Flyers 2019/20 Season Review
May 5, 2017 11:35:15 GMT -5
brob89 (NSH), mattgough60, and 3 more like this
Post by bjernagris (PHI) on May 5, 2017 11:35:15 GMT -5
After 45 years, the Stanley Cup returns to Philadelphia
Jun 20th, 2020
PHILADELPHIA, PA. - Last week, the Philadelphia Flyers held their parade to celebrate winning the Stanley Cup earlier this month. It marked the end of a very successful season throughout for the team, which ended in them getting their hands on Hockey’s Holy Grail for the first time since 1975. In this article, we will walk you through the highlights of the season.
Last season ended as it usually has done for Flyers’ fans; in disappointment. Getting swept by division rivals New York Islanders in the first round ended another season of being an upper half team but not getting it done when it mattered the most. With star player and #1 defenseman John Klingberg sustaining an elbow injury late in the season that would keep him out for the remainder of the year, things did not look very bright heading into the offseason for a Flyers team that is seeing the window closing on them. Aging stars and core pillars of the team Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek and Tuukka Rask are all closer to the end than the beginning of their careers, so going into offseason there was a feeling of “make it or break it”. Head coach Pierce even commented that he felt his team had another two seasons before it would need to regroup.
The offseason saw a couple of changes to the team, with Adam Larsson, Brett Pollock and Anthony Beauregard joining the team and Wayne Simmonds, Brock Nelson, Tyler Myers and Anatoli Golyshev leaving. Flyers supporters were generally upset about the departure of Wayne Simmonds, who had become a fan favorite in Philly thanks to his physical style of play and knack for scoring goals. Young defenseman Sami Niku was also acquired in what seemed like a minor trade at the time. 2019 draftee Olivier Mathieu was signed to an entry level contract, however overall the consensus was that Flyers had a bad offseason that saw them lose several key pieces.
Like before, the preseason went very well (6-0-1 record) and hopes were high going into regular season. The new tactical system that the team had worked on seemed to be clicking immediately, and especially the defense seemed to have improved compared to the previous year – only nine goals were conceded in the seven preseason games.
However, the regular season started in disappointing fashion. Flyers went 3-6-0 in their first nine, and top center and team captain Claude Giroux was injured and out for a month. The defense that had been working so well was suddenly nowhere to be found, and after an embarrassing 3-7 defeat to the Rangers, the coaches decided to change things up in the lineup. Rookie defenseman Sami Niku was given top line duty and the tactical system was changed. Alexander Khokhlachev was sent to Minnesota in exchange for Jake DeBrusk.
All of a sudden, the team started picking up speed and winning hockey games. Following the disappointing start to the season, the Flyers went 21-2-0 and had a 14-game winning streak. Rookies Mathieu and Niku proved that they belong in the league, and Anthony Beauregard stepped up as top center while Giroux was recovering from injury. The team climbed quickly to the top of the Metropolitan division, a place that they would keep for the rest of the season.
Early January, John Klingberg was finally cleared for play after his long injury absence, but with Sami Niku having cemented his place on the top pair, there was no room for Klingberg. Flyers made some changes to their defense, trading away young do-it-all blueliner Brandon Carlo to Columbus for stay-at-home aggressor Dillon Heatherington. Klingberg joined David Savard, another quality offensive D-man, in the press box before Savard was traded to the Kings for a draft pick in early February. These couple of moves were confusing pundits and fans – weren’t the Flyers supposed to be going for it this year? Pressure on head coach Pierce to reintroduce Klingberg into the lineup became immense, with fans in Wells Fargo Center even chanting “We want Klingberg” during home games. When asked to comment on this, Pierce constantly responded that he did not want to change a winning team, and this was echoed by GM Björn Thelin.
As trade deadline got closer, Flyers management once again evaluated their position and the team. It was decided that the team needed a veteran for the bottom line, so Erik Haula’s rights were acquired from Minnesota. For every game that Klingberg spent as a healthy scratch, trade rumours around him intensified, but could the Flyers really trade away what was regarded as their top defenseman? On trade deadline day, Flyers GM Thelin finally found the deal he was looking for. Klingberg was shipped to Minnesota in exchange for Jakub Vrána, prospect Aidan Dudas and a 1st round pick. Local journalists and fans generally approved of the move, seeing as Klingberg was not on the team anyway.
The final stretch of regular season saw the Flyers remain in control of events, and with a few games left they secured the President’s Trophy for the second time in four years. Dmitrij Jaskin, who had had a breakout year, finished as the team’s top scorer, netting 83 points (30+53). Except for him, only two other Flyers’ players reached the 50 point plateau; Sean Couturier and Sami Niku.
