Carter Hart was just spectacular for the most part in just his first full season for the Flyers. Harttacular posted a 24-13-3 record, with a 2.42 GAA (8th best in the league), and a .914 Save Percentage. What more could one expect from a then 21-year-old in just his first full season in the NHL. At home he was lights out accumulating a 20-3-2 record, 1.63 GAA, and a .943 Save Percentage. Simply put, Hart proved he was the franchise Goaltender the Flyers have needed since President Reagan was in office.
Now 22-years-old, Hart has been lights out thus far in the playoffs. He has compiled a 4-1 record, a 1.51 GAA, and a .949 Save Percentage. Both his GAA and his Save Percentage are seventh best amongst Goaltenders for the playoffs, insane right. Hart recorded his first career NHL shutout last night, and in the process he became the youngest Flyers Goaltender to record a playoff shutout, “I mean I just got to do my job,” Hart said following the victory, “That’s what it comes down to at the end of the day. That criteria is just stopping pucks. When it’s time to play the game, that’s all I have to worry about. We got a great crew in front of us that makes my job a lot easier.”
The NHL playoffs are grueling and intense, but Hart has handled it like a champion. He has been calm, cool as a cucumber, very composed, and it appears Flyers goalie coach Kim Dillabaugh has done a good job at preparing Hart for the tough battle he was faced with. Hart is moving laterally post to post swiftly, and you can sense he is dialed in as he is leaving no loose change around the net (Rebounds), “I think for all of us, we all responded,” Hart said, “We know that Game 2 wasn’t our best, nowhere near our capability of play. I think that was huge for us to come out and set the tone early and get the first goal there, the only goal of the game. Just continue to battle and outwork them.”
What more can Hart do? It is so rare for a young netminder at the age of 22 to excel like he has all season, and on the big stage in a crucial game. Hart shutout his idol in Carey Price on his 33rd birthday, exactly one game after allowing four goals in a 5-0 game 2 loss (None of which were his fault), “We had a nice little pool workout,” Hart said to clear their minds, “It ended up being a competition for who can hold their breath under the water the longest and who could swim the farthest. That was pretty fun. Just had some fun with the boys and get away from the game a little bit. Some of these games, it’s a quick turnaround when you play at 8 and then you play at 3 a day and half later. I think it’s important when you have a day there to get away from the game and just have fun with the boys.”
“I think we all responded,” Hart said directly following the game on NBC, “It was good to build off Jake’s goal. It was awesome to have Oskar back. We are very close.” It appears Oskar Lindblom has given the team a morale boost, and the guys responded last night with a win for Lindblom. Lindblom has been on everyone’s mind, and Lindblom has made quite the impression on the young Hart.
This young man in Hart has electrified the fan base, and has cemented himself as the guy between the pipes for the orange and black for the foreseeable future. Most fans knew he was special, but it is great to see him having fun with the guys, and relishing the moment. Hart is the real deal, and he takes all the blame for a loss. That’s just what good players do. Hart will continue to have a lot of highs, but some lows, as well. We as people just have to remember, he is just 22-years-old with just so much potential.
