Throw Caution to the Wind, it’s Time to Get Excited About the Philadelphia Flyers

Photo Credits: FNG’s Rob Windfelder

Soon enough it will be 90 degrees and humid in Philly and Flyers 2023-2024 season will be in the rear view mirror. Don’t let it pass you by. If you are a die-hard Flyers Fan you have been following all the ups and downs in real time as it all plays out.

Nobody tells you when and when not to follow your team. You do what you want, when you want. Good for you. Many of your neighbors are still following orders and not expecting too much this season from this rebuilding hockey club. These folks have been totally missing out on some great hockey. So for anyone still waiting for permission, here it is. It’s time to get excited about the Philadelphia Flyers.

It’s happening

Over the weekend the Flyers pulled off a dramatic comeback in Minnesota beating the Wild in overtime after being down 3-1 halfway through the 3rd period. Saturday night the Flyers shutout the number one team in the NHL beating the Jets in Winnipeg. I think we all suspected there may be some surprises along the way this year but this team is performing way above the low expectations set out for them before the season started.

Sunday morning Flyers Fans woke up to a team that was sitting two points out of 1st place in the Metropolitan Division. Just past the midway point of the season the Flyers have already earned 52 points in their first 43 games going 23-14-6. Last year they ended with 31 wins and 75 points total for the entire season. Thing are definitely headed in the right direction and people are starting to notice.

Get your foot off the brake

Believe it or not there are people who view the Flyers winning ways as not being a good thing for the team. You have folks who are worried that the rebuild will not go deep enough or long enough because of the team’s flashes of success. I might agree with this fear if we were still dealing with the previous group of team officers. Definitely not with the guys who are in charge of this rebuild.

Still others are taking being overly cautious to the absolute extreme. They’re not even paying attention. They’ve been told the Flyers are years away from even making a dent in the rebuilding process. They are hunkered down waiting it out in exile somewhere. They have their fan gear on mothballs waiting for the phoenix to rise up from the ashes. Even these people are starting to wake up. There’s something going on here.

The New Era

Growing up following the Flyers I’ve never seen the arena more empty than it was at the beginning of this season. For years the biggest problem with being a Flyers Fan was trying to find a ticket to a game. When seats are empty other team’s fans start to fill them up. It’s insane to hear the place erupt when the visiting team scores a goal. You realize how many out of towners have been coming to Philly to watch their teams play.

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Only a few months later seats are filling up with orange jerseys again. It’s been building every game. The Flyers Fans are loud and engaged. More and more people on the street are talking about the team. There is a buzz going around and for good reason. This team is really fun to watch. They stick together and give what they got as a team every single game. They don’t lay down, they don’t give up when faced with adversity. They are building a record and a reputation that is becoming very hard to ignore.

Goalies

The Flyers have two very solid netminders who just may be the best goaltending tandem in the history of the franchise. You would be hard pressed at this point to say which of these two talented young players is your starter. If the Flyers make it to the post season this will surely be a popular argument around town.

Philly has had some amazing athletes between the pipes over the years but not two at the same time sharing starts like this. This is something special that’s for sure. Carter Hart and Samuel Ersson are a dynamic duo who are almost interchangeable in terms of who can get the job done on any given night.

Standard Disclaimer

Please do not get me wrong. I am not saying that the rebuild is complete, not even close. No one is saying that. My point, as always, is that a rebuild is about much more than just swapping out players. It is about building a team. These guys rely on each other. They play hard for each other and the logo on their sweater every game and it’s producing results. They stick up for each other, they comeback from deficits, and they score shorthanded goals like you wouldn’t believe.

YOLO

Who knows what the rest of this season holds. If you’re from Philly you’ve had your heart ripped out before. The team could totally flame out and hit the wall. Who knows? They could make a run for the playoffs. They might even win a round. All I can say for certain is that this team is really fun to watch. If you are a hockey fan and you’re not paying attention to this Flyers team you are really cheating yourself. If you are waiting for the Flyers to get good before you start giving them the credit they deserve you’re already late to the party. They’re killing it and it’s been a blast.

Extra Credit:

Oh! There’s one more gigantic reason to not worry about this organization settling into being satisfied with a mediocre hockey club.

John Tortorella would bench George Washington halfway across the Delaware River if he thought is was good for his team. Tortz is creating a monster and this is only the beginning. He’s a year and a half in and he hasn’t even named a captain yet. There’s a long road ahead of us, try to enjoy the ride.