The Flyers were matched up with Toronto Maple Leafs, who made a comeback in the playoffs after six consecutive seasons outside of it. The Leafs gave it a good fight but eventually came up short, Flyers winning 4-2.
In the next round the Flyers faced the Islanders, a team that had knocked them out twice in the past three seasons. The series was a very close one, the first three games all ending with one-goal wins. After four games, the series was tied at two and the teams returned to Philadelphia for a crucial game five. The winner of it would be in steady command of the series. After stellar performances by Tuukka Rask (shutout, 27 saves) and Adam Larsson (two goals), the Flyers won 3-0 and managed to secure the series win in the next game, winning 5-2 on the road on Long Island.
A few days rest awaited the team after winning the second round, while it was determined whether they would face the Sabres or Senators next. In that series, Mika Zibanejad scored his first goal of the playoffs to end a thrilling, triple OT game seven and put Ottawa through to the Conference Finals. It had been an electrifying series in which Buffalo had dominated the play throughout, but Ottawa managed to squeeze through due to superb efficiency.
Ottawa seemed to have exhausted themselves against Buffalo though – the Conference Finals would turn out to be quite one-sided. Philadelphia won the first two at home and as the series moved to Ottawa, game three was a must-win for the home team. However, they went down 0-2 after the second period, and even the much-debated situation in which Tuukka Rask’s thumb broke after a slash by Austin Wagner could not stop the Flyers from winning game three. Flyers management was furious after the game and demanded a suspension for Wagner, but he was cleared to play on the morning of game four. If there had not been bad blood between the teams before, there certainly was now.
Game four had not even gone three minutes when Olivier Mathieu landed a hit on Erik Karlsson that seemed to make a mark – Karlsson turned over the puck, which led to a shorthanded go-ahead goal for the Flyers. Ottawa’s star defenseman hobbled to the bench after the shift, but would stay in the game and tied up the score 1-1 later in the first period. Ottawa did not take lightly to the hit on Karlsson, and begun to play more physical. The second period was another close one, teams scoring twice each for a 3-3 game heading into the third. Halfway through the final period Mark Friedman, who had posted twelve points in 15 games until that point, hammered home a point shot to close the game and ensure the series sweep. The Flyers were in the Cup Finals for the first time in ten years!
On the other side of the playoff bracket, the Colorado Avalanche were on a tear. Despite injuries to top center Jonathan Toews and possibly league MVP Nathan MacKinnon, they had managed to knock out last year’s Cup champion Vancouver Canucks in five. As the Stanley Cup Finals began, however, they did seem to have run into their superior. Flyers won both games at home and the first game in Denver to go up three to nothing in the series. The Cup was within reach! Felix Sandström, the rookie netminder who had replaced Tuukka Rask when his thumb broke, had been nothing but solid, and the Flyers defense had managed to keep a weakened (no MacKinnon) Colorado attack to the outside. In game four, however, Sandström had to leave the game after a collision in front of the net. Both Flyers’ regular goalies were now injured! Third string goalie Juha Metsola had to dress up, but the Flyers were in shock. They lost the third period 0-4 and game 0-5. The series returned to Philadelphia and Flyers fans were hoping that their team could close the series at home. However, they were unable to, losing 1-2 despite dominating the play throughout but being stopped by Avalanche goaltender Jake Allen. Luckily, Tuukka Rask was on his way back from his broken thumb and was cleared to play in game six. However, another third period collapse saw Colorado win game six 5-2, tie up the series and force a game seven in Philadelphia. This was it, make it or break it! A determined Flyers team came out strong and won the first period 2-0. Shea Theodore cut the lead in half early in the second, but Jakub Vrána scored his second powerplay goal of the game in the third period to make it 3-1, and when Claude Giroux scored 4-1 bagging his 10th of the playoffs with under six minutes left of the game, it closed the game, the series and the season. The Flyers were champions!
Claude Giroux was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy after captaining his team on the way to the Cup win, posting 27 points (10+17) in 23 playoff games. Mark Friedman also played the hockey of his career so far, scoring 7 goals and adding 10 assists during the playoffs. Sean Couturier and Olivier Mathieu formed a feared defensive weapon, killing off opponents’ power plays and adding punishing physical play. Tuukka Rask was back to his former self when he was healthy.
All in all, it has been a great year for Flyers fans, and it ended in success. Looking forward, the team is largely intact for the coming season. Gustav Nyquist has been traded to the Los Angeles Kings, and the team has announced that Jared Cowen’s contract will not be renewed. Except for those two, expect to see your Cup winning heroes return to the ice in Wells Fargo Center next season!
