Inside the Flyers: Inside the Flyers: Who will be the team's MVP?
With five weeks left in the regular season, the Flyers have 18 games to show whether they belong in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-pmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/TP5CNAU7SRB65KX4MOO6EAYG7Q.jpg)
With five weeks left in the regular season, the Flyers have 18 games to show whether they belong in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Those 18 games will also help determine the team's MVP, which is too close to call at the moment. Below are my leading candidates, in order. But, remember, things could change dramatically by the time the regular season ends April 10 against the New York Islanders in Brooklyn.
Shayne Gostisbehere
Stats (entering Saturday): 45 games, 12 goals, 23 assists, 35 points, plus-3.
Why he could win it: Since being recalled Nov. 14, Gostisbehere has energized a dead-in-the-water team. Entering Saturday, the Flyers were 5-8-3 without Gostisbehere, and 24-15-8 with him. Gostisbehere has four overtime goals, and his recent 15-game scoring streak - the longest in NHL history for a rookie defenseman, and the longest by any defenseman since Chris Chelios in 1995-96 - helped make him a legitimate rookie of the year candidate.
Claude Giroux
Stats: 60 games, 17 goals, 37 assists, 54 points, minus-9.
Why he could win it: The team's lone all-star, Giroux has been arguably the Flyers' most consistent player. In addition to his team-high point total, Giroux has been among the NHL leaders in faceoffs (winning about 57 percent), and his passing has helped Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn reach double figures in power-play goals. Giroux, who leads the NHL in combined points over the last five seasons, sets the tone for the team with his relentless style of play.
Michal Neuvirth
Stats: 16-8-4 record, 2.29 goals-against average, .925 save percentage.
Why he could win it: You could make the argument that the biggest reason the Flyers have shown improvement this season is because of Neuvirth, who was signed as a free agent (two years for a total of $3.25 million) in the summer. Neuvirth has become the team's go-to goalie and has been among the NHL leaders in save percentage all season. The 27-year-old is having a career season, and he was recently selected to play for the Czech Republic in the World Cup of Hockey.
Wayne Simmonds
Stats: 63 games, 23 goals, 20 assists, 43 points, minus-7.
Why he could win it: He has been Mr. Reliable. Again. The prototypical power forward, Simmonds took a team-high 23 goals into Saturday, and his 11 power-play tallies placed him 10th in the NHL. Simmonds plays with an edge and is a disruptive force in front of the net, especially on the power play. He leads the team's forwards in hits, but the finesse part of his game has also improved. His goal totals the last three years show his consistency: 29, 28, and 23 (and counting).
Jake Voracek
Stats: 60 games, 10 goals, 38 assists, 48 points, minus-3.
Why he could win it: Voracek overcame a slow start (five points in 16 games), and over the last four months has been as good as he was during his breakout 2014-15 season. He has 43 points in his last 44 games, and you could argue that his resurgence was just as vital to the team's turnaround as Gostisbehere's promotion from the minors. Voracek will miss his fourth game because of a foot injury Saturday but is expected to return soon. The Flyers need him. Desperately.
Brayden Schenn
Stats: 61 games, 21 goals, 21 assists, 42 points, plus-2.
Why he could win it: Once upon a time, he was known as the "best player not in the NHL." A versatile forward now in his fifth season with the Flyers, Schenn is finally living up to the early expectations. He entered Saturday with a personal-best 21 goals, including 10 on the power play. He has been effective at center or wing. Schenn, who left Thursday's game with an injury, is also one of the Flyers' most physical forwards, and he has a knack for scoring key goals.
Sean Couturier
Stats: 45 games, 9 goals, 16 assists, 25 points, plus-5.
Why he could win it: The Flyers are a different team with Couturier in the lineup, plain and simple. They are 24-14-7 with him, 5-9-4 without him. (He missed 18 games because of injuries.) The Flyers' best defensive forward, the 23-year-old center plays in all situations, and is critical to the team's penalty-killing success. He has also shown marked improvement on offense - witness his 17 points in his last 21 games entering Saturday.
@BroadStBull