3 Reasons the Philadelphia Flyers Won't Make Stanley Cup Finals

The Philadelphia Flyers are one of the Eastern Conference's top contenders, but there are already some troublesome signs that could end up derailing a memorable season. Here are the top three hurdles that will eventually catch up with the Flyers.

Goaltending

Ilya Bryzgalov was acquired from the Phoenix Coyotes with hopes of solving the team's woes in net. Things haven't worked out as the Flyers hoped, however, as Bryzgalov has struggled and will be replaced by Sergei Bobrovsky for the Winter Classic.

Sturdy play between the pipes is essential come playoff time because every team starts to utilize a more conservative approach. If Bryzgalov isn't able to find his bearings in the season's second half, Philadelphia won't be able to survive a journey to the finals.

Injuries

The Flyers have already lost one of the game's best leaders in Chris Pronger to a concussion that won't allow him to play again this season. That's a major loss on the blue line for a team that's struggling to keep the puck out of its net.

Add in the fact that leading scorer Claude Giroux has also suffered a concussion this season (he's since returned), and things are starting to get a little dicey. If Giroux were to suffer another significant shot to the head which caused him to miss an extended period, the Flyers wouldn't be able to make up for it.

Stiff Competition

There is no shortage of contenders in the East. The New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins are probably the three biggest threats to Philadelphia's Stanley Cup dreams. All three of those teams have a lot more confidence in their goalies than the Flyers.

Then there are dark horses, which currently sit on the outside looking in at the playoff race, but could make some noise before April rolls around. Two teams to keep an eye on are the Washington Capitals, led by Alex Ovechkin, and the Buffalo Sabres, who took the Flyers to seven games last postseason.

Simply put, it won't be an easy road to the Stanley Cup Finals for one of the NHL's most exciting teams.