Philadelphia Flyers: BryzNasty-Ilya Bryzgalov Leading 2nd-Half March to Playoffs

There is a good bit in common between Philadelphia goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov and former Phoenix Coyotes teammate, winger Paul Bissonette. Neither of them are counted on for goal scoring, both are good for a fantastic sound byte when a microphone is put in their face, both have great Twitter feeds and both happen to be 6'3''.

OK, so there's not that much in common between the two, but they are tied in the scoring column at one point on the year (Bissonette with a goal, Bryzgalov with an assist Saturday night). Head-to-head career-wise, Bissonette holds an eight to six points edge over Bryz, but that could change as the Flyers keeper finds himself on the ice a good bit more these days.

If the Vezina Trophy were awarded after the All-Star break, Ilya Bryzgalov would have to be the favorite. Posting a 14-4-3 record with a 1.64 GAA and five shutouts, the Russian import has made the Flyer faithful forget about a rough first half of the season. While the Atlantic division hosts resident stalwarts Henrik Lundqvist, Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Brodeur, the Flyers netminder has been stealing headlines and games for the Broad Street crew.

Saturday night's 4-1 win over sinking Montreal was another showcase for Bryz as he stopped 23-of-24 Canadien shots, and got on the score sheet with a secondary assist on Danny Briere's game-winner in the second period. The Flyers have won 10 of 13 contests in March and have closed the gap on the Rangers to five points, and Penguins to two.

So what is the secret to Bryzgalov's recent success? Flyers goalie coach Jeff Reese says it's a combination of Bryzgalov feeling more comfortable and confident.

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"I think he's just more comfortable in his environment," said Reese, "But the biggest thing for me - and it started on the West Coast swing - he just started to get his confidence. We can look for the magic bullet, and the meetings and everything, but it's just confidence."

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While it was no secret that the Philadelphia fans were growing weary of the Russian's eccentricities during his rough patches, his new swagger has brought optimism to the Wells Fargo Arena. The Flyer's explosive scoring has tapered off a bit, but so have the telltale soft goals allowed in their defensive end that used to haunt the Philly defense.

With some nagging injuries in the rear view mirror, the Flyers appear to be getting healthy at the right time of the year. They probably don't expect much more offensive contributions from their resilient goalie this year, and Bryz probably won't have to look over his shoulder in the scoring tables for Bissonette. As long as he stays "comfortable and confident," Philly fans have to feel the same about their chances in the playoffs.