As the Philadelphia Flyers free-fall through the Eastern Conference standings – their 5-4 shootout win over Vancouver Thursday was just their third victory in their past 12 games and left them only five points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes (who have three games in hand) for the final playoff wild card berth – an old “friend… has made its way back in their neighborhood. Well, maybe “friend… isn’t the appropriate word. Maybe “spectre… is better. Because that entity is inconsistent goaltending – and in Philly, it’s an all-too-familiar character in a play whose ending Flyers fans have grown tired of over the years.
In Thursday’s loss, veteran Steve Mason was pulled following two periods in which he surrendered four goals on 24 shots for a save percentage of .833. That marked the sixth time in his past eight games that Mason has posted an SP of .885 or less (including two times where it fell below the .800 mark). Any way you look at it, that’s not an ideal number for an NHL-level goaltender to register, let alone one occupying the No. 1 role for a team that has serious post-season aspirations.…¨…¨
Now, Mason isn’t the sole reason the puck is entering Philadelphia’s net so often, nor is he the lone person to blame for the fact the Flyers aren’t getting into the win column with regularity after reeling off ten straight wins in early December. Indeed, if we’re going to criticize him for this stretch, we have to acknowledge (a) he plays in front of a defense corps that too often has looked like a gaggle of matadors in front of him; and (b) he’s also played very well at times this season. The 28-year-old’s 14-14-6 record is an indication he can contribute.
However, should he be contributing in the starter’s role? Backup Michal Neuwirth may not be the answer, either – despite stepping in for Mason Thursday and getting the win, Neuwirth entered the game with an uninspiring .867 SP in 10 games – but does anyone really believe the Flyers could squeak into the post-season and win a round or more with those two as their options in net? Stranger things have happened, but be honest as you compare Philly’s goaltenders with the teams around them in the standings. The Rangers have Henrik Lundqvist. The Senators employ Craig Anderson. The Bruins have Tuukka Rask. The Penguins have two solid netminders, and the Capitals have Braden Holtby. All of them are more reliable than Mason and Neuwirth.
So if the question is, “can the Flyers expect to do any kind of damage this year without a different look between the pipes…, I’d say the answer is fairly clear, and it isn't a positive one for Flyers fans. The team's strained salary cap situation is going to make acquiring a new goalie more complicated, but that’s the bad news in a good news/bad news situation. The good news is that both Mason and Neuwirth are unrestricted free agents this summer, and thus are far more easily moved than, say, the Dallas Stars’ goalies.
Moreover, there are experienced goalies GM Ron Hextall can land without giving up a boatload of NHL-calibre talent or prospects. Vancouver’s Ryan Miller is currently playing his team into post-season contention, but an extended slide over the next few weeks could change his status and put him squarely on the trade block. And, like Miller, Tampa Bay’s Ben Bishop is scheduled to be a UFA at the end of the season and would be an instant upgrade who wouldn't command a king's ransom in any transaction. Both Bishop and Miller are in their thirties, yet with the wealth of goalie talent the Flyers have in the pipeline, neither player would need to be the long-term solution. But they would represent a fighting chance against some of the beasts of the east.
For too many years, Philadelphia has had a carousel of names, famous and otherwise, shuttled into and out of town in the hope they would deliver a stellar performance in net. The way this season is unfolding, that carousel looks like it’s going to continue to turn.
The status quo might work for a few weeks here or there, but over the long haul, the only consistency in the Flyers' net has been inconsistency. And that’s not a good harbinger for their post-season plans.