Bobrovsky starts tonight; Phantoms new head coach
Sergei Bobrovsky will make his second start in just six games tonight at the Wells Fargo Center, as the Flyers face the Florida Panthers in an attempt to head into an 8-day holiday break with a 6-game winning streak.
The Panthers, who do not have a scorer with double digit goals, enter the game in 27th place in the NHL with 28 points on the season.
Florida does play solid defense, as they are 8th in the NHL in goals against-per game (2.8 gapg) and they have the 9th best penalty kill. But their anemic offense (2.6 gpg) and 30th ranked power play should be no test for the Flyers, who are 2nd in goals per game and 3rd in goals against per game.
Bobrovsky was in net when the Flyers topped Florida, 5-2, on Nov. 12. He is 15-4-3 with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage on the season.
You can read more about the work Bobrovsky has been doing in between starts with Flyers' goaltending coach Jeff Reese here.
PHANTOMS NEWS: After a little more than a month on the job, trying to change the culture of the Flyers' top farm hand in the Adirondack Phantoms, AHL hall of fame coach John Paddock will be returning to the Philadelphia area in time for the holidays.
On Monday, the Flyers named Joe Paterson, who has been an assistant coach under Paddock with the Phantoms since he took over as interim head coach on Nov. 8, as the Phantoms' next head coach.
"When John was named interim head coach on November 8, we did not want it to be for the remainder of the season and we believe this is the right time for Joe to take over the head coaching reins," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement. "Joe's wealth of experience in the American Hockey League and his strength as a teacher of young hockey players will be very beneficial to the continued development of our prospects in Glens Falls."
Paterson, who briefly spent time with the Flyers on their 1985 run to the Stanley Cup Finals, is very familiar with the Glens Falls, N.Y., area. He has both played as coached for the Adirondack Red Wings, the previous AHL tenant at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
This is Paterson's first head coaching job in the AHL. He was previously a scout on the Atlanta Thrashers' payroll this season. He will make his debut with the Phantoms on Sunday in Binghamton as his team, who has won two in a row, tries to avoid the worst record in the AHL's 75 season history.
Riley Cote will remain Paterson's assistant coach.
Paddock, meanwhile, will return to his full-time duties as the Flyers' assistant general manager.
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