Thanks For Playing: Philadelphia Flyers

Each spring 16 NHL teams play for Lord Stanley's Cup. At the end one team is left holding the cup while the other 15 teams can only think of what might have been.

This is about one of the 15 teams who wasn't so lucky.

Philadelphia Flyers:

How They Finished: 47-23-12  106 points
1st in Atlantic Division, 2nd in Eastern Conference. 

What Went Wrong: 

You probably think I'm going to say goaltending failed the Flyers.

It did but we will get to that in a little bit.

The problem for the Flyers started last summer. They reached the Stanley Cup Finals with a Journeyman (Michael Leighton) and a backup who has never been able to hold on to the top goaltending job when given the opportunity. (Brian Boucher)

Between the both of them The Flyers came within two wins of the Stanley Cup.

Common sense says that finding a goalie would be the top priority in the off-season but GM Paul Holmgren decided to stick with the tandem of Leighton & Boucher while he would upgrade the core of defenseman.

This isn't a bad strategy but a lot of things need to go in your favor for it to work, mainly your best defenseman needs to stay healthy & play at a high level. 

Which brings us to the 2nd thing that went wrong for Philadelphia.

Chris Pronger missed the last six weeks of the season with a hand injury. With Pronger in the lineup the Flyers were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Without him the Flyers were an average team and played like it down the stretch surrendering the top seed in the East to Washington.

Pronger missed the 1st five games of the post-season before returning in Game six against Buffalo. While his return may have given the Flyers an emotional lift he wasn't the same Chris Pronger we have grown to love & despise over the years. He only played in three games before sitting out the rest of the playoffs because of injury.

Without Pronger's presence on the ice it left a group of average goaltenders vulnerable which brings us to the 3rd thing that went wrong. 

When you have three goaltenders you really have none.

Philadelphia started the playoffs with Sergei Bobrovsky in net. Bobrovsky made the opening night roster because of an injury to Michael Leighton and played pretty well this season for the Flyers.

He gave up one goal in game one loss to Buffalo and was pulled after giving up three goals in a game two win over the Sabres.

After that the goalie carousel began.

The rest of the playoffs the rotation in goal was Boucher, Boucher, Boucher, Leighton, Boucher, Boucher, Boucher, Boucher, Bobrovsky.

In the seven playoff games Boucher started he was pulled in three of them.

Coach Peter Laviolette had no faith in his goaltending and it showed by how he juggled his goalies throughout the playoffs. 

Where Do They Go From Here: 

After watching this post-season it's clear to see there are question marks in goal. If this was seven years early the Flyers would just throw a lot of money at the top goalie on the free agent market and hope he was the answer in net.

Because of the salary cap though it isn't that easy.

The projected cap space for Philadelphia next season is $430,845 which makes going after a free agent highly unlikely. The next question is are they comfortable with Bobrovsky in goal.

If they believe Bobrovsky is the answer in net the Flyers still have Leighton as a veteran backup and Pronger should be healthy next season to lead their core of defenseman.

If they don't think Bobrovsky can get the job done then a trade will have to happen to bring in a goalie which won't be easy. Three of their highest played players (Danny Briere, Scott Hartnell, &Kimmo Timonen) all have no trade/movement clauses.

If they want to move a big salary their best trade options are Mike Richards & Jeff Carter.

Richards has a no movement clause that goes into effect on July 1st, 2012. If Philly wants to trade him this would be the time to do it although I don't think they are willing to trade their captain.

That leaves Carter who is scheduled to make 5.2 million starting next season. That is a lot of money for a talented player who always leaves you wanting more from him. His salary slot could be used for a top goaltender if Philly decides to move him.

Either way the tragic tale for the Flyers ends the same way it does every post-season, a talented team with subpar goaltending that fails to win the Stanley Cup.

I love happy endings.