Streak? Or Streaking?

The Flyers had a complete day off from practice today as a reward for their recent performance. There hasn’t been much reason to celebrate over the past few months, but now things are starting to look up. They have won four straight games and are looking like the team that started off the first twenty games of the season red-hot. They are finally starting to play as a complete team; and that begins with the goaltender.

For the first three quarters of the season, Bryzgalov has been the center of much negative attention, and deservingly so. He was supposed to be a savior for the Flyers; the first consistent goaltender since Ron Hextall. For the first three quarters of the season his play had been below average. But considering his salary, a better word to describe his play would be ‘pathetic’. For this recent stretch of games, though, his play has tremendously improved. And with only sixteen games remaining in the regular season, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Aside from the obvious two shutouts in his last three starts, Bryzgalov’s play has clearly been improving. It shows in his demeanor. I’m not sure how it sparked or what sparked it, but his confidence has rapidly soared and it is proven in his play. He seems to be more focused on the ice. He is seeing pucks, regardless of obstacles in his way. And that agility he is so well-known for is finally starting to take form. We’re beginning to see the real Ilya Bryzgalov.

Besides Bryz, there are other members of the team stepping up. At the beginning of this year, no one would have expected three of the top four defensemen to be out with lengthy injuries. But it happened. And people like Grossmann, Gustafsson, and (even though he has only played one game) Daniel Manning. Although Manning has only played in one game, he definitely showed signs that he can be an everyday player in the NHL. And Grossmann has proven his premiere status as a shot blocker.

Have you heard this before? “Where will the Flyers goal scoring come from with Richards and Carter gone?” That topic has been beaten to death since draft day last year. And I’m going to beat that dead carcass a tiny bit more.

Rookies. Plain and simple. Without the play of the rookies, I honestly don’t believe the Flyers would be where they are right now. With the amount of rookies on the Flyers roster, this season seemed like it would be a scary one. But it has been the complete opposite. Obvious future talents like Couturier and Schenn seem to have found their stride much earlier than anticipated and Matt Read has been possibly the biggest surprise in the league. Eric Wellwood is also beginning to make a name for himself.

The newly acquired Flyers have also been stellar. Led by the surprising production of Wayne Simmonds and Max Talbot, the new faces are making themselves known, and liked, throughout Philadelphia. And with all the chaos that went on throughout the offseason, the returning Flyers managed to step up and be great leaders, as well as point producers.

Altogether, the Flyers are finally starting to play as a unit. Players are sticking up for one another, scoring is coming from all different areas, special teams is finally starting to find itself and, once again, the goaltending is finally starting to be the goaltending the Philadelphia Flyers have needed to bring the cup back to Philly after 37 years.