Photo Credit: Our very own Rob Windfelder
Samuel Ersson struggled early last season with momentum saves, when used as a backup netminder, that would eventually turn the page on the game in the Flyers favor. However, when he took over the helm as a number one netminder, with the Carter situation, Ersson became a stone wall for the most part. Sure he struggled a bit down the stretch, in large part due to workload, however, he managed to still put forth a good season.
Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella noticed his increased workload down the stretch, and has used him more effectively over the course of the past month of the season. Ersson was pretty impressive with his rebound control, and he made timely saves most notably against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He moves laterally from post to post well, and he also donned a new goalie mask in the same token.
For his efforts, Ersson had a good year last year. So much so, he owns the 19th best GAA in Flyers history with a 2.87. That’s actually better than Carter Hart’s career 2.94 GAA as a Flyer.
Ersson was spectacular for the Flyers at times last season. He made timely saves after being peppered trying to keep his team in it early, and also key saves in big moments to keep the Flyers engines going. For his efforts, Ersson continued to receive praise from Danny Briere and John Tortorella alike, even Briere saying that he was capable of being a number one netminder.
I’m really poised to see how Ersson fares this season as the number one netminder. He knows what to expect, and Ersson now has a full offseason to prepare for the rigors ahead.
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