Bob should stay put - for now
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Bob should stay put - for now
UNIONDALE, NY -- How can Peter Laviolette do anything else but keep riding the hot hand?
Sergei Bobrovsky was sensational in goal during Thursday’s 3-2 win over the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum.
It was his second straight start and second consecutive stellar performance. Bobrovsky also was in goal for Tuesday’s 2-1 win at Carolina.
“I thought Bob was terrific,” Laviolette said.
So did his teammates.
The tone was set early when Bobrovsky stopped a penalty shot by Michael Grabner just 2:49 into the game.
“I thought that was huge,” said Wayne Simmonds, who scored the Flyers second goal. “Grabner is a good player and scores a lot of goals and Bob was really composed and I thought he made a huge save and that just gave us confidence.”
By the way, according to Flyers public relations statistical guru Brian Smith, it was Bobrovsky’s first career save of a penalty shot after previously being 0-for-3.
Actually, there was another save in the second period on Grabner that was even more impressive, when Bobrovsky snared a backhander.
Everybody knows that Ilya Bryzgalov has the nine-year, $51 million contract, and nobody expects him to have an extended stay on the bench, but right now Bobrovsky is giving the Flyers no choice but to keep him in goal.
This is not exactly earth-shattering advice or going out on the limb. It’s simply common sense. Bobrovsky is playing well and really has been all season.
The Flyers have to feel good about having a goalie that they know they can not only win with, but who can win them games when they aren’t at their best.
Laviolette never likes to announce any lineups until the day of the game and even then it doesn’t always happen.
Still, it would be a surprise if Bobrovsky isn’t in goal on Saturday.
He has yet to start three games in a row this season, although Bobrovsky appeared in three consecutive games, one in relief of Bryzgalov and the other two starts, all in November.
It’s now just past the midway point of the season. There is plenty of time to get Bryzgalov back into the swing. It’s just that now isn’t the time with the way Bobrovsky is performing.
The only reason that they have Bryz right now is because of Ed Snider. Homer himself, in my opinion, would not have panicked and made that deal. Snider pretty much forced him to. Homer would have waited another season to see how Bob came along, and (God help me saying this) probably would have settled for #49 as backup. I can't even say his name, those flashbacks to the OT goal to lose the Cup hurts so much.— flyers1313- Oh look Sam is trashing Bryz again!! Shocking. Now that Richie is gone Sam has to find a new reason to keep writing. Based on all of his columns this year his new mission is to get rid of Bryz b/c he's been so "inadequate" thru 40 GAMES!!!
I have an idea Sam, how about you move across the country, uproot your family, then go to work for a new paper while coming in with a reputation as "the best hockey columnist from the East coast" while getting paid more than every single one of your coworkers at said newspaper. THEN, after you've written say, 25 columns, (some of which were great while others were awful) let's call YOU a failure & root for your junior associate fresh out of journalism school to take over the column.
Wonder how YOU'D feel????— thomaspfoolery - The reality is, Bob is outplaying Bryz right now. He should absolutely be staying. I realize he is expensive for a backup, but this kid has the potential to be an elite goalie in this league very soon. Not having to play as many games as he HAD to last year is going to be good for him. He is just starting to get used to the NHL grind and not having the pressure of being the number 1 guy is helpful in his development too. I haven't seen a young goalie with this much potential in Philly since Pelle Lindbergh (God rest his soul.) And thats saying a LOT for me, Pelle was my idol back in the day. I think Bob is going to be special and Bryz will just be another footnote in the carousel that is Philly goaltenders.— Neebo
- ok folks if we can get suter and gleason, make bob number 1, let goofy go, flyers would be tough team to beat in seven game series......thoughts— hh62
