Expectations were high in Philadelphia heading into the 2013 season. While the Flyers were shocked by the New Jersey Devils in the second round of the 2012 playoffs, fans were optimistic after they had completely trounced their arch rival Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round.
Without reliable defense and goaltending, however, Philadelphia struggled out of the gate and never recovered. The Flyers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2007, leaving their fans in dismay as the team had been considered a contender for the Stanley Cup.
Philadelphia is a team that has no problem scoring. The Flyers finished tenth in the NHL in total goals scored last season and third in 2012, but their defense and goaltending failed them in the end.
The offense looks similar to what it has been in previous years. Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, and Scott Hartnell are the team’s top offensive players, and youngsters like Matt Read and Sean Couturier can be expected to improve.
The only major difference when it comes to the offense this year is that Daniel Briere was bought out and Vincent Lecavalier was added in his place.
This helps out the Flyers, as Briere’s contract was heftier than it should have been based on his performance.
Lecavalier has been a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning his whole career up until now, and he is a slight upgrade from Briere. He brings more leadership to the locker room and another veteran presence that can still make a big impact.
The unfortunate story of Chris Pronger’s concussion has been a huge setback to the Flyer defense which has cost them many key games. The fact that Pronger will likely never return because of his concussion prompted GM Paul Holmgren to sign Mark Streit as the team’s top d-man.
Streit’s addition will definitely help bolster the blue line. While the rest of the defense corps still isn’t spectacular, Kimmo Timonen is an experienced veteran who can still be productive while Braydon Coburn and Luke Schenn have yet to reach their ceilings.
The defense should see a clear improvement in 2013, but will it be enough to compete in the Metropolitan Division? And if it fails, will the goaltenders be able to keep the puck out of the infamous Philadelphia net?
The Flyers have been plagued by their goaltending for years and years, and still do not look too stellar between the pipes.
While they were able to buy out the massive contract of Ilya Bryzgalov, they signed Ray Emery as a replacement. They also traded for Steve Mason from Columbus before last year’s trade deadline.
The Flyers are still kicking themselves for trading away 2013’s Vezina winner Sergei Bobrovsky, but they need to move on and hope that Emery and/or Mason can surprise some people this year.
Emery split time with Corey Crawford for the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, but he played good enough to be a starter. He posted an incredible 17-1 record with a 1.94 goals-against average.
While it would not be wise to expect numbers like this out of the journeyman keeper in 2013-14, he could prove to be an upgrade in net. Remember, Chicago’s defense was known as below-average before last season as well.
If Emery doesn’t work out, the Flyers will have to turn to Mason. Mason had a remarkable rookie season with Columbus in 2008-09, but he has struggled seemingly more and more every year.
The positive sign, however, is that he went 4-2-0 with a 1.90 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage in his seven games with Philadelphia last season. It’s a small sample size, yes, but maybe a change of scenery is all Mason needed in order to return to his 2009 form.
All in all, we should see a much-improved Flyers team this year. Are they a Cup contender? Perhaps not. But this is a team that should have a legitimate shot at returning to the playoffs despite being in a very competitive division.