If you go to the Philadelphia Flyers website, there's a simple slogan. It reads "Hungry For More".
And rightfully so.
A LOOK BACK
Last year's slogan read "Vengeance." The Flyers had just come off a 22-48-12 season, which gave them the dual honor of worst in the league and the worst winning percentage in franchise history. GM Paul Holmgren executed a complete overhaul of the team, giving the squad almost a completely different look. Make no mistake-they did return with a vengeance, and it was swift and brutal, accompanied by many suspensions for numerous questionable hits.
If you care, the suspensions (and videos) are as follows.
-Steve Downie-25 games
-Jesse Boulerice-25 games
-Randy Jones-2 games
-Scott Hartnell-2 games-(interestingly enough, the victim is now a member of the Flyers)
-Riley Cote-3 games
The club received a stern warning from the league. Despite all the trouble, they finished the season with a record of 42-29-11, good enough for the 6th seed in the playoffs. It took 7 games to complete an upset over the Washington Capitals, then another 5 for a second upset over the number one seeded Montreal Canadiens. The season ended in the Conference Finals against Pittsburgh. Several injuries along the blueline made it no contest, and the Flyers were shown the door after 5 games.
NOW
A record of 18-8-6 is good enough for second in the division and fourth in the conference. But let's face it, these guys have division champs written all over them. Let's dissect the team-
OFFENSE
-The Flyers easily boast the deepest forward corps in the division. Their 106 goals currently have them tied for 5th in the league. Left winger Simon Gagne is finally healthy after an injury-shortened 2007-2008 season where he was held to 25 games. He, along with captain Mike Richards, are currently setting the pace for the team with 38 and 37 points, respectively. Former first round pick Jeff Carter has blossomed into a star, and sits tied for first in the league in goals with 24. Throw in moderately skilled wingers like Scott Hartnell, Joffrey Lupul, Scottie Upshall, and Mike Knuble, and suddenly you've got the makings of several solid scoring lines. Don't forget injured center Danny Briere, and his annoyingly long and expensive contract. Not to mention how surprisingly young he looks:
-No other team in the division can match them. Everybody up front for the Islanders are a) has-beens, or b) people you've never heard of. The Devils don't know what a goal is. The Rangers have a love affair with overpaid underachievers. And while Pittsburgh centers Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby currently sit 1-2 in point scoring in the league, nobody else on the team has the ability to power a line on their own.
DEFENSE
-The shortcomings start here. After top pairing of Kimmo Timonen and Braydon Coburn, it goes downhill quickly. Early injuries to Ryan Parent, Randy Jones, and Derian Hatcher, coupled with the loss of Jason Smith during the offseason left plenty of holes. Andrew Alberts was bought in from Boston, and rookie Luca Sbisa was forced into the lineup as a regular. Matt Carle and Ossi Vaananen have also their fair share of playing time. Regardless, while they have been sub-par, they've managed to hold the ship together long enough. Thankfully, Parent and Jones are on their way back. Hatcher's return is questionable due to cap issues.
-The Islanders' sole "big" free agent signing, Mark Streit, has been paying off with 25 points in 33 games. However, his ability to actually play defense is questionable, and other than Brendan Witt, there's nobody else really of note. The Penguins have been hit hard by injuries, and play in the back end has been mess. The Rangers, yet again, love their overpaid underachievers. They lead the league in short-handed goals against, and yes, I'm looking at you, Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival.The Devils defense is best described as "patchwork".
GOALTENDING
-Herein lies the biggest problem. It's been a while since Philly had a true number one goaltender. While Martin Biron got hot around playoff time last year, he's never been able to keep a firm grip on the number one job. Antero Niittymaki can be good for stretches, but his ability to be a workhorse is also questionable.
-While the division has been among the best in goaltending for the past few years, this season hasn't been so great. New Jersey's Martin Brodeur, expected to break several records this season, went down early in the season. He's not expected back for a while, though Scott Clemmensen and Kevin Weekes have done as good a job as one could hope for. Marc-Andre Fleury, after dealing with injury, has been up and down for the Penguins. Rick Dipietro, he of another questionably long contract, is injured yet again. His replacement, Joey MacDonald, has been average for the Islanders, but anybody who expected them to post a winning record this season belongs in an insane asylum. Lastly, Henrik Lundqvist has been excellent for the Rangers, and is currently the best goalie in the division hands-down. His 18 wins lead the league, and trust me, the Ragners don't have an offense you can lean on.
ANALYSIS
-The Flyers can't really shut down games and hold a lead, not with defensemen and goaltenders like these. However, they can win the high scoring games, and there's no signs of the offense slowing down. The Atlantic Division is usually one of the most competitive in the league, but this season, it looks noticeably less fearsome. When all is said and done, the Flyers will be the ones to rise out of the ashes and claim the division title. And you can take that to the bank.
Now, for some Scott Hartnell fun:
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