Flyers Rookie Series Recap: Jack Nesbitt & Denver Barkey SHINE In Game 1 Versus Rangers Prospects

Flyers Rookie Series Recap: Jack Nesbitt & Denver Barkey SHINE In Game 1 Versus Rangers Prospects

It was the first of two rookie games for the Philadelphia Flyers prospects on Friday night at the PPL Center in Allentown. And the Flyers with some late game drama were able to come away with the 4-3 overtime win. Lots of standouts in this game. Leading the way, Denver Barky, Alex Bump, and game-winning goal scorer Nikita Gbankin. I’m Charlie Oconor with PHLY Sports, and these are your Flyers postgame notes. So, we’ll start with a little recap of the game. It didn’t look good to start for the Philadelphia Flyers rookies. They went down two nothing after just four minutes and 33 seconds. Carson Bjnison gave up a particularly weak goal on the second goal. And it looked like the Flyers were in for a long night. But then both Bejorn and the team started to settle in. They stabilized the rest of the first period. Then in the second, Denver Barky and Alexis Gendron scored to tie the game. Flyers fell behind again later in the second, but then midway through the third, Jacob Gochce scored to tie the game off of a really nice set of plays by Devin Kaplan that made the score three to three and eventually sent the game to overtime. And in overtime, it was Nikita Grabankin, the main player piece of the trade that sent Scott Lton to Toronto at last year’s trades deadline. He ripped a shot into the net to give the Flyers the 4-3 overtime gamewinner and give them the oneame edge over the Rangers in this back-to-back rookie game series. Okay, so that was the game and that was the score. But who stood out out of the Flyers prospects? The number one on my list, Denver Barky did score that first goal of the game. But it wasn’t just the goal. He was everywhere in this game from his very first shift. He was creating chances for himself. He was setting up chances for his linemates. Denver Barky was great. And don’t just take it from me. John Snowden, the head coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, he was the main guy behind the bench tonight coaching the rookies of the Flyers. Denver Barky was the first name he mentioned when asked for standouts. He praised Barky’s competitiveness. Said he plays like he’s 6’4. Barky is generously listed, I believe, at 5’10. But that did not stop him in this one. He’s got some serious momentum. I don’t necessarily think Denver Bark is going to make this team out of camp. I think he’s going to get some AHL time, but this was a heck of a performance by Denver Barky. He really made his presence felt early in this rookie game series. Next up is Nikita Grabbankin. The hero, the overtime hero, scored the game-winning goal, but I thought he had a strong all-around game. To be honest, he really does his best work below the goal line. That’s when his playmaking ability really shines. It’s where his physical strength shows up. He won a lot of battles below the goal line. and set up a bunch of quality chances for his linemates. He sort of played himself into the game. I thought the first period was probably his weakest period, but scores that big goal to end it. And that wasn’t the only positives that he showed in this game. Gerbankin was good. Another standout, Alex Bump. Probably the guy who had the most hype coming into this game. He’s got a real shot at making the Flyers out of camp. And I don’t think he did anything to hurt his chances. He didn’t score, didn’t get on the score sheet, but he made plays. He was carrying the puck. He was controlling play. He was winning battles along the boards. He just missed on a few goalc scoring opportunities, but he flashed that that great release with that great shot. I’m expecting if he’s in the lineup, which I think he will probably be in the lineup for Saturday’s rematch against the Rangers. I’m expecting him to to light the lamp or at least get on the score sheet because he did look good in this game even if he didn’t rack up the points. Couple other standouts. One, Carson Dor. He was the player the Flyers signed out of Michigan State near the end of last season. Got a little bit of time in the NHL. He got off to a slow start by his own admission. We talked to him after the game, but he really got going around the midpoint of the game. Had a really nice setup of the Gendron goal, which was a short-handed goal. He sort of just tossed the puck in Gendron’s general direction after he raced down the ice on a short-handed rush. Gendron was able to tip it past the Rangers net minder. And then Dor also set up the Gbankan goal. He was the guy who had a little drop pass that gave Grabbank the space he needed to beat the net minder. Dor, I thought, had an all-around solid game, especially once he got past those first few minutes, first few shifts. He was looking strong defensively. He was winning battles. He he looked the part of a potential 4C at the NHL level. Was impressed by Carson Dor. And the last guy I want to point out, Jack Nesbbit, the Flyers second first round pick in this year’s NHL draft. Look, there was some controversy about the Nesbit pick. Some people think it was a reach. Some people think they shouldn’t have traded up to get him. And all of those concerns are fair. I have concerns about Nesbbit skating and I’m not going to lie, he doesn’t look quick out there. He needs a lot of work on the skating side, but he was really good in every other aspect. He centered the Alex bump line. He was a really, really good support forward on that line. Great as the F3, you know, providing support, breaking up breakout opportunities. He was impressive and he’s the kind of guy you watch and you say, man, if he can just get a little bit faster, everything else in his game is really impressive. And if he’s already this impressive while being an objectively poor skater, imagine if he can get himself in two, three years to be a average skater, he could be a really exciting player. So I was very impressed with Nesbet. But this was only the first of two games between the Flyers and Rangers here in Allentown at the PPL Center. They play the second of the twoame series around 5:00 p.m. here Saturday. So check that game out. I’ll be here providing the coverage, live tweeting the game, and I’ll have another video recapping that game as well.

It was a dramatic first game of the Flyers’ Rookie Series in Allentown at the PPL Center, as the rookies escaped with a 4-3 overtime winner courtesy of Nikita Grebenkin.

PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor was on the scene to witness the game action and discusses standout performances from Denver Barkey, Alex Bump, Jack Nesbitt, Nikita Grebenkin, and more.

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