Brewin Flames Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 Carter Hart singlehandedly making Flyers appear competitive Ryan Quigley - 7h ago Coming into the 2022-23 season, very few people in the hockey sphere — if any — were expecting the Philadelphia Flyers to amount to much of anything in the campaign’s early going. But through their first 10 games of the season, the Flyers have a fairly adequate record of 5-3-2 and, on paper, are in the mix of the Metropolitan Division standings. The Flyers’ strong start (by their standards) hasn’t been a result of high-octane offense, though — they rank 29th in the NHL in goals for per game. They’ve just been very good at keeping pucks out of their own net, allowing the sixth-fewest goals against per game in the league since the start of the season. But this isn’t thanks to the play of Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim or any of the Flyers’ other key contributors on the back end. This is Carter Hart’s doing. Hart, still just 24 years old, has been nothing short of sensational since the season opener. The second-round pick from 2016 has a 5-0-2 record in his seven starts on the season and sports a 2.10 goals against average along with a ridiculous .943 save percentage. Last week, Hart set a new career high with a whopping 48 saves to help the Flyers earn a massive victory over the reigning Presidents’ Trophy-winning Florida Panthers. Hart was also the star of the show in Tuesday night’s 1-0 loss to the New York Rangers, stopping 35 of the Blueshirts’ 36 shots on net to help the Flyers earn a point in overtime. Rangers forward Chris Kreider scored the game-winner on a breakaway with under a minute remaining in the overtime period. Hart deserved a better result Tuesday, and the Flyers are hopeful more goal support will come as the season progresses. “In this league, you work off your goalie. It’s a terrific start for Carter,” said Tortorella after the loss to the Rangers. “I think each start he has and each time that he gives us an opportunity, I’m hoping that it allows us, the players in front of him, allows them to feel, ‘You know what? We’ve got to give something back to him.’ And without tying us up in knots, try to do some of the things we want to do to have the puck more. “That’s one thing about our league, we get great athletes here. Great people in our league. They see Carter laying it out there, and I think it puts them in a spot where, ‘I’m gonna give it for him.’ And I hope it builds a little camaraderie.” To this point, the Flyers have still yet to win a game without Hart in the cage. In the three games in which Hart was rested, backup Felix Sandstrom took the reins in net, but the Flyers were unable to earn a victory. Sandstrom, 25 years old with eight NHL games under his belt, still hasn’t earned win No. 1 in his career, and frankly, that has little to do with his own play. His numbers look rough (he has a 3.78 goals against average and .894 save percentage in three starts on the season), but Sandstrom has played well enough to keep the Flyers in games. There’s just only so much an ordinary goalie can do for a team as far away from true contention as the Flyers are. In the Flyers’ last four games, they’ve been hugely outshot and outchanced. Since their October 27 tilt against the Panthers, the Flyers trail in the shots department 169-95 and rank dead-last in the NHL in Corsi For percentage (34.40) and second to last in expected goals for percentage (32.51) at 5-on-5. The Flyers are being pummeled in the possession game, and as obvious as it sounds, the most effective way to start giving their netminders some goal support is to simply possess the puck longer and create more chances of their own. Right now, that’s a big focus for Tortorella. “Playing in your own end as much as we have, it’s due to a little bit of not having the puck and making more plays,” said Tortorella after the loss in Toronto. “Somehow we’ve got to instill some confidence in our players to not be afraid to make a mistake and make some plays. At times we do. [...] But it’s certainly not consistent enough in a 60-minute hockey game, so we’re gonna continue to work at it.” As Hart carries the load and Sandstrom continues his quest to earn his first NHL victory, the goal for the rest of the team should be simple. Give them some — or any — support. Hart’s play to start the season has been mesmerizing, but unsustainable. And before long, it’ll need to be the offense that steps up for a change. