Philadelphia Flyers: Can They Finally Win The Stanley Cup?
Flashback to June...Michael Leighton lets that puck somehow slip through his pads and go into the net. The Chicago Blackhawks win the finals! The Stanley Cup was denied its seemingly destined return to South Philadelphia. Patrick Kane's routine shot meant a sixth straight Cup finals loss for the Flyers. Replays of old Broad Street Bully films remain the only way fans have to experience what it must be like to be a champion.
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Goaltending remains the shaky foundation upon which this Philadelphia team is built. Goalies, such as the departed Ray Emery, veteran Brian Boucher, and injured Michael Leighton are serviceable, but they have not been consistent in past seasons. Health and performance issues have continued to dog this team, as Leighton begins this season on injured reserve.
Meanwhile, the Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks begin the 2010-2011 season after having been “salary-capped” over the summer by management. The jettisoning of numerous players like Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg, Andrew Ladd, Brent Sopel, and Antti Niemi allowed highly paid key stars to remain, but seems to put their chances of repeating in jeopardy. The likelihood that a vastly different complimentary corps, backed by veteran goalie Marty Turco, can win another cup seems as questionable as Rahm Emanuel's Chi-town mayoral-bid explanation.
Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren must have looked around the lockeroom after that final game and knew that change had to come. He has gone all in on defense this time around. This strategy saw him hand productive, but possibly deteriorating, veteran winger Simon Gagne a one-way ticket to Tampa Bay. Defenseman Matt Walker greeted Gags at the airport on his way North. A few weeks prior to that decision Holmgren added the Lightning's key defenseman, Andrej Mezaros, in exchange for a draft pick.
At the beginning of July the team inked a veteran, who Chris Pronger shares a Stanley Cup ring with, in Sean O'Donnell. Ranger's tough guy winger Jody Shelley was also signed to an initially questionable three-year deal. He is a nice compliment to Dan Carcillo. Carcillo is a good fighter and has a scoring touch when he plays disciplined hockey.
Shelley will take over for Ian Laperrier in the guts department. Laperrier has been unable to overcome horrific face injuries that have left him with post-concussion syndrome and vision problems. Obviously the Flyers brain trust considered this possibility when the Shelley decision was made. Kimmo Timonen, Matt Carle, and Braydon Coburn round out as impressive a defensive corp as their is in the game.
This team remains four lines deep offensively as well. Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, Ville Leino, and Scott Hartnell form a solid returning core. When you factor in what one year of experience may mean for James van Riemsdyk's ice acumen and the potential that newly added Nikoay Zherdev brings, the Flyers has fashioned a unit that can hit the back of the net with gusto.
Zerdhev has been impressive in camp. He has dazzled with nifty moves befitting a scoring star. A low-risk gamble who, if physically healthy and mentally motivated, can score 30+ goals and replace Gagne's production.
Now, what about Bob? “Bob” is the nickname of twenty-two year-old goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Playing for Mettalurg in the KHL last season, this net minder recorded an impressive .919 save percentage. He has an assertive presence and covers all parts of the net with ease. The team's confidence in him was foreshadowed when he was signed to a three-year entry level contract in May. With incentives the deal could be worth up to $5.25 million. After a strong training camp he was tapped to start the season opener in Pittsburgh.
Johan Backlund had been on track to be given a chance in goal this season. However, lingering affects of hip surgery, required due to an injury he suffered during a game with the Flyers last season, meant that he found himself going backwards through waivers to the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL. So, this 29 year-old's future may be in limbo. But, with the Flyers merry-go-round between the pipes, he also could find himself returning to Philadelphia at any point.
Finally, let's look behind the bench. Head coach Peter Laviolette physically looks nothing like former head coach Ken Hitchcock. But, as a leader, he is very similar to Hitch. He knows how to place guys in roles that are suited for them. This group will buy into his system, once again, because he made them winners. That sells easily in the room.
This team has the horses to withstand injury on offense, defense, and in goal. With a normal spell of health, they should be one of the top teams in their division, the conference, and the league. This group of Bullies from Broad Street will arrive at the playoff doorstep next Spring. There should be nothing preventing them from walking through that door and taking another run at the Cup. Whether Lord Stanley will finally accept their longstanding invitation to return to Philadelphia and live in their neighborhood is still not clear.
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