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Inside the Flyers: Flyers' season hinges on Chris Pronger

All the bold moves the Flyers made in the offseason will mean very little if a certain future Hall of Fame defenseman isn't healthy this season.

Chris Pronger suffered through an injury-riddled season in 2010-11. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)
Chris Pronger suffered through an injury-riddled season in 2010-11. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)Read more / Staff Photographer

All the bold moves the Flyers made in the offseason will mean very little if a certain future Hall of Fame defenseman isn't healthy this season.

Which is why the Flyers breathed a collective sigh of relief when their latest captain, Chris Pronger, returned to action Thursday in a 2-1 exhibition win against New Jersey.

With a healthy Pronger leading the defense, quarterbacking the power play, and making sure the locker room is in sync, the Flyers could have a special season.

Without him, they are just a good team, but without any real Stanley Cup chance.

Without him, they have much less swagger. On the ice and in the locker room.

"Anytime you've got a player like him in the lineup, it kind of slows down the game and makes everybody more comfortable," center Claude Giroux said.

There were 40 times the Flyers weren't as comfortable last season. That's how many games Pronger missed, including eight in the playoffs.

The Flyers' playoff record last season with Pronger: 2-1. Without him: 2-6.

A coincidence? Hardly.

Take away Pronger's in-your-face leadership and legendary crease-clearing tactics, and you have a team playing on its heels.

The Flyers hope last season - Pronger had four surgeries in 9½ months - was an anomaly. It probably was, but the fact is, no one knows how many high-caliber seasons Pronger has left in his almost-37-year-old body. Ditto Jaromir Jagr (39 years) and Kimmo Timonen (36).

Jagr, whose dominance has been one of the best stories of camp, has played in Russia the last three seasons, but before that, he spent 17 years in the NHL. So, yes, he knows a thing or two about facing Captain Snarl.

"With his reach and toughness, it is very hard to play against him," Jagr said. "You have to always make sure you know where he is because you never know when he's going to hit you. When you have him on your team, that is a big bonus."

The Flyers will reflect their captain. That is, they will play with an edge - a trait that was missing for most of last season's playoffs, especially in the four-game humiliation administered by the Boston Bruins.

To Pronger's credit, he didn't accept the captaincy until after he felt he would be healthy enough to make an impact. When he did accept the honor, he was also saying he expects to play all 82 games.

In his preseason debut Thursday, Pronger overcame a rusty start and got into a rhythm in the second period. He helped set up both of the Flyers' power-play goals and was active on defense.

"In the first period, there wasn't a lot of flow," he said. "It was pretty choppy but quick, and as the game settled in to a little bit more structure, you feel a little bit more comfortable and obviously are able to do more things. Get into a few scrums. Get into a few pushing matches and kind of see how you feel and go from there."

Matt Carle wasn't surprised that his defensive partner made a strong debut.

"He's been around so long that he's never going to look out of place in any situation," Carle said. "And when he hasn't played for a while, he just keeps things simple. You saw that last year, too. He missed a lot of games and then stepped in during the playoffs" without missing a beat.

Make no mistake, it hasn't been easy getting back. It took several months of grueling days in the gym for Pronger to return - and seemingly be ready to play in Thursday's opener in Boston.

With Pronger back, the Flyers have one of the NHL's best defensive units, one that includes rising players like Andrej Meszaros, Carle, and underrated Braydon Coburn, along with established stars Pronger and Timonen.

"He makes everybody better, our whole D corps," said Carle, referring to Pronger. "He picks up on things that most guys wouldn't see. Whether it's on the ice or on the bench, he's going to give you tips or pointers about what he sees, so it's a big help for guys like me and Coby and Mez - younger guys who haven't played 1,200 games in the league."

Actually, Pronger has played 1,154 regular-season games in his 17-year career. If he stays healthy and that number grows by, say, 80 in 2011-12, the Flyers should be Cup contenders.