Jun 20th, 2020
PHILADELPHIA, PA. - Last week, the Philadelphia Flyers held their parade to celebrate winning the Stanley Cup earlier this month. It marked the end of a very successful season throughout for the team, which ended in them getting their hands on Hockey’s Holy Grail for the first time since 1975. In this article, we will walk you through the highlights of the season.
Last season ended as it usually has done for Flyers’ fans; in disappointment. Getting swept by division rivals New York Islanders in the first round ended another season of being an upper half team but not getting it done when it mattered the most. With star player and #1 defenseman John Klingberg sustaining an elbow injury late in the season that would keep him out for the remainder of the year, things did not look very bright heading into the offseason for a Flyers team that is seeing the window closing on them. Aging stars and core pillars of the team Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek and Tuukka Rask are all closer to the end than the beginning of their careers, so going into offseason there was a feeling of “make it or break it”. Head coach Pierce even commented that he felt his team had another two seasons before it would need to regroup.
The offseason saw a couple of changes to the team, with Adam Larsson, Brett Pollock and Anthony Beauregard joining the team and Wayne Simmonds, Brock Nelson, Tyler Myers and Anatoli Golyshev leaving. Flyers supporters were generally upset about the departure of Wayne Simmonds, who had become a fan favorite in Philly thanks to his physical style of play and knack for scoring goals. Young defenseman Sami Niku was also acquired in what seemed like a minor trade at the time. 2019 draftee Olivier Mathieu was signed to an entry level contract, however overall the consensus was that Flyers had a bad offseason that saw them lose several key pieces.
Like before, the preseason went very well (6-0-1 record) and hopes were high going into regular season. The new tactical system that the team had worked on seemed to be clicking immediately, and especially the defense seemed to have improved compared to the previous year – only nine goals were conceded in the seven preseason games.
However, the regular season started in disappointing fashion. Flyers went 3-6-0 in their first nine, and top center and team captain Claude Giroux was injured and out for a month. The defense that had been working so well was suddenly nowhere to be found, and after an embarrassing 3-7 defeat to the Rangers, the coaches decided to change things up in the lineup. Rookie defenseman Sami Niku was given top line duty and the tactical system was changed. Alexander Khokhlachev was sent to Minnesota in exchange for Jake DeBrusk.
All of a sudden, the team started picking up speed and winning hockey games. Following the disappointing start to the season, the Flyers went 21-2-0 and had a 14-game winning streak. Rookies Mathieu and Niku proved that they belong in the league, and Anthony Beauregard stepped up as top center while Giroux was recovering from injury. The team climbed quickly to the top of the Metropolitan division, a place that they would keep for the rest of the season.
Early January, John Klingberg was finally cleared for play after his long injury absence, but with Sami Niku having cemented his place on the top pair, there was no room for Klingberg. Flyers made some changes to their defense, trading away young do-it-all blueliner Brandon Carlo to Columbus for stay-at-home aggressor Dillon Heatherington. Klingberg joined David Savard, another quality offensive D-man, in the press box before Savard was traded to the Kings for a draft pick in early February. These couple of moves were confusing pundits and fans – weren’t the Flyers supposed to be going for it this year? Pressure on head coach Pierce to reintroduce Klingberg into the lineup became immense, with fans in Wells Fargo Center even chanting “We want Klingberg” during home games. When asked to comment on this, Pierce constantly responded that he did not want to change a winning team, and this was echoed by GM Björn Thelin.
As trade deadline got closer, Flyers management once again evaluated their position and the team. It was decided that the team needed a veteran for the bottom line, so Erik Haula’s rights were acquired from Minnesota. For every game that Klingberg spent as a healthy scratch, trade rumours around him intensified, but could the Flyers really trade away what was regarded as their top defenseman? On trade deadline day, Flyers GM Thelin finally found the deal he was looking for. Klingberg was shipped to Minnesota in exchange for Jakub Vrána, prospect Aidan Dudas and a 1st round pick. Local journalists and fans generally approved of the move, seeing as Klingberg was not on the team anyway.
The final stretch of regular season saw the Flyers remain in control of events, and with a few games left they secured the President’s Trophy for the second time in four years. Dmitrij Jaskin, who had had a breakout year, finished as the team’s top scorer, netting 83 points (30+53). Except for him, only two other Flyers’ players reached the 50 point plateau; Sean Couturier and Sami Niku.
