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76ers Building New Arena

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The ownership group of the Philadelphia 76ers and Comcast Spectacor on Monday announced plans to build a new arena in South Philadelphia that will open in 2031.

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The announcement of the new arena, which will also be home to the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, comes a day after the 76ers abandoned plans for a $1.3 billion arena in downtown Philadelphia. This arena is a 50-50 joint venture between Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and Comcast, which will have naming rights to the arena.

“Today’s announcement is great news for the City of Philadelphia,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a joint statement.

In addition, the venture will include a 50-50 effort between HBSE and Comcast to invest in the revitalization of Market East in Center City, where the new arena was originally slated to be built.

Sunday’s decision was a surprise, coming weeks after the city council voted to approve the NBA team’s move to Center City. However, Chinatown residents and activists had protested the project.

“By committing to both investments, the partnership will create thousands of jobs, generate billions of dollars in economic activity for the city, region and state, and enhance commitments to create economic opportunity in neighborhoods across Philadelphia,” the joint statement reads.

The Sixers and Flyers currently play in the Wells Fargo Center, which is owned by Comcast Spectacor. Their lease expires in 2031.

The new arena in South Philly will also host touring acts and special events.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Top Flyers in 2OT

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Pavel Zacha scored his second overtime game-winning goal in three games to propel the Boston Bruins past the visiting Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 on Saturday afternoon. The game was the first of a day-night, hockey-basketball doubleheader at TD Garden.

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After Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman (23 saves) stopped a Joel Farabee breakaway to extend the extra session, David Pastrnak curled around the net and fed Zacha for the back-door finish to decide the game at the 2:49 mark.

Trent Frederic posted his second multi-goal effort of the season before Brad Marchand’s tying goal for Boston, which has won four straight.

Matvei Michkov gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead in the first period, becoming the first NHL rookie to reach the double-digit goal plateau this season.

Cam York also scored, Travis Sanheim had two assists and Aleksei Kolosov made 27 stops for Philadelphia, which has lost back-to-back games (0-1-1) following a 4-0-1 run.

Marchand found the tying goal with 5:22 left in regulation, going five-hole on Kolosov after corralling a Justin Brazeau pass down the wall to even the score at 3-3.

The game reached overtime despite Boston earning three power plays in the third period — all after Frederic scored for a second time at the 5:18 mark, netting the deflection of a Charlie Coyle shot in the slot.

The Bruins had a 31-26 advantage in shots.

Michkov buried two of Philadelphia’s first six shots, opening the scoring with a power-play goal at 7:24 of the first. After Emil Andrae had his straight-on try blocked, Sean Couturier directed a loose puck to Michkov for a drive from the right circle.

The Flyers took a 2-0 lead when Sanheim fired a perfect cross-ice pass off the wall and right to Michkov, who charged down the wing and right to the top of the crease to bury the puck into an open side of Swayman’s net.

After Kolosov made a sliding pad save on Morgan Geekie, Boston continued to put pressure on during the power play and got within 2-1 on Frederic’s rebound tally at 5:26 of the middle frame. Mason Lohrei triggered the point shot that led to the goal.

York reestablished Philadelphia’s two-goal lead with 4:31 left in the second, taking Sanheim’s low-to-high feed and beating Swayman with a wrist shot from the top of the right dot.

–Field Level Media

Flyers Blank Bruins, 2-0

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Samuel Ersson made 23 saves en route to his first shutout of the season as the Philadelphia Flyers beat the host Boston Bruins 2-0 on Tuesday. Tyson Foerster netted the game-winning goal in the second period, and Joel Farabee added a last-minute empty-netter.

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The Flyers have won two of their last three games since a six-game losing streak (0-5-1).

Emil Andrae had the primary assist on Foerster’s game-opening goal. It was the 22-year-old Swedish defenseman’s first career point in his sixth NHL game, his second contest this season.

Joonas Korpisalo made 17 saves for the Bruins, who have won just one of their past four (0-3-1). That span includes a pair of shutout losses.

Prior to Tuesday, the Bruins had earned at least a point in 20 consecutive home games vs. the Flyers since March 17, 2012.

The Bruins had a 24-19 shot advantage but finished 0-for-4 on the power play. Just three of their shots came in the third period.

Foerster broke the scoreless deadlock 5:32 into the second. Andrae slipped a pass from the half-wall through traffic and right to Foerster between the circles, where a straight-on wrist shot beat Korpisalo.

The Bruins had a prime scoring opportunity before the game was six minutes old but were unable to convert on 1:37 of five-on-three time.

On the other end, Korpisalo made a big save on Garnet Hathaway, who shot off a two-on-one break with Scott Laughton out of the penalty box.

One of Ersson’s best saves of the opening period came with 5:21 left when a crisp passing sequence resulted in Elias Lindholm getting a point-blank chance at the left post.

Ersson did not see a shot on goal on either of Boston’s last two power plays, including attempts in both the second and third frames.

The opening minutes of the third saw 19-year-old Flyers star Matvei Michkov attempt a lacrosse-style goal, only to be thwarted by Korpisalo, while Ersson pounced on a loose puck that Brad Marchand threw on from behind the goal line during a short-handed sequence.

–Field Level Media

 

Sixers Contemplate New Arena for ’31

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Wire Report) – Will there be the “Fashion Street Bullies” of the NBA? The Philadelphia 76ers organization is proposing a privately funded new arena in the downtown, intended to be complete by the time the Sixers’ lease expires at the Wells Fargo Center in 2031, a building largely run by the parent group of the Philadelphia Flyers, once known as the “Broad Street Bullies,” because of the old Philly Spectrum’s location.

“We’re committed to building a world-class home in the heart of the city and creating a privately-funded arena that strengthens ties within the local community,” said Josh Harris, the Sixers’ managing partner.

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At 18,000 seats, the capacity of the new indoor arena would shrink by about 2,000 compared to the Wells Fargo Center.

The project is a joint venture between the Sixers, the Fashion District shopping center’s California-based operator Macerich, and Philadelphia real estate magnate David Adelman, the owner of Campus Apartments.

Car parking would be an issue at the new location, especially for fans travelling from southern New Jersey, Delaware and suburban Pennsylvania.

NHL: Bruins Drop Key Game to Philly

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PHILADELPHIA – Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk each scored goals but the Boston Bruins lost a key road game to the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon at Wells Fargo Center.

Boston back-up goalkeeper Jeremy Swayman made his third straight start and stopped 20 shots in the loss. No. 1 goaltender, Tuukka Rask could return today (April 11).

Not only did the Bruins lose the game but they also saw one of their top defenseman go down with an injury in the first period of play.

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Cassidy said the loss of defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to what the team simply listed as an upper-body injury in the first period likely contributed to the Bruins’ limitations. The 27-year- old was playing on the top pairing for the Bruins battered defensive corp, already depleted by injuries to Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo. Grzelcyk is listed as day-to-day.

“We lost another defenseman early; it’s happened to us a lot this year,” said Cassidy. “You’re leaning on other guys, a guy we rely on in Grizz – power play situations, we saw the effect of that.”

Boston went 0 for 4 on the power play, including two missed opportunities in the third period as the Bruins attempted to tie the game.

Philadelphia’s Sean Couturier scored near the midway point of the third period to break a tie and the Flyers picked up a critical 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

Flyers goalkeeper Brian Elliott stopped 30 shots for Philadelphia, which moved within four points of Boston for the fourth and final playoff spot in the NHL’s East Division. The Bruins have two games in hand on the Flyers with Philadelphia having 16 games remaining. The two teams have completed their regular-season series.

Boston plays divisional rival Washington today.