Bump has loud start in push for lineup spot as Flyers win rookie game opener

Bump has loud start in push for lineup spot as Flyers win rookie game opener originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — It sure looked like Alex Bump wanted to make a point Saturday night.

That this training camp will be different than his last one.

With the Flyers’ front office and coaching staff watching from upstairs at PPL Center, Bump absolutely made a point. The 22-year-old winger dazzled as the Flyers beat the Rangers, 3-2, in the first of two rookie games this weekend at the home of AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

Bump buried a goal and set another one up with an excellent pass. At this time last year, Bump went scoreless in both rookie games. He then didn’t make it to final cuts during main training camp.

Was he trying to make a point Saturday night?

“For sure,” Bump said. “It’s kind of getting to the time where you’ve got to make an impression. Obviously we’ve talked about last year. New year, see how it goes.”

This was a great start. And it came after a strong finish to last season. Bump joined the Flyers following the March trade deadline and opened eyes all the way through the playoffs.

“He got his taste last year, he was up and he got to stay up,” Phantoms head coach John Snowden said. “He got to play important, meaningful games at the end of the year and in the playoffs. He wants to stay there. That’s the kind of game that we’re going to expect from him — is that offensive upside, holding onto pucks and creating offense.”

Cole Knuble and Matthew Gard scored the Flyers’ other goals. Carson Bjarnason picked up the win in net.

• The Flyers’ top line of Bump, Knuble and Jett Luchanko was productive.

In the second period, Bump sent a pass through the Rangers’ defense as Knuble cut backdoor to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead.

“That was a hell of a pass,” Snowden, who runs rookie camp, said. “And Knuble’s finish on that one, that’s a hard pass, on your backhand, coming downhill, to be able to put that in the net is impressive.”

Knuble has been a riser in the Flyers’ system. The 2023 fourth-rounder has positional versatility and there’s chemistry with Bump.

“He’s a great player,” Bump said. “Heavy on the puck, can make plays, as well. And he can finish, too.”

Knuble, the son of former Flyer Mike Knuble, is heading into his first full season at the pro level. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if he plays well with Lehigh Valley and starts knocking on the Flyers’ door.

“Since the day I was drafted, I wanted to be a part of this organization,” Knuble said. “I grew up loving this team, so it’s a dream come true. Every practice, every game, every offseason, that was the goal, to get one step closer to this. Now I kind of took the next step turning pro. It’s real exciting.”

Bump cushioned the Flyers’ lead to 3-1 in the third period when Luchanko found him on the wing. Luchanko started the sequence by using his speed to enter the offensive zone.

“I love playing with him, with his speed, carrying the puck up the middle, I like to do that, too,” Knuble said. “I think we complement each other well. You saw his play to Bumper there. Other little plays, he’s good in the corner, he makes smart, little passes. I think we’ve got some chemistry and I’m looking forward to playing with him.”

• Maksim Sokolovskii, the Flyers’ towering first-round pick this summer, had no problem getting involved physically.

The 6-foot-7 defenseman constantly eyed hits and utilized his mobility. In the second period, he thwarted a potential scoring chance by tracking down a Ranger.

“There’s a lot to like about him and his size and what he can turn into,” Snowden said.

Sokolovskii was in the penalty box for both of the Rangers’ goals. With time and development, he’ll have to learn when to pick his spots for hits.

“He’s a big man, he skates really well for his size,” Snowden said. “I think he showed that he is not afraid to be a physical player. A couple of those penalties, he took licks. That’s the type of game that he’s going to have to play.”

• Bjarnason, the Flyers’ 2023 second-rounder, stopped 27 of 29 shots.

“I’ve worked on a lot of things this summer,” Bjarnason said. “I just wanted to kind of emulate what I did all summer and show the work I put in.”

He laid out for a save toward the end of the first period when the Flyers were on the penalty kill in a 1-1 game. He also made a sharp glove stop in the third period to bail out Luchanko, who made an uncharacteristic turnover.

Last season was Bjarnason’s first at the pro level. He posted a 3.43 goals-against average and an .877 save percentage in 32 appearances with the Phantoms. The 21-year-old had a strong start but sputtered down the stretch. It’s worth noting that minor-league rosters can really change later in the season, which can make life tougher on a goaltender.

But this season is a big one for Bjarnason to show improvement.

“Every player thinks about how their last season went and the things that they can grow upon,” Snowden said. “I thought tonight he looked big in the net, he looked composed in the net, didn’t really get scrambled at times. He tracked the puck the way he needed to track the puck. If he couldn’t see through traffic at times, he just stayed big and pucks hit him. Overall, I thought it was a good step in the right direction for him as we start to push into training camp.”

• Porter Martone, Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk were among the healthy scratches.

The Flyers likely didn’t feel the need to play their top prospects in both games. According to a source, Martone, Barkey and Bonk are expected to play Sunday (5:05 p.m. ET). Any kind of game action is valuable when you consider the preseason is only four games and the regular season has an early start.

“It is a shortened preseason this year,” Martone said Friday. “I’ve never done an NHL training camp. Just trying to get those reps, so when the regular season does start and hopefully I do crack the lineup, I’m ready to go and I’m ready to be successful.”

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