The alarming news that Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov had recently suffered a chip fracture in his right foot, prior to the team's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, could have proven to be a devastating blow to the team's playoff chances.
Bryzgalov's recent efforts have created the possibility that the Flyers might make playoff progress this spring.
Sean OBrien
Cautious optimism has replaced initial panic, after the team announced that they anticipate that their number 1 goalie should return to play in a home game against the New York Rangers next Tuesday.
Brian and Bob
Sergei Bobrovsky filled in for Bryzgalov against the Toronto Maple Leafs during a blowout 7-1 win on Thursday. The Maple Leafs, who are limping through the final moments of another non-playoff year, managed to only get 17 shots on 'Bob' during the home loss.
One has to wonder how long President and general manager Brian Burke will be allowed to fully hold onto the Maple Leafs' reigns in one of hockey's signature markets. Former Flyer Dave Poulin, who is Vice-President of Hockey Operations, might be a candidate to eventually take over for him.
The Flyers sophomore goalie will likely see action in this weekend's contests against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.
Last season, Bobrovsky unexpectedly emerged as the Flyers starting goaltender and won 28 games. Due to the arrival of former Phoenix Coyotes starting goaltender Bryzgalov, the team's 23-year-old goalie has basically had his playing time cut in half.
While 'Bob' is a competent crease man, it's clear that 'Bryz' is the preferred option as the team moves toward the playoffs.
Ilya
After an up-and-down start, Bryzgalov went on a stunning tear in March that included setting the team record for consecutive shutout minutes. His recent efforts have allowed general manager Paul Holmgren's offseason acquisition to finally look like a smart move.
If 'Bryz' does return next week, he will need to prove that he his healthy in order to allay any remaining fears about the foot issue affecting his game. When the National Hockey League's second season begins, he will then need to perform consistently in order to create his Flyers playoff 'brand name'.
Regardless of the series results, during any playoff round this spring, a solid postseason effort by Bryzgalov will establish that he is the person who can eventually lead the core of this team to multiple Stanley Cup runs.
Sean O'Brien is based in the Philadelphia region. He has written professionally for over two decades and is currently a Featured Contributor for Yahoo! You can follow him on Twitter @SeanyOB and also read his daily Sports Blog: Insight.
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