PHILADELPHIA -- At the season's midway point, the Flyers are on a 108-point pace, which would be their best finish since they had 110 points under fiery coach Mike Keenan in 1985-86.
They have put together a commendable 25-12-4 record in a manner that not many people foresaw in the preseason -- with a high-scoring offense and a defense that has struggled, primarily because goalie Ilya Bryzgalov has had a mostly forgettable season.
Simply put, getting Bryzgalov to return to his Phoenix form when the playoffs arrive is No. 1 on the Flyers' second-half wish list.
Entering Wednesday, the Flyers were second in the 30-team NHL, averaging 3.39 goals per game; they were 22nd in the league in goals allowed per game at 2.93.
Give the Flyers credit for a gritty first half, one in which they overcame a slew of injuries. It was a first half in which Claude Giroux emerged as a strong MVP candidate; Scott Hartnell went from a fall-down king to a potential all-star; and rookies Matt Read, Sean Couturier and Marc-Andre Bourdon blossomed. Ditto fellow rookies Brayden Schenn (after an injury-plagued start), Zac Rinaldo and Harry Zolnierczyk.
"If it wasn't for all the rookies playing as big a role as they have, there's not a chance we would be where we are," said center Danny Briere, mindful the first-year players have added some much-needed speed and energy.
It was a first half in which Kimmo Timonen anchored a defense that has, for the most part, been capable despite losing Chris Pronger to a season-ending concussion, and backup Sergei Bobrovsky (2.45 GAA, .919 save percentage in 16 games) played as if he was the team's best goaltender.
In the preseason, the Flyers figured to scuffle for goals because of deals that sent Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, two of the team's most dependable scorers, to Los Angeles and Columbus, respectively. And their loaded defense, primarily because Pronger had returned to good health -- and Bryzgalov was supposed to be a major upgrade over the rotating goalie carousel from last year's playoffs -- was expected to excel.
But a lot has happened since preseason ended. For one, free-agent signee Jaromir Jagr (31 points in 35 games) has bolstered the offense by refusing to act his age (39). Jagr and newcomers Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek, Max Talbot and Read have more than offset the loss of Richards and Carter.
"The guys have done a good job of positioning themselves for the second half," coach Peter Laviolette said.
The defense, however, has been hindered by Pronger's absence and by the inconsistent play of Bryzgalov, who ranks 58th in the league in goals-against average (3.07) and 65th in save percentage (.891 ).
So the Flyers have accumulated 54 points with a high-octane attack and the league's best road record (15-6-2). They are fourth in the East and four points behind the conference-leading New York Rangers, who have won all three games against the Flyers this season.
Can they catch the Rangers in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference? Can they overcome the loss of the crease-clearing Pronger and all the intangibles he brings?
Improvement needed
General manager Paul Holmgren, whose club's defense has shown some cracks recently, has a little more than six weeks before he has to decide if the Flyers are good enough to make a Stanley Cup run as currently constituted. Or will he have to add an established defenseman (Nashville's Ryan Suter?) before the Feb. 27 trade deadline?
The cost for Suter, who is a potential unrestricted free agent, would probably be one of the Flyers' gifted young forwards and some high draft picks. (The Flyers have $3.5 million in cap space.)
But Nashville is trying to sign Suter to an extension, so a deal seems like a longshot. In the meantime, the Flyers will probably find out what promising defenseman Erik Gustafsson -- who was recalled from the Phantoms on Wednesday and Matt Walker sent down -- can do before deciding if they need to make a trade.
Right now, defending champion Boston and the Rangers look like the class of the East. The Bruins lead the NHL in scoring (3.67 per game) and goals allowed (1.92), and they have a ridiculous plus-70 goal differential.
Like Boston, the Rangers' strength is in their goaltending. They have allowed just 2.00 goals per game, tied for second in the league.
The Flyers need to improve several areas if they are going to make an East run at the Bruins and Rangers. Their defense needs to be more physical around the net -- opponents have had too much freedom to roam. They need to be much better at home (10-6-2), need to bolster their mediocre penalty kill (82.2 percent success rate), their faceoff success (47.4 percent, 27th in NHL) and their goaltending (read: when the $51 million man is in goal).
On the positive side, the rookies have been a revelation and, with more games under their belt, figure to get even better in the second half. Read (13 goals) could become the franchise's first rookie of the year; the 19-year-old Couturier continues to show poise beyond his years; and Schenn, who missed time because of a shoulder injury, broken foot and a concussion, is becoming more active in one of the league's most dynamic offenses.
But, as is usually the case, it will all come down to defense.
And goaltending.
Comments