The Flyers were matched up with Toronto Maple Leafs, who made a comeback in the playoffs after six consecutive seasons outside of it. The Leafs gave it a good fight but eventually came up short, Flyers winning 4-2.
In the next round the Flyers faced the Islanders, a team that had knocked them out twice in the past three seasons. The series was a very close one, the first three games all ending with one-goal wins. After four games, the series was tied at two and the teams returned to Philadelphia for a crucial game five. The winner of it would be in steady command of the series. After stellar performances by Tuukka Rask (shutout, 27 saves) and Adam Larsson (two goals), the Flyers won 3-0 and managed to secure the series win in the next game, winning 5-2 on the road on Long Island.
A few days rest awaited the team after winning the second round, while it was determined whether they would face the Sabres or Senators next. In that series, Mika Zibanejad scored his first goal of the playoffs to end a thrilling, triple OT game seven and put Ottawa through to the Conference Finals. It had been an electrifying series in which Buffalo had dominated the play throughout, but Ottawa managed to squeeze through due to superb efficiency.
Ottawa seemed to have exhausted themselves against Buffalo though – the Conference Finals would turn out to be quite one-sided. Philadelphia won the first two at home and as the series moved to Ottawa, game three was a must-win for the home team. However, they went down 0-2 after the second period, and even the much-debated situation in which Tuukka Rask’s thumb broke after a slash by Austin Wagner could not stop the Flyers from winning game three. Flyers management was furious after the game and demanded a suspension for Wagner, but he was cleared to play on the morning of game four. If there had not been bad blood between the teams before, there certainly was now.
Game four had not even gone three minutes when Olivier Mathieu landed a hit on Erik Karlsson that seemed to make a mark – Karlsson turned over the puck, which led to a shorthanded go-ahead goal for the Flyers. Ottawa’s star defenseman hobbled to the bench after the shift, but would stay in the game and tied up the score 1-1 later in the first period. Ottawa did not take lightly to the hit on Karlsson, and begun to play more physical. The second period was another close one, teams scoring twice each for a 3-3 game heading into the third. Halfway through the final period Mark Friedman, who had posted twelve points in 15 games until that point, hammered home a point shot to close the game and ensure the series sweep. The Flyers were in the Cup Finals for the first time in ten years!
On the other side of the playoff bracket, the Colorado Avalanche were on a tear. Despite injuries to top center Jonathan Toews and possibly league MVP Nathan MacKinnon, they had managed to knock out last year’s Cup champion Vancouver Canucks in five. As the Stanley Cup Finals began, however, they did seem to have run into their superior. Flyers won both games at home and the first game in Denver to go up three to nothing in the series. The Cup was within reach! Felix Sandström, the rookie netminder who had replaced Tuukka Rask when his thumb broke, had been nothing but solid, and the Flyers defense had managed to keep a weakened (no MacKinnon) Colorado attack to the outside. In game four, however, Sandström had to leave the game after a collision in front of the net. Both Flyers’ regular goalies were now injured! Third string goalie Juha Metsola had to dress up, but the Flyers were in shock. They lost the third period 0-4 and game 0-5. The series returned to Philadelphia and Flyers fans were hoping that their team could close the series at home. However, they were unable to, losing 1-2 despite dominating the play throughout but being stopped by Avalanche goaltender Jake Allen. Luckily, Tuukka Rask was on his way back from his broken thumb and was cleared to play in game six. However, another third period collapse saw Colorado win game six 5-2, tie up the series and force a game seven in Philadelphia. This was it, make it or break it! A determined Flyers team came out strong and won the first period 2-0. Shea Theodore cut the lead in half early in the second, but Jakub Vrána scored his second powerplay goal of the game in the third period to make it 3-1, and when Claude Giroux scored 4-1 bagging his 10th of the playoffs with under six minutes left of the game, it closed the game, the series and the season. The Flyers were champions!
Claude Giroux was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy after captaining his team on the way to the Cup win, posting 27 points (10+17) in 23 playoff games. Mark Friedman also played the hockey of his career so far, scoring 7 goals and adding 10 assists during the playoffs. Sean Couturier and Olivier Mathieu formed a feared defensive weapon, killing off opponents’ power plays and adding punishing physical play. Tuukka Rask was back to his former self when he was healthy.
All in all, it has been a great year for Flyers fans, and it ended in success. Looking forward, the team is largely intact for the coming season. Gustav Nyquist has been traded to the Los Angeles Kings, and the team has announced that Jared Cowen’s contract will not be renewed. Except for those two, expect to see your Cup winning heroes return to the ice in Wells Fargo Center next season!