The Cold Hard Truth: Flyers’ Goalies Lack More Than You Think

Each time I watch a Philadelphia sports team take its respectful ground of battle, a tiny portion of excitement kicks in. Then, a few minutes go by, mistakes begin to steal the thunder, and reality hits me square in the face.

What is it about this city that we are constantly denied sports glory? Why are we always left looking through the bottom of a bottle as if it were some magic telescope that gives us a sense of what other cities get to experience? Why?

Why us?

Since 1980, the city of Philadelphia has seen 133 completed sports seasons. The number of championships to show for it, three. Three trophies, three parades, and three nights of glory. Meanwhile, Los Angeles’ beloved Lakers have won 10 titles of their own since then. The city of Boston has experienced at least one championship from each of its four major teams since 1980 as well.

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If over this past summer, you were to ask a group of Philadelphia die-hards which team was closest to winning a title, some of them would tell you the Philadelphia Flyers. Last year, it could very well have been the Flyers squaring off against the Los Angeles Kings. After all, Philadelphia was virtually even, if not better, in almost every category than the New York Rangers. Yes, that includes some defensive categories. If that were the case, who knows if Philly’s higher-powered offense would have been able to figure out Jonathan Quick. As we all know, though, there was one end game that proved everything.

You need GREAT goaltending.

Consistency is the first issue in terms of the Flyers’ goaltending struggles. And no, a win against the Kings does not put Steve Mason “back on track.” The Kings’ 16th ranked goals per game average is nothing to be impressed about. First, let’s start with Mason.

Mason has posted a 5-9-3 record with one shutout in 18 games this season. To be honest, his record makes sense as long as you aren’t comparing him to last season. This year, he is beating the teams he is supposed to beat and losing to the teams he’s supposed to lose to. Three of the five teams he has defeated this year are against teams ranked in the bottom third for goals scored. Four of his nine losses have come against teams ranked in the league’s top third for the same category. However, he has also lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils. All three are clubs that are ranked in the bottom third. Case in point, he’s inconsistent. The power play is where his lack of ability comes into play. Almost a third of Masons 46 goals given up have been on the power play (15).

Ray Emery, who technically has the “better” record at 4-4-1, is outplaying Mason in some cases. In fact, his situation is somewhat reversed from Mason’s. He seems to be defeating teams he is not supposed to be beating. Along with the defending champs, Emery has also knocked off the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. Technically, he defeated the Dallas Stars also, but he only faced five shots in that game. Despite the slight success that information shows, his goals against average and save percentage are so bad, neither are worth mentioning.

It really is mind-boggling when you think about it. The league average for goals per game is 2.67, while the league average for shots is 29. If you look at the combined averages of both of those stats involving teams that Mason and Emery have played against in win/loss scenarios, you might be a bit surprised.

As you can see, Mason has both won and lost against groups of teams that have tallied less than the NHL average for goals scored per game. Meanwhile, Emery has both won and lost against groups of teams that average more than the NHL average for goals scored per game. Try and decided which record is more understandable now. It’s hard to, isn’t it?

Put the blame on the defense as much as you want. It’s still the same group of guys in front of both goaltenders.