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coming into the 2022-23 season, very few people in the hockey sphere — if any — were expecting the Philadelphia Flyers to amount to much of anything in the campaign’s early going. But through their first 10 games of the season, the Flyers have a fairly adequate record of 5-3-2 and, on paper, are in the mix of the Metropolitan Division standings. The Flyers’ strong start (by their standards) hasn’t been a result of high-octane offense, though — they rank 29th in the NHL in goals for per game. They’ve just been very good at keeping pucks out of their own net, allowing the sixth-fewest goals against per game in the league since the start of the season. But this isn’t thanks to the play of Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim or any of the Flyers’ other key contributors on the back end. This is Carter Hart’s doing. Hart, still just 24 years old, has been nothing short of sensational since the season opener. The second-round pick from 2016 has a 5-0-2 record in his seven starts on the season and sports a 2.10 goals against average along with a ridiculous .943 save percentage. Last week, Hart set a new career high with a whopping 48 saves to help the Flyers earn a massive victory over the reigning Presidents’ Trophy-winning Florida Panthers. Hart was also the star of the show in Tuesday night’s 1-0 loss to the New York Rangers, stopping 35 of the Blueshirts’ 36 shots on net to help the Flyers earn a point in overtime. Rangers forward Chris Kreider scored the game-winner on a breakaway with under a minute remaining in the overtime period. Hart deserved a better result Tuesday, and the Flyers are hopeful more goal support will come as the season progresses. “In this league, you work off your goalie. It’s a terrific start for Carter,” said Tortorella after the loss to the Rangers. “I think each start he has and each time that he gives us an opportunity, I’m hoping that it allows us, the players in front of him, allows them to feel, ‘You know what? We’ve got to give something back to him.’ And without tying us up in knots, try to do some of the things we want to do to have the puck more. “That’s one thing about our league, we get great athletes here. Great people in our league. They see Carter laying it out there, and I think it puts them in a spot where, ‘I’m gonna give it for him.’ And I hope it builds a little camaraderie.” To this point, the Flyers have still yet to win a game without Hart in the cage. In the three games in which Hart was rested, backup Felix Sandstrom took the reins in net, but the Flyers were unable to earn a victory. Sandstrom, 25 years old with eight NHL games under his belt, still hasn’t earned win No. 1 in his career, and frankly, that has little to do with his own play. His numbers look rough (he has a 3.78 goals against average and .894 save percentage in three starts on the season), but Sandstrom has played well enough to keep the Flyers in games. There’s just only so much an ordinary goalie can do for a team as far away from true contention as the Flyers are. In the Flyers’ last four games, they’ve been hugely outshot and outchanced. Since their October 27 tilt against the Panthers, the Flyers trail in the shots department 169-95 and rank dead-last in the NHL in Corsi For percentage (34.40) and second to last in expected goals for percentage (32.51) at 5-on-5. The Flyers are being pummeled in the possession game, and as obvious as it sounds, the most effective way to start giving their netminders some goal support is to simply possess the puck longer and create more chances of their own. Right now, that’s a big focus for Tortorella. “Playing in your own end as much as we have, it’s due to a little bit of not having the puck and making more plays,” said Tortorella after the loss in Toronto. “Somehow we’ve got to instill some confidence in our players to not be afraid to make a mistake and make some plays. At times we do. [...] But it’s certainly not consistent enough in a 60-minute hockey game, so we’re gonna continue to work at it.” As Hart carries the load and Sandstrom continues his quest to earn his first NHL victory, the goal for the rest of the team should be simple. Give them some — or any — support. Hart’s play to start the season has been mesmerizing, but unsustainable. And before long, it’ll need to be the offense that steps up for a change.
OccamsRazor Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 3 hours ago, Brewin Flames said: the Flyers have a fairly adequate record of 5-3-2 and, on paper, are in the mix of the Metropolitan Division standings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Digityman Posted November 7, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted November 7, 2022 #4 - GAA - 1.97 #3 - Sv% - .946 #3 - SA - 296 6-0-2 I think he's starting to figure it all out and over the next 2-3 years he'll start coming into his prime. The obvious question is will this management realize it and put a competitive in front of him or will he be wasted like Giroux (and Lindros and....) 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachX Posted November 7, 2022 Share Posted November 7, 2022 Knowing you have to make changes, wanting to make changes, and being capable of making those changes, are not all the same. I think they know they have to make changes, and I think they want to. Having a guy who can do it? Well there's the rub. We all know that answer. Torts is clearly the right guy. A good move in the right direction. Hart's play is a result. Having a team in front that plays tough in their own end will allow him to accel at what he does. thats the first step. It appears to be forward 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted November 7, 2022 Share Posted November 7, 2022 40 minutes ago, CoachX said: Knowing you have to make changes, wanting to make changes, and being capable of making those changes, are not all the same. Neither is "making the right changes". They've "changed" a lot, except the results. "Making change" just for the sake of rearranging deck chairs doesn't help. And I'm not entirely convinced the guy with $25M of his signature deals either injured, not playing, or a healthy scratch is the guy to do it... Happy, as ever, to be wrong... