Fear Not: The Flyers Will Bounce Back Better Than Ever
Well Philadelphia Flyers fans, this strange season came to an end with a Game 7 loss to the New York Islanders in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
Sure, the team’s performance was not good in Game 7, to say the least, but for whatever reason, many Flyers fans took to social media and blasted the team, asking for almost everyone to be traded away and to have others fired.
While yes, the season ended in disappointment, we can’t be too upset, in part because of the huge strides forward the team took this season.
This season, the Flyers poured the cement foundation of the Championship Kingdom they are building.
Although it may not seem like it now to most fans because the wound is still so fresh, there’s no doubt the Flyers took a huge step forward this season. First off, let’s remember that prior to the start of the season, most “experts” had the Flyers on the outside of the playoff picture. In fact, most of them had the Flyers finishing behind both the Devils and Rangers. Many fans were upset that the Flyers bypassed Joel Quenneville in favor of Alain Vigneault as their hire for the team’s new head coach. I don’t think too many people are upset about that now.
The upgrade from Hakstol to Vigneault is ENORMOUS. Let’s remember that in the 2018-19 season, the Flyers finished well out of the playoffs and were a .500 team with 82 points in 82 games. The Flyers went from that to being a real powerhouse in the league.
So much so, that they secured the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
This season, the Flyers had many really nice surprises. First off on defense, how can anyone not be impressed with the play of the young “Twin Towers” the Flyers have in Travis Sanheim and Phil Myers? They’re big, really big at 6’3” and 6’5” respectively. From the moment they were paired together, they have been incredible. They’ve both showed they can put up offensive numbers and are both defensively sound. They solidified themselves as the teams’ 2nd pairing for the next dozen years. After a disastrous 2018-19 season, Ivan “Drago” Provorov was back to his normal self this season. He’s the clear-cut leader of the team’s defense and was incredible all year and took it up a notch in the playoffs, scoring some huge goals including one in 2OT. Everyone’s favorite whipping boy, Robert Hagg put all his nay-sayers in his pocket. He was out there blocking shots and being really effective defensively on a nice bounce-back season for him. Niskanen and Braun came in and did what was expected of them when they were brought in last summer.
On offense, Couturier was well on pace for his third consecutive 70-point season. Travis Konecny scored 24 goals for the second year in a row and could have hit 30 had the season not been shortened due to COVID. Kevin Hayes was an unbelievable pickup. He’s by far the best player that came out of the UFA class from last summer. JVR and Voracek both turned their games into complete games under Vigneault, where not only are they offensive guys, but they are very responsible players on the defensive side of the puck. Guys like Aube-Kubel and Farabee have solidified themselves a position on this team and are the type of guys you need to be successful in this league. NAK can be one of the best third liners in hockey and Farabee can be as well as he matures into a second and perhaps a first liner.
Is this the first offseason in like 30 years where the Flyers, the media, and their fans all aren’t worried about the goaltending position?
Carter Hart, even at the tender age of 22 has proven himself to be one of the very best in the NHL.
He outplayed his childhood idol Carey Price in the first round, even recording 2 shutouts in the process. He’s been just as good as his billing had him being and he’s only going to get better. Hart finished the season with a 2.42 GAA and a .914 SV%. His ability to bounce back after a loss, his cool, calm demeanor, his incredible positioning, and his knack for making highlight real saves is just jaw-dropping.
And let’s not forget that guys like Nolan Patrick, Morgan Frost, and a 100% healthy Oskar Lindblom will all be part of this team next season. Taking a step back, and looking at the season 2019-20 that was, the Flyers exceeded our expectations. However, with that they now have HUGE expectations going into next season and there is no doubt in my mind that they will be contending for the Eastern Conference title.
The Flyers will have to learn how to win together as a group in the playoffs, and with Alain Vigneault at the helm, there is no doubt they will learn from this year’s run and will be poised to make a run for the Stanley Cup in 2021 and beyond.
Featured Image: NBCSports/James O'Brien
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