(Gene J. Puskar/The Associated Press)
With the recent abdominal strain injury suffered by Flyers star goaltender Carter Hart, and the harsh reality setting in that that Hart will miss 2-3 weeks. Flyers Verteran Goaltender Brian Elliott (Moose) must step up to Coach Alain Vigneault and demand the crease! Even if it means playing back to back nights for the now 34-year-old Elliott.
A backup Goaltender’s main job is to step up when the teams starting goalie goes down with an injury or is just plain off one night and needs to be replaced. Elliott has done that a lot this season when needed, but when the team needed him most last night against the Montreal Canadiens (a team that is well below the Flyers in the standings) he did not! With the All-Star game, and the second half of the season approaching it’s time to start thinking about getting every point possible.
Gone are the days of goalies such as Martin Brodeur and others playing 75 games a year we all know that. That being said, the Flyers are still in the hunt to make the playoffs. Why did the Flyers feel the need to start Alex Lyon last night? Elliott should have never allowed this to happen! Brian for sure would have given the Flyers the better chance at collecting two points last night. Instead Moose allowed the less quailfied Lyon to take his crease away from him. Last year when called up from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Flyers AHL affiliate, Lyon manged to post a 5.08 GAA, and a .806 Save Percentage in two games played. Last night when given yet another shot in net, Lyon gave up another four goals, eventually taking a loss in a game that wasn’t even close. With the final score being 4-1, resulting in a loss to a team that the Flyers should have beat!
In this game the Flyers peppered Canadiens Goalie Carey Price last night with 41 shots, but the Perennial All-Star Goalie Price stopped 40 of those shots. The only goal he allowed was to Flyers rookie winger Joel Farabee to score the lone goal in the contest for the orange and black. Through Price’s solid play in net, and with the help of the newly aquired now 36-year-old-long time Flyers killer Ilya Kovalchuck netting two goals. The Canadiens made it look way to easy to come into Philadelphia, and walk away with 2 points.
It leaves this writer wondering might it have been a different game all together if Moose were to have been in net for the Flyers last night instead of the unproven Lyon? Lyon did not lose the game, nor win the game, however, looking ahead in the Flyers schedule, Lyon might not have to play again before Hart returns. Most of the Flyers games in the near future are well spaced out. With the next back to back not coming until mid Febuary, Elliott should have no problem starting all the games until his comrades in Hart is able to return to his rightful place between the pipes. (Fingers crossed)
Stop!
Moose is a team player, he let Lyon have his chance.