FanSided’s 30 In 30 NHL Previews: Philadelphia Flyers

Another day, another FanSided NHL season preview.  This time, we take a look at a hated rival, a team that knocked us out of our most recent playoff appearance and who we face on opening night, the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Flyers come off a second-round defeat at the hands of Boston last season in what was a convincing sweep, prompting management to restructure the team.  Once again, they will look to win their first Stanley Cup since 1975; however, Philly’s new faces will need to fit in effectively for a chance at a cup run.  Over at Broad Street Buzz, Eugene Markman previews 2011-2012 for his Flyers, and wonders who some of their new skaters actually are.

"“Who the hell is that guy?’ That’s going to be the question most fans will be asking once the puck drops on the regular season. After a major roster overhaul, a ton of of familiar faces are gone, with new ones in their place. What was clearly a top contender for the Stanley Cup, is now a team whose fate is really up in the air.  With that, lets look at whose gone, whose here, and what lies ahead."

To read the rest of this Flyers’ outlook, click here.

The first Devils-Flyers game this season comes on opening night in New Jersey, as Philly will be the first team we get a look at in regular season play.  Afterwards, the Devils visit Philadelphia on November 3rd, followed by a Saturday matinee at the Prudential Center on January 21st and, two weeks later, yet another at the Wachovia Center on February 4th.  Finally, these two teams will faceoff twice in a home-and-home series on March 11th and March 13th, the first game of which takes place in New Jersey.  The Devils have struggled with the Flyers in recent years, but defeating them (especially at home, in fact, where it is nice to silence some of their fans) is bittersweet.  Hopefully, this season brings about more success versus Philly.

And now for a look at the Flyers themselves.  We all know about their trades of captain Mike Richards and center Jeff Carter, and their commitment to improved play behind their own blue line.  However, Philly still has a fairly strong group of forwards, led by, among others, youngsters James van Riemsdyk (newly signed to a six-year contract) and Claude Giroux.  Their depth is fairly strong as well, and offensively, there is a nice mix of youth and veteran presence in the Flyers’ lineup.

Defensively, the Flyers have a good group of skaters who have proven themselves in this league (and some with Philly in the past as well).  This bunch is led by Chris Pronger, who takes on a new load of responsibility with his captaincy this season; we saw him lead eight-seed Edmonton to a seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006, so we know he is capable of handling this new title effectively.  There is a new man between the pipes for the Flyers, as proven netminder Ilya Bryzgalov gives Philly a more-than-capable starter who has excelled in past seasons.  Michael Leighton and Sergei Bobrovsky should make for an interesting battle for the backup spot, as both have seen some recent success with this team.

Overall, while the Flyers may have some early-season transitioning to do, this is still a very, very strong team.  Although their offensive firepower may not be as large, Philly is now a more balanced team, with plenty of strength at seemingly all positions.  I do expect another playoff berth from the Flyers, and while I believe the Penguins will win the Atlantic this season, Philly could easily fight for, at least, a four seed and home-ice for a series; they should be dangerous come playoff time once again.

Tomorrow’s preview will feature the Pittsburgh Penguins, who, despite losing their best two players to injury, played well enough for a four-seed in the Eastern Conference last season; they should be even stronger this year.

-Drew