Flyers Notes: Flyers honor Claude Giroux and Andrej Meszaros as top players

A year ago, center Claude Giroux had a so-so regular season with the Flyers, and defenseman Andrej Meszaros managed just 17 points and was minus-14 with Tampa Bay.

It would have been difficult to foresee what transpired this season.

Before Saturday night's season finale against the Islanders at the Wells Fargo Center, both were honored as the Flyers' top players. Giroux won the Bobby Clarke Trophy as the team's MVP, and Meszaros won the Barry Ashbee Trophy as its best defenseman in a vote by sportswriters and broadcasters.

Giroux, 23, entered the night with 25 goals, and he led the Flyers in assists (51) and points (76, tied for 10th in the league). He finished last season with 16 goals and 47 points. He then had 10 goals and 11 assists in 23 postseason games.

"Claude really took off in the playoffs last year; he really made his mark as an impact player," coach Peter Laviolette said before the game. ". . . I think it was in the playoffs where he really flexed some muscle for us, and it was really nice to see him continue and take that next step. He's probably been our most consistent forward this year in a lot of different areas. I think that [honor] is well-deserved."

Meszaros, 25, acquired in an offseason trade for a 2011 second-round draft pick, began Saturday with 28 points and was tied for 10th in the NHL with a plus-28 rating.

"Just a welcome addition," Laviolette said about the physical, 6-foot-2, 223-pound defenseman. "Nice to get him back to playing where I think he feels good and feels comfortable about what he's doing back there. He's been an aggressive, steady, reliable, two-way defenseman for us."

In addition, the media named goalie Brian Boucher the winner of the Yanick Dupre Class Guy Memorial Award, given to the player who best illustrates character, dignity, and respect for the sport, on and off the ice.

The Flyers players selected Andreas Nodl the winner of the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy (most improved player). Nodl had 11 goals and was plus-14 entering Saturday. In his previous two seasons, he had one goal in a combined 48 games and was minus-17.

Giroux also won the Gene Hart Memorial Award, voted by the fan club and given to the player who shows the most "heart."

The Toyota Cup went to Danny Briere, based on the player who had the most points in the "Star of the Game" selections.

Rookie goalie Sergei Bobrovsky started 10 of the Flyers' last 12 games, including Saturday's. . . . The Flyers sold out 36 of their 41 home games this season, including the last 30. . . . Saturday night was the Flyers' 16th set of games on consecutive nights. They were 8-5-3 in the first game of back-to-backs, and 8-5-2 in the second game heading into Saturday. - Sam Carchidi