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EHL: Little Flyers shut out Protec Jr Ducks, win 4th straight

By Tim Riday, 11/30/20, 4:00PM EST

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The Little Flyers downed Protec, 5-0, for a fourth consecutive win.

 

BOX SCORE

Eight days off between games usually spells disaster for a hot group.

Add in a turkey feast during that stretch and there could be the potential of slowing down.

Not for the Philadelphia Little Flyers EHL team.

PLF returned from the Thanksgiving break with a dominant 5-0 shutout of the Protec Jr Ducks on Monday afternoon to pick up a fourth consecutive win.

Scott MeGraw and Gavin Fritch each recorded a goal and an assist. Starting netminder Jakub Kubik turned aside all 33 shots he faced to earn his first shutout of the season.

Goals from Josh Wilkins and Dante Gattone capped an impressive first-period effort from the Little Flyers, who were all over the Ducks and didn't give any room to breathe.

Wilkins started and ended the play on his tally at 11:19. The 2001 birth year pushed the puck up ice to Connor MacDonell on the breakout. MacDonell cleanly entered the offensive zone and made a shifty move to the left wing before passing over to Vincent Nicosia. Without a shooting lane, Nicosia smartly skated to the corner boards and curled before sending a perfect set-up to Wilkins for a one-timer in the slot.

Philadelphia jumped to a 2-0 lead just over a minute later after some great puck movement from Gattone and MeGraw. Gattone chipped the puck off the glass to get around a defender in the neutral zone and MeGraw swung in to pick it up. MeGraw then fired a hard wrist shot on target and the rebound landed right back to Gattone for an easy finish.

Protec came out more aggressive in the second period and wound up winning the shot battle, 15-10.

MeGraw squashed all momentum with a shorthanded marker at 19:14. The 2000 birth year made an excellent read on a cross-ice pass attempt at the blue line, batted the puck down and got five or six strides ahead of a backchecking defender before firing a snapshot gloveside to make it 3-0 entering the third.

Fritch took over the game in the final frame to put the game away. 

With Jordan Guigui in the penalty box for cross-checking, the Little Flyers went to work on the power play. Austin Melone and Jake Frankenfield played catch at the point before Frankenfield cut to the left and fired a shot on goal. Fritch managed to get a piece of the attempt and gathered his own rebound to increase the lead to 4-0 at 9:16.

Kubik came up with back-to-back, highlight-reel worthy saves on a late penalty kill. The Czech native blocked a hard slap shot with his right toe and showed some incredible flexibility to make a pad save on the rebound to preserve his shutout bid.

Philadelphia put one final exclamation on its afternoon at 18:05. Kyle Patton won a board battle at center ice and dished up ice to Fritch, who was met by a Protec blueliner in the high slot. Seewagen skated it and made a quick pass over to a breaking Ryan Clear on the right wing. Clear's blast went off the post and in to make it a 5-0 final.

Loose pucks
MeGraw had a Player of the Month-caliber November. He recorded at least one point in all seven of the Little Flyers' games and racked up three goals and 11 assists total. ... MacDonell extended his five-game point streak with an assist. He has three goals and five points during that stretch. ... Gattone also has at least a point in five straight (4G, 5A). ... These two clubs will face off again at Protec Ponds tomorrow afternoon. Puck drop is scheduled for 11:45 a.m.