Philadelphia Flyers 2013-14 Season Preview

2013 Recap
Good lord. Where do I start? This team was downright bad last year. The Flyers were poor at even-strength, the defense was a mess, injuries decimated the team and the goaltending was once again a disaster. Needless to say, the Flyers didn’t make the playoffs.

So how did they improve to get back to the playoffs? Paul Holmgren made a mockery of the salary cap, spent a ton of money of forwards, some more money on an old defenseman, and brought in a goalie that went unbeaten in regulation off the bench for the best hockey team the league has seen in years. At least he did SOMETHING right in buying out Ilya Bryzgalov and Danny Briere, but everyone expected that to happen.

So now that they’re finally healthy and the circus brought on by Bryzgalov is gone, are they better off for it?

Give me a reason to post a picture of a guy with a sweet mustache, and I’m going to take it. Claude Giroux has plenty to prove heading into an Olympic year.

Forwards
Perhaps only the Penguins can say they boast a group of forwards as dangerous as this one. Not something you’d expect to hear about a team that missed the playoffs.

Claude Giroux is back from a freak golfing injury, and is joined by a stellar supporting cast that features Scott Hartnell, Wayne Simmonds, etc. I like the addition of Vincent Lecavalier to the second line. While he may not be the offensive he once was, he’s still an effective player that will help the team out. Jakub Voracek had a great year last year, but he’s been hurt for most of the preseason.

Guys like Matt Read, Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier and Max Talbot are all capable of scoring from the third and fourth lines. Zac Rinaldo is still on the team, and will probably be suspended more often than not.

Defense
When healthy, this defensive unit isn’t bad. But health was a big problem last year. Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Luke Schenn and new Flyer Mark Streit make up the top-four. Nicklas Grossmann and the oft-injured Andrej Meszaros make up the remainder of the top-six.

Again, not an awful unit, but they can’t afford to suffer any serious injuries. They have a nice mix of physical guys and pucker movers, but they all need to be better to keep the focus off the goaltending.

Who am I kidding? There will always be complaints about the goaltending.

Goaltending
I don’t hate the move to bring back Ray Emery. He had a nice year with Chicago last year and the Flyers got him for a good price. But he ain’t playing behind the defensive juggernaut that the Hawks had last year. He and Steve Mason are going to be tested alot this year. Mason was good after being traded to Philly, but that was for a team heading nowhere. It will be fun to see how they both fare in a full year in goaltending hell. But wake me when someone starts talking about bears in the forest. I demand to be entertained!

The Hat Trick

1. Even Strength Nightmares
Did you know the Flyers finished in the top-10 in both special team areas this year? I didn’t until I actually looked. That just goes to show how bad they were at 5-on-5 last year. Since that’s where most of the game is played, the Flyers need to clean up their act in order to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot.

2. Who Carries the Mail in Goal?
Some things never change. I expect the Flyers to use a platoon in net until further notice. At some point, I expect Emery to earn the bulk of the starts. But how will they both fare behind a questionable defense? Man is it gonna be fun to watch.

3. All About Giroux
I don’t know if there’s a player in the league that has more to prove this year than Claude Giroux. After being touted as the “best player in the world” after the team’s win over Pittsburgh in 2012, Giroux had a bit of a rough year in 2013. Now he has some incentive not only to re-establish himself as a player that’s at the same level as Sidney Crosby, but he’s in the mix to represent Canada in the Olympics. I expect a big year from Giroux, who is one of the most entertaining players in the league to watch.

Prediction
They’ll score alot, but they’ll give up alot of goals. In this division, that’s a recipe for trouble. I think the Flyers will be in the mix for a playoff spot, but come up just short. Fifth in Metropolitan.

Must-Follow Flyers Twitter Account
Follow Scott Hartnell and enjoy his special brand of self-deprecation. Just do it.

–I am Ryan Thomas, and these previews are only gonna get shorter. Follow me on Twitter @rthomas_22, because I could use the followers.

2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers

A Look Back at 2010-11
Coming off a surprise trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers looked to get back to bring Philly the franchise’s third Cup. The offense was stellar, the defense held up reasonably well, despite not having Chris Pronger for long periods of time due to injury. Even the goaltending appeared to be headed in a new direction as young Sergei Bobrovsky performed at an All-Star level for the first part of the season. *Knock knock* Oh, hold on, someone’s at the door, I’ll be right back. Hello? IT’S THE PHILLY CURSE BITCH, AND I’M BACK AGAIN! Sure enough, the wheels fell off the Flyers net, Bobrovsky had trouble handling the long NHL season, Brian Boucher was inconsistent, and Mike Leighton was hurt most of the year. Because of that, they went from a lock as the East’s top seed to a two-seed. Not bad, but not where they should have been. Their goaltending roller coaster continued into the playoffs, as three goaltenders were used, and not because of injury. That’s bad. Real bad. Had it not been for some poor play by Buffalo, they shouldn’t have gone as far as they did. Boston wiped them out and barely broke a sweat. Oh what could have been… Final Grade: D

A Look Ahead to 2011-12

Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek, have some big shoes to fill in Philly.

