(Photo: Kate Frese)
By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor
Oskar Lindblom was still technically considered a rookie despite his brief stretch of NHL experience last season. In Wednesday night's Rookie Game from East Meadow, NY, Lindblom looked like a player who has graduated from rookie camp.
Lindblom scored the first goal of the game in the first period and added two more in short order in the second to complete a hat trick as part of a 6-3 Flyers win over the New York Islanders in Wednesday's Rookie Game.
The Flyers opened the scoring early in the first, nine seconds into the first power play of the game. With some quick passing off the face-off, Morgan Frost got the puck in the high slot and threw a pass on goal that was deflected by Lindblom. The deflection was stopped by Evan Buitanhuis, but Lindblom was there to pick up the rebound and score to make it 1-0.
Just seconds later, Lindblom disrupted a play off the face-off and forced a turnover. Carsen Twarynski picked up the puck and fired a shot and scored to make it 2-0.
The Islanders were able to answer back with three straight goals. Jeff Kubiak put a quick shot on goal that beat Carter Hart through the five-hole. Pius Suter ripped a one-timer over the shoulder of Hart for the tying goal. On a late power-play in the first, Kieffer Bellows scored on a deflection to give the Islanders the lead.
With 7.8 seconds remaining in the period, the Flyers went on the power play. Frost was able to fire a shot that hit an Islanders defenseman and went in with 2.4 seconds left in the period to tie the game at three after 20 minutes.
Midway through the second period, the Flyers finally struck for the go-ahead goal. Back on the power play, a point shot by Phil Myers was deflected in by Lindblom for his second goal of the game.
Just 10 seconds later, Lindblom scored on a rebound after a Twarynski shot was stopped by the pad of Buitanhuis, completing the hat trick.
The Flyers carried a 5-3 lead into the second intermission.
The two teams both switched goalie entering the third period. Hart exited for Liam Hughes. Buitanhuis exited for Mitch Gillam.
The lone goal of the final period came near the mid-point of the period as well, as Mikhail Vorobyev fired a quick shot on goal off a turnover and scored to make it 6-3.
Hughes stopped all shots he faced in the third. Gillam allowed just the one goal.
In addition to his hat trick, Lindblom also had two assists for a five-point game. Frost and Vorobyev each had one assist in addition to their goals.
This was the third straight season the Flyers and Islanders have faced off in a rookie game. The Flyers have won both games in East Meadow. The Islanders won last year's game at Wells Fargo Center.
The Rookie Game concludes rookie camp for the Flyers. Thursday is media day, where the players will get headshots and participate in other media activities for television broadcasts and such. Main camp starts on Friday morning.