NHL 2011-12: Is It Sunny in Philadelphia for the Flyers?

This Thursday, the FX network will air the premiere of the seventh season of the hit show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  Philadelphia is a difficult city to impress, and one of the few things that garners more praise and attention than the popular television show is the city’s hockey team, the Philadelphia Flyers.

From the team’s near-miss at the Stanley Cup Finals in 2010 to a premature exit in 2011 and a roster shakeup before free agency, the Flyers have had their moments where things look as sunny as the show’s title and as cringe-worthy as the characters’ unpredictable escapades. 

So what will 2011-12 bring?  Will things be sunny in Philly?  Or will the Flyers flounder during the season, looking like a bunch of…jabronis?

The Good News

For the gang in It’s Always Sunny, their chances of being flip-cup champions were consistently ruined when Dee inevitably folded under pressure, unable to get her cup to land and jeopardizing the entire team’s chances. 

Year after year, the Flyers have found their Dee Reynolds in the crease; in one way or another, the goaltender always seemed to choke under pressure.  The most blatant recent example was the weak goal Michael Leighton allowed to Patrick Kane in Game 6 of the 2010 Finals, but the problems go back to the days of Ron Hextall and Garth Snow being shuffled in net during the 1997 Finals.

In the show, the gang solves their problem simply by poisoning the beer, resulting in massive stomach problems for the opposing team (and their leadoff drinker, Dee).  The Flyers didn’t get quite so nefarious with their goalie problems, but Paul Holmgren did make a bold move by making his rising star Sergei Bobrovsky among the highest paid backups in the league in order to sign Phoenix’s Ilya Bryzgalov to a whopping nine-year deal.

Another major issue for the Flyers in the playoffs last season was the health of Chris Pronger.  Pronger had so many surgeries and injury rehabilitations that he looked comparable to the Aluminum Monster during the team’s first-round series against Buffalo, channeling Dee’s high school days dealing with her own health issues.

Currently, Pronger is on pace to be ready for the team’s season opener, and you can bet no teammate or opponent will dare speak to the 6’6” defenseman the way the gang talks to Dee.

With Pronger a leader in the locker room, some of the rumored issues that existed when Mike Richards was the team’s captain may be put to rest entirely. 

If you believe the media speculation, Richards apparently refused to speak to coach Peter Laviolette during at least one stretch last season, if not more frequently.  Richards’ absence will make it easier for Laviolette to influence the young players coming up through the Flyers' system.

Laviolette is entering his second full year as coach and appears poised to successfully institute the L.A.V.Y. System to the best of his ability.

Locker Room Discipline.

Attack the Defense.

Vocal Leadership.

Youthful Energy.

If Laviolette can apply his philosophy with even a fraction of the commitment that Dennis Reynolds has to the D.E.N.N.I.S. System, the Flyers will look like one of the most dangerous teams in the league. 

The Bad News

In an episode during the sixth season of It’s Always Sunny, the gang kicked Charlie out of the group in favor of a character played by Jason Sudeikis, who had apparently been a close friend in the group’s younger years. 

This offseason, the Flyers found themselves in need of some veteran experience on the wing, and opted not to sign Ville Leino but instead take a chance on their own familiar face: former division rival Jaromir Jagr.

As the It’s Always Sunny gang slowly came to the realization that Sudeikis’ character had been kicked out of the group for a reason, Flyers fans are hoping that they don’t similarly regret offering the former stud a second chance in the NHL. 

If Paul Holmgren has been seduced by nostalgic memories of Jagr’s time in the NHL, he may find a rude awakening when the reality of Jagr’s age and time in Europe becomes clear.  Mac and Dennis were able to successfully lure Charlie back to the group; for the Flyers, Ville Leino won’t be making a return to the team anytime soon.

Fans of the show are familiar with Rob McElhenney’s character “Mac,” who talks a tough game and loves referencing his workout routine and martial arts skills.  However, for as tough as Mac likes to believe he is, viewers constantly find him backing down when the going gets tough, best showcased when he left Charlie hanging out to dry when the two agreed to attack and intimidate Dennis and Dee’s biological father.

With a roster now lacking Darroll Powe, Mike Richards and Dan Carcillo, the young Flyers offensive corps runs a similar risk of not being able to back up the Broad Street Bullies reputation and turning into a soft team playing in a very rough division.

With three highly competitive teams in the division and the likes of Matt Cooke, Mike Rupp and Anton Volchenkov pushing opponents around, the Flyers will need to make sure they have their own Dayman to fight the Nightmen they will deal with anytime they face a divisional opponent.  Tom Sestito and Zac Rinaldo may not need to be masters of karate, but they had better be ready to drop the gloves and throw the body around.

The Ultimate Goal

Let’s face it, since the days of Fred Shero and Bobby Clarke, the Flyers' trophy case has been emptier than Paddy’s Pub after they started checking IDs.   

And while Flyers fans still show up for every game and believe every year is “the year,” each playoff loss becomes more and more excruciating while the organization waits for a return to glory.  Meanwhile, teams with apathetic fanbases like Tampa Bay and Anaheim have gotten their trophies, a scenario more frustrating than being bested by the McPoyles. 

2011-12 marks a new era for the Flyers, one that sees the team invested in young up-and-comers and a more disciplined squad backed by a solid goaltender. 

The approach is fresh and new. It is another chance for the Flyers to track down the ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup.  And as Charlie’s pursuit of The Waitress has taught us, no matter how many times you fail—no matter how many seasons end in disappointment—you never stop persevering in your quest for what you truly desire.

The Flyers will get their Cup one of these years, maybe even this year.  I’m not sure the same can be said for poor Charlie.