The Flyers have brought back an old face (or mask) in goaltender Brian Boucher. The deal is for two years at $1.85 total. Boucher had a record of 12-6-3 in San Jose last season with a 2.18 goals against average, .917 save percentage and two shutouts.
EN Says: So the Flyers' goaltenders next season will be Ray Emery and Brian Boucher? Why not just tack up a shooter tutor in net?
Seriously, Martin Biron is never going to be a guy who will lead a team to a Stanley Cup, but tandem of Emery and Boucher is a downgrade from Biron and Antero Niittymaki. Heck, we'd rather have Niittymaki in net instead of Emery or Boucher.
Lot of folks, including ourselves have pointed to the Flyers' rough and tough style of play as a the main culprit in their futile chase for a third Stanley Cup title. It's time to start pointing the finger at the goaltending. Ever since Ron Hextall's first run with the Flyers in the 1980s, they have not had a franchise goaltender capable of winning a Stanley Cup title. Since then it's been Tommy Soderstrom, Dominic Roussel, Garth Snow, and old declining Hextall, Sean Burke, an old washed up John Vanbiesbrouk, Roman Cechmanek, Robert Esche, Jeff Hacket, Niittymaki and Biron.
Until the Flyers get serious about their goaltending, they won't get anywhere near another Cup title.
(Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Posted
Jul 01 2009, 03:45 PM
by
Seth Rorabaugh