Forwards

Heading into this offseason, I thought the Flyers were set at forward. Then, someone spiked GM Paul Holmgren’s drink one night and he dealt Mike Richards and Jeff Carter away during a “Hangover” style bender (at least that’s what I like to assume just for personal entertainment). I know they were looking to shed salary to sign a goalie, but that was borderline insanity. In all honesty, after stepping back and looking at the deals, they got maximum value in each, snagging Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier in the process. That’s a plus. The negative is that they’re much smaller and will have to rely on their speed. Think a better version of Montreal. But that skill is THICK with Danny Briere, Claude Giroux and Schenn likely to start the season at center. The wings also look much different with Jakub Voracek, and Wayne Simmonds joining Scott Hartnell and James van Riemsdyk, who is poised and ready to be a star in this league. Oh yeah, they signed some guy named Jagr too. Look, I know Jaromir Jagr used to be a top talent, and he even showed he still had something left in the 2010 Olympics. Can he do it in today’s league though? I’m skeptical, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Jagr as one of those turn-back-the-clock performances. Max Talbot comes over from Pittsburgh and joins Blair Betts, Andreas Nodl (another candidate to have a breakout year) and youngster Zac Rinaldo to provide some defense. They will miss Darroll Powe greatly, but these guys should still be fun to watch. Grade: B

Chris Pronger struggled with injuries last season. The Flyers need him to be healthy.

Defense
This area remains strong for the Flyers. They can still produce points and play with an edge. Chris Pronger absolutely has to stay healthy all year long. He’s still elite at his age, but his body can’t keep betraying him like this. Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Matt Carle and Andrej Meszaros will play every night. Timonen continues to be one of my personal favorites on D. He isn’t flashy, big or nasty, he’s just steady every year. Andreas Lilja is a veteran that can play in the final spot, but my money is on youngster Erik Gustafsson. He’s been good in the AHL, and I feel that he’s earned a chance to play with the big club. This defense isn’t getting any younger, so give the kid a chance to play. Grade: B+ (Still deep, still nasty)

Goaltending
Normally, this is where Philly fans would start tying a rope to their ceiling fan like a noose. Those people have seen more negative things written about their goaltending than anyone should have to (even me, and I’m a Sharks fan that had to sit through Evgeni Nabokov’s inevitable croak in the playoffs every year for nine years). Don’t believe me? Let’s look at some of the names that have seen significant time in the Philly net since Ron Hextall’s first tenure ended: Tommy Soderstrom, Brian Boucher, Sean Burke (at the end of his career), Pete Peeters (ditto), Hextall (again), Jeff Hackett, Ray Emery, Michael Leighton, Robert Esche (good before the lockout caused him to have a meltdown), Martin Biron (actually, he was OK), Antero Niittymaki, Garth Snow, John Vanbiesbrouck, and the always entertaining Roman Cechmanek. Know how many of those guys led the Flyers to at least the East finals? Only Esche in 2004, the Leighton-Boucher combo in 2010, Boucher on his own in 2000, and Hextall in 1995 and 1997.

My friend Kevin will now wander into oncoming traffic while holding two torches after covering himself in jet fuel. Sorry bro, I couldn’t help myself.

Ilya Bryzgalov got his money, now he has to be the stable goalie the Flyers haven't had for years

Now for the good news. Ilya Bryzgalov has arrived. Sure, the Flyers foolishly dealt two money centers to get him (only one would have worked), but they got their goalie. He’s playoff tested with both Phoenix and Anaheim and brings a swagger and sense of humor that Philly fans will eat up. That said, he has had to be good every single night for the last four years in Phoenix for a team that never scored and for fans that no-showed to all the games. He needs to stay motivated to be successful. The best news for Breezy; the fans love their team, a human owner actually exists and loves his team, the guys in front of him can score a ton, and the is guaranteed not to see Detroit in the first round (this year at least, depending on what they do with the Wings once relocation happens). On top of their shiny new goalie, it gives Bobrovsky the chance to learn from a fellow Russian, play well enough when called upon and eventually get a starting job down the line. Similar to what Cory Schneider is doing in Vancouver. It looks good in a Philly net, for once. Grade: B+ (Despite his troubles in the last two playoffs, Bryzgalov is worth that money.)

Prediction
This isn’t the re-incarnation of the Broad Street Bullies. This team still has some of that toughness that Philly is known for, but this team will rely more on skill than anything. The young talent will go a long way in determining how well this team does, and for that, I can’t give them the division’s top spot. 2^nd in Atlantic, 4^th in East.