Garrett Hoffmann and Jake Saxton
Staff Writers
Claude Giroux and the Philadelphia Flyers have been red hot this month of February as they now come down the home stretch with only 17 remaining games in the season. At the beginning of the month, the Flyers were a middle of the pack team in the metropolitan division fighting for a wild card spot and to make some noise. However, with the Flyers now on a six-game win streak, their longest of the season, they sit comfortably in holding down the second spot in the Metropolitan division and sit sixth in the league by overall point counts. But, this does not mean they can coast the rest of the way as Pittsburgh is right on their heels, having one point less than the Flyers do and they cannot discount the two surging Carolina and Columbus clubs who are looking to make their mark on the Metro as well. According to NBC Sports Philadelphia, the Flyers currently have one of the best home records in the NHL, along with the highest chance of winning the Stanley Cup (12.7%).
You may be asking the question, “Well how the [heck] did this team become legitimate contenders if most of the same players are still on the team from a year ago?”
The answer to this question is simply and undoubtedly Alain Vigneault. You may be familiar with this name because he coached the New York Rangers for five years. With the Rangers, AV has been to two Stanley Cups and has taken them to the playoffs every year except for one. He also coached Vancouver for seven years and took them to the Stanley Cup Finals as well. With the addition of a well-respected coach and a guy who knows how to get it done, the Flyers are hoping AV brings the same success to this team as he did with all the others.
Flyers center, Kevin Hayes, has become one of the hot talks of this team. Hayes currently has 41 points in 66 games played. Aside from his scoring, Hayes is a well-rounded veteran who shows great leadership for the team. Hayes brings great positive energy in the locker room, which really makes it a joyful environment for the players. Along with Hayes, Flyers’ goaltender, Carter Hart, has stepped it up big this season. Hart currently has a .909 save percentage this season along with one of the best home records in the league, 18-2-2. With the Flyers coming down to the home stretch of the season, they hope to finish strong to clinch a commendable position in the playoffs.
On March 12, the NHL hit the pause button on the season due to the COVID-19 crisis. The league still hopes to complete the season.
