Alexei Kolosov helped with the playoff push for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He won his second straight game when he was with the team about three weeks ago. Kolosov really has elevated his game, since returning back to Lehigh.
Even so much so, Kolosov appeared to be finding his groove at the right time, as he posted a .964 Save Percentage in one game. In two starts, Kolosov garnered a combined .938 Save Percentage, and posted a 2-0 record at one point.
Kolosov earned a recall to the Flyers about two weeks ago. It’s to my understanding before he went to back to Lehigh for this last stint, that he indeed loved Lehigh. It was only getting better for him, when a Russian in Nikita Grebenkin joined the Phantoms.
What has been a bit perplexing, and possibly the weirdest situation of the season thus far for the Flyers is their handling/usage of Kolosov. Strange recalls all season long, coupled with using their recall on him.
It has no become apparent that firmer Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella wanted to recall Kolosov, when Ivan Fedotov was struggling. Tortorella deemed Fedotov as the third goalie, again, and he would only use Fedotov in emergency situations. Tortorella wanted to win, and that was the main disconnect with him and the front office. Now that Interim Head Coach Brad Shaw is at the helm. He indeed plans to get Kolosov some game action.
“We plan on playing him,” Flyers Interim Head Coach Brad Shaw said if Kolosov. “There is lots of different scenarios right now, so we are not sure when that is, but we anticipate him playing.”
As a young netminder in Kolosov, like most goalies, he needs time to develop. He appeared to be confident moving laterally from post to post well in his last stint in Lehigh, and he appeared to make the hard saves look routine. Kolosov just needed time to develop.
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