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachX Posted November 7, 2022 Share Posted November 7, 2022 6 minutes ago, radoran said: Happy, as ever, to be wrong... Im never happy being wrong...Im a miserable bytch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindbergh31 Posted November 7, 2022 Share Posted November 7, 2022 3 hours ago, Digityman said: #4 - GAA - 1.97 #3 - Sv% - .946 #3 - SA - 296 6-0-2 I think he's starting to figure it all out and over the next 2-3 years he'll start coming into his prime. The obvious question is will this management realize it and put a competitive in front of him or will he be wasted like Giroux (and Lindros and....) This is the million dollar question, will the Flyers brain trust build a competitive team in front of Hart. The Flyers finally have a homegrown goalie that they can build around with and hopefully they don't **** it up but my confidence in management isn't great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted November 7, 2022 Share Posted November 7, 2022 3 hours ago, CoachX said: Knowing you have to make changes, wanting to make changes, and being capable of making those changes, are not all the same. If Bo Horvat is really on the block (can't say he is for sure but seen it in two different places they may be inclined to move him) would he be worth pursuing being 27 about to be 28 in April or no keep being eye gauging bad to watch and try and purge or what maybe one of the experts here will tell me/us... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted November 8, 2022 Share Posted November 8, 2022 5 hours ago, OccamsRazor said: If Bo Horvat is really on the block (can't say he is for sure but seen it in two different places they may be inclined to move him) would he be worth pursuing being 27 about to be 28 in April or no keep being eye gauging bad to watch and try and purge or what maybe one of the experts here will tell me/us... I really like Horvat. But he's at $5.5M and a free agent this summer. Someone is going to pay $7.5-$8M for him for 7 years. I'd rather that not be the Flyers. And my money is on the idea that Couterier does not play again. So we need a first line center because there isn't one here, unless I'm surprised by Gauthier. I just don't like what we'd have to give up to get Horvat only to lose him to free agency or worse, sign for $56M until he's 35 years old. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted November 8, 2022 Share Posted November 8, 2022 6 minutes ago, ruxpin said: I just don't like what we'd have to give up to get Horvat What would that be?? I need to know otherwise i won't be able to watch this team for a few years. They ain't going to blow it up so we know that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted November 8, 2022 Share Posted November 8, 2022 50 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said: What would that be?? I need to know otherwise i won't be able to watch this team for a few years. They ain't going to blow it up so we know that. I have no idea who or what that would be, but given the way Demko is playing, who's to say it isn't Hart? But it's not the point. He's a rental for a team that doesn't need to give ANYTHING up for a rental. And keeping him and signing him until he's 35 when he's done exactly what is foolish. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GratefulFlyers Posted November 8, 2022 Share Posted November 8, 2022 On 11/4/2022 at 5:54 PM, Brewin Flames said: But this isn’t thanks to the play of Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim or any of the Flyers’ other key contributors on the back end. This is Carter Hart’s doing. Good article. Hart has been great but he's had some help. Not on the scoreboard so much but defensively the skaters are all blocking shots. And not with sticks but with their bodies. That's a big deal. It's no way to play all 82 games - they'll have to get quicker on their reads. But it is a sign that the team is buying into what Tortorella is selling. It's been a long time since I saw a Flyers team this scrappy - before and after the whistle. Hart deserves a ton of praise, even the bad goals haven't disrupted his focus. So I agree All Hail Carter Hart. But give some credit to the shot blockers too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted November 8, 2022 Share Posted November 8, 2022 22 hours ago, ruxpin said: But it's not the point. He's a rental for a team that doesn't need to give ANYTHING up for a rental. And keeping him and signing him until he's 35 when he's done exactly what is foolish. We take you now to the Executive Suite at the Wells Fargo Center for this reaction from General Manager Chuck Fletcher... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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