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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Before the season began, many pundits and hockey publications predicted the Flyers would be drinking from Lord Stanley's Cup come June, putting an end to the 35-year drought. They are the chosen ones, or so they tell us.
Not at all satisfied with a first-round playoff exit at the hands of their hated cross-state rival Pittsburgh Penguins, general manager Paul Holmgren was very busy in the offseason.
He remade the team in his image, bringing in perennial All-Star defenseman Chris Pronger and the in-your-face Ian Laperriere. Between the pipes, the much-maligned Ray Emery was lured back from Russia with the temptation of a starting job for a Cup contender at a very reasonable $1.5 million.
Holmgren needed to shed some salary and open up some roster spots for all of this to happen.
Gone are Luca Sbisa, Joffrey Lupul, Martin Biron, Antero Niittymaki, and Mike Knuble.
Enter Pronger, Emery, Laperriere, Blair Betts, James Van Riemsdyk, Brian Boucher, and Mika Pyorala. That's a whole lot of turnover in one year.
So, what can we say about the Flyers after 10 games?
How about "consistency is seriously encouraged?"
For those who aren't aware, that statement is a play on a note that Stevens pinned up in the dressing room during training camp proclaiming that "lateness" was "seriously discouraged." That's almost like saying "winning" is "mostly appreciated."
It is a strange message by itself; it is even more bizarre in training camp, when the coach can really set the tone for the rookies and camp hopefuls. This tone says "Mixing Red Bull with alcohol is dangerous." Everyone knows it, but no one really believes it.
After a promising 3-0-0 start, the Flyers have gone 2-4-1. The two wins are sandwiched between three-game and two-game losing streaks. They just do not seem able to put together a consistent effort game in and game out.
The numbers so far:
Games played: 10.
Record: 5-4-1.
Points: 11.
Division: 4th.
Conference: T-8th.
Goals for: 33 (T-12th).
Goals against: 31 (10th).
Home record: 3-2-1.
Away record: 2-2-0.
The Good
Ray Emery
A goaltender with something to prove, he started the season with a bang by blanking the Carolina Hurricanes, 2-0, in his first regular season game for the Flyers.
Since then, he has started all but one of the Flyers' first 10 games and has shown flashes of brilliance. He's made the kinds of saves that you expect of a high-level goaltender as well as those timely and jaw-dropping saves that mark the difference between a contender and a pretender.
His numbers are quite pedestrian, but that is more reflective on the team in front of him rather than Emery himself. He has been hung out to dry on a number of occasions, and has bailed his teammates out more often than not.
That's not to say there aren't a few goals Emery would like to have back, but he hasn't let in any cheap goals.
Know this: If the Flyers falter this year, it will not be because Emery is not a capable goaltender. If he keeps his head on straight, he can lead this team far.
Emery's numbers:
Games played: 9.
Record: 5-3-1.
Shutouts: 1.
GAA: 2.62 (15th, min. 3 GP).
Save %: .906 (22nd, min. 3 GP).
Grade: A
Mike Richards
There's nothing he can't do on the ice. He scores, runs the powerplay, kills penalties, can thread a beautiful pass through a crowd of opposing players, he hits and fights to get his team and the crowd riled up, and he stands up for teammates.
He is one of the most complete players in the NHL, and the Flyers made the right move in locking him up long term.
His numbers so far this year put him on pace for 49 goals and 90 points. The only negative stat is his faceoff percentage (47.3 percent), which simply has to be better for a top center in the NHL.
Off the ice, however, there have been some interesting grumbles lately about his reported silent treatment toward the media.
Unhappy about the way some personal issues were aired in public—read: the alleged "partying" attitude of some of the players—he resorted to one-word answers.
Regardless of who's right or who's wrong on the issue, there are certainly more professional ways for a captain to handle the media. He could have addressed those concerns head-on and put them to rest.
By using the silent treatment, Richards only brought more attention to himself and to the issue.
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