Philadelphia Flyers: Where Can We Find 52 Goals?

In the weeks and days leading up to the NHL Entry Draft (followed closely by free agency), I spent my nights praying for peace in the Middle East, a decent Transformers sequel, and a salary cap large enough to bring back Joffrey Lupul and Mike Knuble while still leaving enough room for the Flyers to fill their defensive and goal tending needs.

I don't think I need to inform you that God ignored my prayers during those weeks.

Putting international relations and Michael Bay's butchering of my childhood television series aside, I was fearful that the loss of a pair of 25+ goal scorers would spell doom for the Flyers in 2009-10.

In 2008-09, the team scored a total of 264 goals, making them one of the higher-scoring teams in the National Hockey League (in fact, only three teams scored more goals over the course of the season).  Those 264 goals only earned the team a five seed in the East, and a first-round exit from the playoffs.

Take away the 52 that Knuble and Lupul brought to the team, and how exactly are these guys going to compete with Pittsburgh, Boston, Washington and the rest of the Eastern Conference this year?

Here we sit, a few weeks later, and I've had some time to think.  And I think everything is going to be okay.

Maybe we don't have the offensive depth we had last year, but we're not just losing talent here.  We're gaining some, too.

Claude Giroux spent the second half of the season, as well as the short playoff run, proving to Flyers fans that he is the real deal.  Giroux will undoubtedly be on the Flyers' roster on opening day, and you can expect to see him filling the roles of goal-scorer, passer, penalty-killer and power play specialist over the course of the season. 

I would not be shocked if Giroux exceeded Lupul's 25 goals from last season, and look for him to put up more assists than either of the two departed forwards.  And those numbers, while lofty, become more plausible with the triumphant return of...

Danny Briere.

Flyers fans will debate Briere's worth for as long as his contract is weighing down the team, but the fact of the matter is that Briere is here to stay for quite some time.  And while he's here, he can and will be an asset on the power play, assuming that he stays healthy.

But the Flyers' most important addition concerning the 52-goal vacuum is the acquisition of Chris Pronger.

No, Pronger is not going to put up Knuble-like numbers on the stat sheet.  But, his presence on the blue line will be invaluable both offensively and defensively.

In his own zone, look for Pronger to be a shut-down defenseman, something the Flyers have desperately needed.  He will take pressure away from goalies Ray Emery and Brian Boucher by clearing out the front of the net and shutting down the top forwards of opponents. 

So, even if the Flyers don't score 264 goals, we can be confident that they won't be giving up 238 of them this season, either.

Most importantly, the Flyers have needed a slap shot on the point for years.  Pronger will be useful on the power play, as well as at even strength, because the Flyers will be able to shoot the puck from anywhere.  In 2008-09, the point shot was not much of a threat from the Flyers, which allowed defenses to clog the slot.

The only real point threat on the Flyers' power play was Mike Richards, who would typically position himself as a second defenseman instead of a center when the team was on the power play.

Even so, Richards' slap shot hasn't been anything to write home about, and by placing him on the blue line, the Flyers' power play unit lost a valuable passer down low.  Pronger's presence will change the entire complexion of the man advantage for the Orange and Black.

By forcing opponents to respect the point shot (and thus spreading out the penalty killers), passers like Richards, Briere and Giroux will have more room to move the puck and find openings, and scorers like Carter and Gagne will find more shooting lanes.  Furthermore, with Pronger blasting pucks from the point, power forwards like Scott Hartnell and (keep your fingers crossed) potentially James VanRiemsdyk will have more opportunities for rebounds and deflections.

These facts will be most evident on the power play, but Pronger's rocket shot will also have a similar effect when playing five-on-five.

Under the Flyers' old system, which involved playing down low and crashing the net, losing a shooter like Lupul and a hard-nosed forward like Knuble would be devastating. 

However, the presence of Chris Pronger brings a new offensive system to Philadelphia, and one that I believe will give Philly's forwards more room to pass, shoot and score.

The loss of 52 goals is always tough, but Philly's off-season moves have made this team better.  The emergence of Claude Giroux, the return of Danny Briere, the presence of Chris Pronger, and maybe even a few surprises along the way (JVR?) will keep up the offensive firepower of the 08-09 Flyers, while also helping the team step up its defensive intensity.

So now, the only thing I pray for each night before going to sleep is that Ray Emery can live up to Paul Holmgren's expectations...

Let's hope that isn't too much to ask.