Tag: Sean Couturier

There were returning players who certainly made their triumphant return. There were standout performances from young players. There were contributions across the board. Even in a game that was far from perfect, the Flyers showcased what their potential could be. Here are 5 takeaways from Wednesday’s season-opening Flyers win against the Penguins.

Hockey is back. The NHL drops the puck on the 2020-21 season at last on Wednesday evening, and the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins are once again welcoming you back. The season opener from Wells Fargo Center is set to begin at 5:30 p.m.

The start of a new season is finally upon us. The Flyers make their return on Wednesday night when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Before they do, let’s take a look at 10 storylines that will be worth watching as the season progresses.

The final day before the start of the 2020-21 season is here, and that means roster decisions are due. The Flyers have officially announced their roster for opening night of the 2020-21 season.

One of the subjects that was discussed a lot during the playoff run over the summer was the lack of success for the Flyers power play. That was an area of focus during training camp on Friday, as the team returned to the ice after an off day on Thursday.

As camp opens, the Flyers will face some questions that could make or break their success in the upcoming season. While they are widely regarded as a team that should make the playoffs and have a successful run, there are a lot of “ifs” that the Flyers are dealing with. Here are five of the questions the Flyers are facing as they hit the ice for the first time this year as a group.

It’s been over 650 days since Nolan Patrick played in a game. With Chuck Fletcher, Alain Vigneault and Flyers teammates all sounding hopeful to get Patrick back for this season, his condition will still require careful monitoring and expectations for his on-ice performance should be curbed.

On Saturday, the Flyers released their roster and schedule for training camp ahead of the 2020-21 season, set to begin in just 11 days.

As 2020 draws to a close, here are some of the topics discussed in the State of the Flyers, a short playing year with a lot of progress made.

Though the circumstances are very different, the NHL has been here before when it comes to shortened seasons, and not too far in the past either. The NHL saw the 2012-13 season shortened to 48 games after a lockout. Sean Couturier remembers that season well, and how a slow start can turn things sour quickly.

According to a report from The Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi, the Flyers and defenseman Phil Myers are close to agreeing to a new contract and it could become finalized later this week.

Alain Vigneault addressed the media on Monday for the first time since the Flyers lost Game 7 to the Islanders nine days ago. His comments focused on a bright future ahead. “I believe that we’re on the right track as far as moving forward to win a Stanley Cup,” Vigneault said.

Join Kyle Collington and Kevin Durso as they continue to break down the Flyers and the rest of the NHL on another episode of the YWT Podcast.

Flyers forward Sean Couturier was named the winner of the Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy, presented annually to “the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game,” for the 2019-20 season on Thursday.

Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher had his exit day media availability on Thursday afternoon and touched on a number of topics from the progress of the season, what went wrong in the playoffs and what’s ahead for the Flyers in the offseason.

The winner of the Jack Adams Award was announced on Wednesday night, with Boston Bruins’ head coach Bruce Cassidy taking home the honor. Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault finished a close second in the voting. Columbus Blue Jackets’ head coach John Tortorella was the other finalist and finished third.

Cherry Hill, NJ native Bobby Ryan was named the winner of the Masterton Memorial Trophy, presented to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom was also a finalist.

This is what is so hard about this Flyers loss. It’s not that it’s the end of the season. This happens for 15 other teams in the playoffs without a reward. Only one team comes away with the Stanley Cup. What’s so hard is having to once again hear “there’s always next year,”… and not knowing when next year really is.

The Flyers never had the answers. They could never counter the Islanders desire to finish this series. So it goes in the playoffs sometimes. Make no mistake, it’s disappointing, and this loss stings knowing the season is over, but there is a lot to take from this season. For now, let’s take a closer look at the game that did the Flyers in.

It all comes down to this. Game 7 to decide who goes to the Eastern Conference Final and who goes home. If it’s anything like the other games in this series, you can expect a close, hard-fought battle to the finish where only one thing is certain: this game will end with handshakes at center ice.

Following a 270-day period where he was diagnosed, went through chemotherapy and made his road to recovery, Oskar Lindblom was back in a game for the Flyers in Game 6 on Thursday night. “This guy’s heart, you have to see it to believe it,” Claude Giroux said.

In a wild, back-and-forth tilt, both teams showed the qualities and identity that they have established. This series has been as hard-fought as they come. Neither team quits. Ever. And it showed in Game 6 as both sides assumed control at different points and as the game drug on into the night.

The Flyers have a chance to force this series to the brink with a win in Game 6, and it could require them to do so without one of their top players in the process.

Just like in Game 2, when the Flyers let another 3-1 lead in the third period get away, they had the answer in overtime. It took over 12 minutes, but the Flyers remain alive in the series with a deflection goal by Scott Laughton. 5 takeaways from Game 5.

The Flyers are not dead yet. A point shot by Ivan Provorov was deflected by Scott Laughton and beat Semyon Varlamov to give the Flyers a 4-3 overtime win in Game 5 that keeps their season alive. 

There is a chance this could be the last game of the 2019-20 season for the Flyers. There is a chance their time in the Toronto bubble will end. But it is also in the control of the Flyers to try to make a push and at least inch their way back into the series with a win in Game 5 and forcing a Game 6.

It played out so much like the other games in the series. The Flyers had their moments. The Islanders had more of those moments. They used turnovers and transition plays to their advantage again. And while the Flyers had more shot volume and traffic to the net than in previous games, the goalie who kept them in Game 2 made sure they were in Game 4 and got the result needed.

The Islanders scored twice in the third period, helping to put away the Flyers in the game and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series with a 3-2 win on Sunday night.

The Flyers are in a must-win position in Game 4, as they get right back at it on Sunday night. A win evens the series and sets the Flyers up for a best-of-three to decide the winner of the series. A loss puts their backs against the wall with three games for the Islanders to finish off the series.