Goaltending the key to any Flyers Stanley Cup run

Don't worry about the goaltender, the Flyers said, after Sergei Bobrovsky's wobbly performance Tuesday. Everyone has bad nights.

Then they spent Thursday's game against Pittsburgh proving it.

When it was over, after another scoreless overtime and another fruitless shootout, the Flyers had lost to the two teams that once represented the class of the Eastern Conference. But they also emerged with points in each game and remain in control of the top seed as the playoffs rapidly approach.

That's the positive slant. The negative is that it's pretty hard to ride a runaway roller-coaster all the way through the playoffs. Against the Washington Capitals, the Flyers would have won easily with decent goaltending. Against the Penguins, the Flyers were in the game only because of excellent goaltending.

"Bob was great," defenseman Kimmo Timonen said. "He got us a point."

A couple of theories here: With Chris Pronger shelved because of injury, the Flyers are missing that big booming voice that keeps the rest of the team honest every night. And this team allowed itself to think the Penguins would be no trouble without Sidney Crosby (concussion) and Evgenie Malkin (knee). That was a mistake, especially since the Penguins saw the game as a chance to close the gap between themselves and the division-leading Flyers.

"These guys work hard, and they wanted it really bad," Flyers forward Danny Briere said.

Timonen scoffed at the idea the Flyers were playing not to lose.

"I don't know if you would call that 'not to lose,' " he said.

Ultimately, the Flyers didn't hurt themselves for what really matters, the playoffs that begin next month. This week was fascinating because it brought to town the teams chasing them for the conference lead (Washington) and the division (Pittsburgh).

It doesn't diminish the Flyers' thrilling run to the Stanley Cup Finals last year to acknowledge they had some breaks along the way - and no, not the bones in Jeff Carter's feet. The Flyers won the Eastern Conference title without facing Washington or Pittsburgh, without beating Alex Ovechkin or Crosby.

The common wisdom last June was that the Flyers weren't likely to have things break in their favor like that again. The common wisdom in March 2011 says things already have.

To their credit, the Flyers are battling for a spot at the top of the bracket instead of the bottom. With the point against the Penguins, the Flyers will almost certainly be the No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

It is easier to avoid the better teams when you're the top team. But the real twist this year is that neither Washington nor Pittsburgh is quite as daunting right now as they appeared in 2010.

The Flyers didn't have to deal with Ovechkin or defenseman Mike Green on Tuesday night. There was no Crosby or Malkin on Thursday. We're talking about a handful of the world's best players here, real difference-makers.

The fact that both games were settled by shootouts tells you a few important things: Points are at a premium right now, so teams are really busting it; the Caps and Pens are much more than just their stars; and both teams will be that much tougher if they get those stars back.

Ovechkin is expected to play in the postseason. Green, coming back from a couple of concussions, could return before the end of the regular season. Malkin, with a severe knee injury, is out for the duration. Crosby, who hasn't played since a Jan. 5 concussion, is reportedly close to trying to return.

But there is no telling what impact their layoffs will have on the players who do return, or how smoothly they will blend in with teams that have played well without them.

Bobrovsky made coach Peter Laviolette and his teammates feel much better with this performance. After being yanked Tuesday, he kept his team alive Thursday. Again, consistency would be better, but the ability to bounce back from a tough game is important, too.

Great goaltending would be an obvious asset in the playoffs, but not that many teams get it. The Flyers got within two wins of the Cup with Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton, and both were hurt through most of the tournament. The Chicago Blackhawks won with rookie Antti Niemi, and were so grateful they let him walk for salary-cap reasons.

(Then again, the Blackhawks might miss the playoffs while Niemi is the top goalie for the Pacific Division-leading San Jose Sharks. So, grain of salt and all that.)

The Flyers have a couple of weeks to fine-tune their power play, get Pronger back, and settle on their goalie. They should be fine.

These were the two opponents the Flyers didn't have to deal with last year. This year, you get the feeling the Capitals and Penguins would just as soon not deal with the Flyers.