The Philadelphia Flyers' season was brought to an end this past Saturday following their Game 4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Flyers gave it their all during this second-round series, but the Hurricanes were just the better team, resulting in the sweep.
There is a lot to be proud of if you are a Flyers fan. The team had no expectations heading into the season, yet they clinched a playoff spot and secured a series win over the rival Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round.
On Monday, the Flyers regime of team Governor Dan Hilferty, President of Hockey Operations Kieth Jones, General Manager Danny Briere, and Head Coach Rick Tocchet sent out a letter on social media, thanking fans for their support throughout the regular season and the playoffs. In the letter, they hyped up the team's future.
Flyers hype up future in team's thank you letter to fans
"As we close out a season that defied expectations, we are energized by what lies ahead," the letter read.
"This season gave us a glimpse of the future - the potential of this relentless group of players, the belief inside our locker room, and the foundation we set to build a sustainable culture of excellence you deserve."
The Flyers didn't have much expectations heading into the season. They didn't publicly say that it was playoffs or bust, but they did want their younger players to step up. After all, the part of their rebuild was to stock up on younger players who can be a part of a Stanley Cup championship team.
Matvei Michkov was expected to take a huge step in his second season with the team, and it was a bit of a roller coaster ride. There were plenty of downs, but there were ups that showed that he could be a real difference maker for the team. He just needs to show consistency.
During their playoff push, the Flyers called up Porter Martone, who instantly provided a spark to the lineup and helped them clinch a spot. He bought into the Flyer way, got into opponent's faces, and was able to factor into the stat sheet. In the playoffs, Martone had the second-most points on the team with five points (two goals, three assists).
Then there's Alex Bump, who was a late call up during the season, where he scored five goals and recorded four assists in 17 games. In the playoffs, Bump scored two goals.
That's not to say there wasn't a factor from veterans. Trevor Zegras was the top player they were searching for and then some. After acquiring him in a trade from the Anaheim Ducks, the Flyers saw Zegras get adjusted to his new team and environment quickly. In 81 regular season games, Zegras recorded 26 goals and 41 assists. In the playoffs, Zegras led the Flyers in goals (two) and assists (four). Now, the Flyers will undoubtedly try to lock Zegras in on a long-term deal, as he's a restricted free agent this summer.
Meanwhile, Dan Vladar has been the goalie the Flyers has been searching for for years. In the regular season, Vladar recorded a 2.42 goals allowed average, a .906 save percentage, and a 29-14-7 record in 52 games. In these playoffs, Vladar posted a 2.18 goals allowed average and a .922 save percentage in 10 games.
The future does look bright for the Flyers. The team looked to be in sync and have built chemistry with one another. The major plus is that a lot of their young core got a taste of the playoffs, and the experience will pay dividends. It will be interesting to see how the team tackles the offseason.
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