the puck off. So, that will be fun to play with." Zajac has a chemistry with Jagr, the 42-year-old future Hall of Famer, that he hasn’t had with any player other than Parise and it showed last season when he put up 14 goals and 24 assists for 38 points over the final 52 games after he had just four goals and six assists in the first 30. Zajac’s second-half surge included nine goals and 10 assists over the final 22 games and his first career hat trick in a 6-3 win over Florida on March 31. "My second half, I started to play better and working with Jags and some chemistry there too, I think that helped out, too," Zajac said. "So, you kind of want to build on that and I’m looking for a big year just personally and team-wise." Zajac gives Jagr, who led the Devils with 67 points last season, all of the credit, but Jagr says Zajac is essential to his success, as well. "He’s very responsible defensively so, undoubtedly, he makes it a lot easier for me," Jagr said. "He doesn’t mind to play down low [in the offensive zone]. He’s strong enough, quick enough to do that and even if I’m the first guy back checking – it doesn’t happen very often, but when it does we switch right away so I can save some energy for offense." NHL Articles 1. TSN.ca - Crosby the betting favourite for Hart, Art Ross trophies

TSN.ca Staff

Odds are, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is going to take home the NHL's Hart and Art Ross trophies at the end of the 2014-15 campaign. That's according to real odds, of course. The betting website Bodog.ca is quoting Crosby as the favourite to be both league MVP (7-to-4 odds) ahead of Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf (6-1), as well as scoring champion (1-to-1) ahead of Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos (3-1). Stamkos does get the nod as the favourite to capture the Rocket Richard trophy at 2-to-1 odds. Alex Ovechkin (3-1) and Corey Perry (9-2) are the next most likely to top the goal-scoring list.

Ottawa Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson is the favourite (4-1) to capture his second career Norris Trophy. Shea Weber of the Predators and Boston's Zdeno Chara are tied as second-most likely at 11-2 odds. Boston's Tuukka Rask (3-1) tops the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist (4-1) as favourite for the Vezina Trophy while Montreal's Carey Price (13-2) is ranked third. As far as rookies go, Tampa Bay's Jonathan Drouin (9-4) is the Bodog pick for the Calder Trophy while John Gibson of Anaheim (5-2) and Evgeny Kuznetsov of the Capitals (3-1) are next on the list. The first overall pick from 2014, Aaron Ekblad, is rated alongside Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl at 7-to-1 odds. Bodog released team odds at the beginning of September which rate the Chicago Blackhawks as Stanley Cup favourites at 13-to-2 odds. Los Angeles is next at 9-1. Among Canadian teams, the Montreal Canadiens are 18-1, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks 40-1, the Edmonton Oilers 50-1, the Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets 66-1, and the Calgary Flames 75-1. 2. ESPN.com - Jordan Staal suffers broken leg

Associated Press

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal broke his lower right leg in a preseason game at Buffalo on Tuesday night, general manager Ron Francis said. Staal is scheduled to return to Raleigh, North Carolina, with the team Wednesday after its preseason game against the New York Islanders, and will be evaluated by team doctors the next day. Francis said he didn't have a timetable for Staal's recovery. There was no timetable for Jordan Staal's return after he broke his lower right leg in a preseason game at Buffalo on Tuesday night. Staal had initial tests taken immediately following the 2-0 loss. Francis issued a statement with the diagnosis roughly two hours after the game. "I'm concerned for sure. He's a big piece of what we're going to do moving forward," new coach Bill Peters said before learning of the severity of the injury. Staal was hurt on what appeared to be an innocent play with 6:35 left in the third period. He was skating up the right boards inside the Sabres zone when he was checked into the boards by defenseman Josh Gorges. Staal immediately fell to the ice and lay on his side for a few seconds before play was stopped.

A trainer attended to Staal, who eventually needed help to get up. He was unable to put any weight on his leg while being escorted off the ice. About 20 minutes after the game, Staal was on crutches with his right leg elevated as he made his way to the locker room. Staal is a solid two-way player who is entering his third season in Carolina. He is a four-time 20-goal scorer, and finished fifth among Hurricanes last season with 40 points (15 goals, 25 assists). Peters was already being cautious with Staal's older brother and team captain, Eric, who had surgery in July to repair a core muscle injury. Eric Staal has been practicing with the team in training camp. Peters said he expects Staal to make his preseason debut next Tuesday when the Hurricanes host St. Louis. Buffalo defenseman Mark Pysyk will be out indefinitely after sustaining what the team called an upper-body injury in the first period. Sabres coach Ted Nolan declined to specify the nature of the injury or provide a timetable except to say that Pysyk will be out for "a little while."

3. NHL.com - Red Wings' Datsyuk to have MRI on shoulder

NHL.com Staff

Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk left the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night with a shoulder injury and was scheduled to have an MRI either Tuesday or Wednesday. Datsyuk, who took a hit from Penguins defenseman Rob Scuderi, doesn't believe the injury is serious. The Red Wings open the regular season on Oct. 9 against the Boston Bruins at Joe Louis Arena. "I [don't] want to miss much time, just I hope one week," Datsyuk told the Red Wings website. "We'll see." Datsyuk's power-play goal at 16:05 of the second period proved to be the game-winner in Detroit's 2-1 victory.