Hockey is almost back folks. Within the next 48 hours after the NHLPA officially agrees to the new CBA, hockey will be alive and well again with Phase 3 (Training Camp) slated to open on Monday July 13, 2020. Fortunately, the 24 NHL team format will include a best of 5 series for Qualifying rounds (Only), and the Round Robin (Top 4 teams in the Conferences) will be a one game playoff. All four rounds of the Playoffs (Play-In) will be best of 7’s, with reseeding after each round, highest seed vs lowest seed in each conference. I just want to add that the Flyers can move up from the 4th seed to the first seed in the Eastern Conference. Since hockey is on the verge of returning, with the plan of moving into Phase 3 on July 13, 2020, the Flyers should be a deadly team to compete against as they are infused with much confidence.
When the season was halted due to the Coronavirus. The Flyers were in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points. This young Flyers team was transformed into a Cup contender, just one year following a season of turmoil. Former General Manager Ron Hextall was fired, Former Head Coach Dave Hakstol was fired, and a new Head Coaching regime took over at the helm, as well as, a brand new General Manager in Chuck Fletcher.
One underrated signing by Fletcher this past offseason was the re-signing of Brian Elliott. Elliott played well when Carter Hart was injured, and really has developed a good relationship with Hart, “Moose has helped me out a lot,” Hart said to me in February, “We have a good relationship, and we root for each other.”
The Goaltending, with a Hart/Elliott tandem had the 8th best GAA at 2.65, finished tied for the 8th fewest goals against with 197 goals allowed, and finished with the 17th best Save Percentage of .903%. Lyon also played in three games, and managed a 3.50 GAA. With a healthy Hart, this young Flyers team will be a tough team to eliminate out of the playoffs, “We have unfinished business here, we got a good team here,” Travis Sanheim said yesterday, “The playoffs it’s going to be exciting. We got a good mix here between the young and veterans. We are looking for a deep run here into the playoffs, and a chance to win it all,” Center Sean Couturier spoke like a true leader about a month ago, “There are a lot of unknowns, a lot of adaptation with the training and staying in shape and getting ready to resume. Everyone is in the same situation, so it’s just important to take responsibility and be ready.” These two players are just oozing with so much confidence.
Hart finished the 2019-20 season with a 24-13-3 record, 2.42 GAA, and a .914 Save Percentage at just the ripe age of 21. There is just no reason to believe he cannot carry this Flyers team to an extended playoff run. Hart has played on the big stage for Team Canada, and wearing the colors of Canada is no easy task. There is a ton of pressure to succeed while representing the great nation of Canada (AKA the Motherland of hockey), so there is no reason believe he cannot have the same success in the NHL playoffs.
Fletcher also started with hiring a Veteran Head Coach in Alain Vigneault, and in my opinion this was the most important signing in the offseason. Coaching does wonders in sports, and it did just that for the Flyers. For instance, look at what Barry Trotz has done with the John Tavares less New York Islanders. Of course, Fletcher nailed the signing of Kevin Hayes, trades for Matt Niskanen, Tyler Pitlick, Derek Grant, Nate Thompson, and Justin Braun. What Fletcher did was make this locker room more vibrant and fresh again, but it all started with the glue piece of Vigneault.
It really shouldn’t come as a shock that Vigneault had this team rocking and rolling, pretty much from the first drop of the puck in Prague against the Chicago Blackhawks. AV is a great coach, who coached JVR and Jakub Voracek well. Vigneault was a no nonsense type of coach, but had a great relationship with the players because he communicates well with them. In reality, the fans loved Vigneault because of his personality, for instance the Martini jokes. However, he will be remembered for a great slogan from last year’s training camp “Be a f….ing Flyer.” There is no better saying, and this will (Hopefully) be taught again during the few weeks of training camp that begins on July 13. This Flyers team is a good one folks, and watch out come playoff time. I will leave you with a video from last years training camp:
