Flyers’ Eternal Search Continues, Holmgren Looks for Goaltender
NHLHS Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent David Strehle takes a look at Flyers GM Paul Holmgren’s new (and old) mission, to find a franchise goaltender.
For the Philadelphia Flyers it is a seemingly never-ending search, a generational attempt to find that one franchise netminder with which to call their own.
Through the years, we have seen the likes of Tommy Soderstrom, Dominic Roussel, Garth Snow, Jean-Marc Pelletier, Maxime Ouellet, Brian Boucher (in his first stint with the club), Roman Cechmanek, Antero Niittymaki, and Robert Esche anointed as the heir to the throne.
Categories: 30 Team Series, Around the League, Atlantic, Eastern Conference, Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, Philadelphia Flyers Tags: Alex Auld, Andrew Raycroft, Antero Niittymaki, bob clarke, Brian Boucher, Carey Price, Chris Mason, Dan Ellis, Dan Hamhuis, Dean Lombardi, dominic roussel, Eric Lindros, Evgeni Nabokov, Garth Snow, Jaroslav Halak, Jeff Carter, jena-marc pelletier, Johan Backlund, Johan Hedberg, John Vanbiesbrouck, Jonathan Bernier, Jonathan Quick, Jose Theodore, Josh Harding, Manny Legace, Martin Biron, Marty Turco, maxime ouellet, Michael Leighton, Miikka Kiprusoff, mike liut, Mike Smith, NHL, Niklas Backstrom, Patrick Lalime, Paul Holmgren, Pekka Rinne, Peter Budaj, Peter Laviolette, Philadelphia Flyers, Ray Emery, Robert Esche, roman cechmanek, Ron Hextall, Sean Burke, tommy soderstrom, Vesa Toskala
The Man Behind the Mask: Michael Leighton
The NHLHS Man Behind The Mask series is a profile on some of the best goalies in the league to ever wear the “mask”. We hope you enjoy the latest installment of the NHLHS MBTM series.
The Philadelphia Flyers are your Eastern Conference Champions for the 2009-10 NHL season. That is correct. A team that once held the 14th seed in the Conference on lock, have defied the odds, skated through adversity and are on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Thank you Ray Emery? No. Thank you Brian Boucher? Somewhat. Thank you waiver wire? YES!
Wait, waiver wire?
On December 15th, 2009, the Philadelphia Flyers were in a bad place. They had lost starting goaltender Ray Emery and backup netminder Brian Boucher to injuries and neither the team nor youngster Johan Backlund were confident enough to move forward together.
They sat in fourteenth place in the Eastern Conference and for a team that was predicted to appear in the Stanley Cup Finals by many, if not most, of the experts, things were looking bleak.
Enter a claim from the waiver wire. That claim was for a journeyman netminder who now has his name as a part of history and has gained an opportunity to play for the greatest prize in all of sports, the Stanley Cup.
Categories: 30 Team Series, Around the League, Atlantic, By Teams, Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, Philadelphia Flyers, Playoff Coverage, The Man Behind the Mask Tags: bernie parent, Brian Boucher, Ed Snider, Jaroslav Halak, Johan Backlund, Michael Leighton, NHL, Philadelphia Flyers, Ray Emery, stanley cup, Stanley Cup Finals
Flyers’ Season Covered in ‘Leighton Fingerprints’
NHLHS writer David Strehle takes a look at the influence that goaltender Michael Leighton has had on the Flyers’ 2009-10 season, and the role he will play in the team’s shot at history tonight.
It was a waiver-wire move that Philadelphia Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren made five months ago, and it barely registered a blip on the NHL radar at the time.
But it’s hard to imagine just where the 2009-10 edition of the Flyers would be without Michael Leighton.
Categories: Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, Philadelphia Flyers, Playoff Coverage Tags: 2010 NHL Stanley Cpu Playoffs, Boston Bruins, Brian Boucher, Carolina Hurricanes, Charlie Hodge, Ed Snider, Game Seven, Jacques Plante, Michael Leighton, NHL, NHL Playoffs, Paul Holmgren, Peter Laviolette, Philadelphia Flyers, Ray Emery
Flyers Sign Russian Goaltender Bobrovsky
NHLHS writer David Strehle take a closer look at the latest netminder being brought in from the KHL to man the Flyers’ crease, and the Flyer’s growing pipeline for goaltending help.
After weeks of leaked rumors that a deal was already in place, the Philadelphia Flyers announced Thursday that they have signed 21-year-old Russian netminder Sergei Bobrovsky to a two-way, three-year contract that will pay him $1.75 million annually.
There was much NHL interest in Bobrovsky, who was also reportedly being pursued by the Detroit Red Wings.
Categories: NHLHS Features, Philadelphia Flyers Tags: bernie parent, Brian Boucher, joacim eriksson, John Grahame, KHL, Michael Leighton, NHL, nic riopel, Philadelphia Flyers, Ray Emery, Semyon Varlamov, sergei bobrovsky
The Man Behind the Mask: Brian Boucher
The NHLHS Man Behind The Mask series is a profile on some of the best goalies in the league to ever wear the “mask”. We hope you enjoy the latest installment of the NHLHS MBTM series.
Rookie stand-out, turned journeyman, turned AHLer, back to the spotlight known as the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. That is the story summarized for Philadelphia Flyers starting goaltender, at least in these playoffs, Brian Boucher.
Where to begin?
Categories: 30 Team Series, Around the League, Atlantic, By Teams, Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, Philadelphia Flyers, The Man Behind the Mask Tags: Brian Boucher, Martin Brodeur, Michael Leighton, Michal Handzus, Mike Leclerc, Philippe Sauve, Ray Emery, Robert Esche, Roman Checkmanek, Steven Reinprecht
Pros & Cons: Philadelphia Flyers vs. New Jersey Devils
Our newest feature, Pros and Cons, holds a debate between two of our featured writers as they make an argument for each team in the series. We will continue this series throughout the playoffs as we delve deeper into how these two teams will interact.
Categories: Around the League, Atlantic, By Teams, Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Playoff Coverage Tags: Brian Boucher, Chris Pronger, Claude Giroux, Darroll Powe, Ilya Kovalchuk, James van Riemsdyk, Jeff Carter, Martin Brodeur, Matt Carle, Michael Leighton, Mike Richards, Patrik Elias, Ray Emery, Simon Gagne, Zach Parise
Penguins Clinch Playoff Berth, Defense Returns
The Pittsburgh Penguins won their first game in four and only their third in nine games yesterday, a 4-1 victory over the rival Philadelphia Flyers.
Before the game, many said that the Penguins caught a lucky break with both Ray Emery and Michael Leighton out with season-ending injuries and rookie goaltender Johan Backlund starting in nets.
Categories: Around the League, Atlantic, By Teams, Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, Pittsburgh Penguins Tags: Brooks Orpik, Chris Kunitz, Evgeni Malkin, Jeff Carter, Johan Backlund, Kris Letang, Marc Andre Fleury, Matt Cooke, Michael Leighton, Pascal Dupuis, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ray Emery, Ruslan Fedotenko, Sergei Gonchar, Simon Gagne, Ville Leino
Flyers’ Playoff Hopes Fall on Boucher
NHLHS writer Dave Strehle takes a look at the constant black cloud that sits above the goal net of the Philadelphia Flyers.
The nightmare season for Philadelphia Flyers netminders continues.
GM Paul Holmgren revealed today that Michael Leighton’s high ankle sprain is severe and that he is likely to miss 8-10 weeks. 33-year-old Brian Boucher, whom Leighton had taken over for when Boosh suffered a lacerated finger in a game against the Florida Panthers on December 21st, will again take over the #1 spot.
It has been an injury-riddled year for any goalie wearing the Orange and Black. The season began on a high note with Ray Emery as the Flyers’ #1 goaltender, but when Razor required surgery to repair a tear in his abdominal wall, Boucher took over. It was at that time that Holmgren made the waiver wire move to pick up Leighton from the Carolina Hurricanes.
Categories: Around the League, Atlantic, Eastern Conference, NHLHS Features, Philadelphia Flyers Tags: Brian Boucher, jeremy duchesne, Johan Backlund, Michael Leighton, NHL, Philadelphia Flyers, Ray Emery
