Shayne Gostisbehere Is Making Flyers History
By Regina Ham
There is no question that Shayne Gostisbehere is making his name in a Flyers uniform.
One of the best talents on the ice for the Philadelphia Flyers is defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere. He was called up in November from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms and has been nothing short of a success story. To say that Gostisbehere, or Ghost, is having a rare season is an understatement. The Flyers have been on fire offensively when he plays and he is earning his way to an all-start rookie year. There was talk earlier on in the season of Gostisbehere being sent back to the Phantoms once Mark Streit came back from being out with an injury. Those rumors were quickly put to rest and he’s been performing at a level that might just earn him Rookie of the Year.
There has been a lot of work Gostisbehere has been putting into his position. He’s earned himself a spot on the top power play unit and has been a playmaker when the Flyers need him. He’s trying to make up ground in the Calder Cup race and it’s safe to say he is still a contender. Granted, he’s only played in 35 games but he’s proving that he’s one of the best rookies in the league. It also isn’t his first rodeo in professional hockey, as his 2014-15 season was cut short by injury. He only played in seven games and underwent knee surgery, which could be a major setback to any player trying to have a successful NHL career. However, these things didn’t deter him and in his first two games with the Flyers this season, he scored his first NHL goal.
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Things didn’t stop for Gostisbehere since his first game on November 14th. He’s developed as a defensemen, which is something the Flyers don’t do spectacularly well. He’s grown as a skater and a shooter, using his speed to his advantage. According to CBS Sports, he also the only defensemen that the Flyers have drafted. The rest have come from trades or pickups during free agency. That isn’t the most efficient way but there is hope for the Flyers and their blue line. The NHL Draft will be a good time for the team to focus on finding defensemen like Gostisbehere who they can groom to perform at the same level. Having someone like Gostisbehere might just be the catalyst that the Flyers need to boost their blue line.
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Ghost isn’t just proving he’s meant to be with the Flyers. He’s setting records with them. His most recent record came against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night. Gostisbehere was riding a point streak before the game. His assist on a goal by Wayne Simmonds’ gave the rookie another point, tying the record for a the longest point streak by a rookie. Ghost is tied with Mikael Renberg’s record in 1993-94 season of 10 games. He has the chance to take the top spot all to himself if he earns a point during the Flyers game on Saturday afternoon. His phenomenal performance has boosted his profile in the Calder Cup race, even though he ranks fifth among NHL rookies with 29 points. He’s expected to keep performing at a high level throughout the rest of the season and if he does, he’ll be able to push his way into the top of the conversation.
That might just be the beginning of a long and successful career for the talented rookie.