Reader here, and as of this weekend my main rooting interest in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is on the golf course.
That’s right… my Philadelphia Flyers were eliminated Saturday, after the Carolina Hurricanes beat Philly 3-2 in overtime, to complete a four-game sweep of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinal.
First off, congrats to the ‘Canes – they are a tough team, and have to be considered to be one of the favourites to win it all this season.
Than said, I can’t be too disappointed by my Flyers’ season.
First off, I don’t think too many people outside the Flyers themselves, expected the Orange and Black to make the playoffs, let alone win a round, and reach the NHL’s elite eight.
Philly has been mired in the misery of a rebuild, since their last playoff appearance in 2020, when the postseason was played in the COVID bubble.
However, over the past couple of years, the progress was beginning to become apparent.
Last season, the Flyers were in a playoff position for most of the season, but just couldn’t hold on. And this year, heading into the Olympic break, Philly was on the outside looking in, with just a 3.8% chance of making the playoffs, as of March 18th.
Since then, the Flyers were one of the hottest team of the year, and ended up finishing third in the Metropolitan Division, avoiding the Wild Card series. And so, the Philadelphia Flyers have returned to relevance, becoming a playoff team once again.
In Round One, after jumping out to a 3-0 series lead, the Flyers ended up taking out Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
However, Philly ran into a Carolina juggernaut in Round Two. Despite playing the Hurricanes tough, with two games going to OT, the Flyers went down in four straight.
As I said though, I can’t be too disappointed.
The Flyers saw a lot of young talent step into the lineup and make an immediate impact, while gaining valuable playoff experience.
Young guys like Alex Bump, Denver Barkey, Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett and Jamie Drysdale performed well, while new acquisition Trevor Zegras had a fantastic first season in Philadelphia.
Second-year star Matvei Michkov had his ups and downs, but I’m sure he’ll be ready to roll to start training camp, and get the new season going on the right foot.
Veteran captain Sean Couturier was healthier, and performed well in a new role on the fourth line, while Travis Konecny got to make his long-awaited return to the postseason, even though is performance was up and down.
Team Canada Olympian Travis Sanheim was a powerhouse on the blueline, and rookie phenom Porter Martone jumped right in from college hockey, to become an instant star with the Flyers, including scoring the game-winning goal in each of his first two playoff games.
Finally, the Flyers seem to have found a bonafide #1 goalie, for the first time since Ron Hextall’s first go-round, in Dan Vladar, who was outstanding all year long. In a season in which he was expected to share the goaltending load with Samuel Ersson, Darth Vladar grabbed the starting job and didn’t let go.
It’s been a long stretch in the wilderness, but as a Philadelphia Flyers fan, it’s great to have hope again, and be heading into the upcoming season with optimism! I can’t wait for the 2026-27 season!
For now, I’ll adopt Canada’s last remaining hope, the Montreal Canadiens, and hope they can end Canada’s Cup drought.
But my Flyers are always #1! Let’s go, Flyers!!!
Now, with hockey season over, it’s time to shift focus from the Orange and Black, to the Green and White.
Training camp is in full swing, and it’s time to show that Rider Pride!
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