VOORHEES, N.J. – If the Flyers are to make a turnaround and get back into contention this season, the whole thing probably starts with goaltending.
The team did address the situation in the offseason, trading for Dan Vladar from Calgary and parting ways with Ivan Fedotov.
No. 1 goaltender Samuel Ersson was limited to just 47 games last season due to a variety of injuries.
Now, with a new coach (Rick Tocchet) in place and Ersson back in top physical shape, the Swede is hoping for a big year, both for the team and himself.
“I put in a lot of hard work throughout the summer,” he said after a training camp session at the Flyers Training Center. “Now it’s go time.”
Both Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov struggled last season. They had to fill in for the 35 games Ersson was out of action and it didn’t go that well. For instance: Kolosov was just 5-9-1 with a 3.59 goals-against average.
Having a steadier net presence around like Vladar should help.
“I think that will be a good thing,” Ersson said. “Obviously Dan coming in here, great guy, first of all. He’s a great goalie as well. I think it will be good for me, for him, for the team. Some good competition at the position is what you need, what you look for. I think that will push us, push me, to get better.”
Both team president Keith Jones and general manager Daniel Briere have predicted Ersson will have a bounce-back yer.
“My belief in myself comes from myself,” said Ersson, who finished 22-17-5 for the Metropolitan Division’s last-place team. “It’s nice to hear but I’m just looking to prove myself right in situations.”
Ersson says he would like to play as many as 65 games but knows he can’t take anything for granted.
“That’s always how I approach things,” he said. “I never go into a situation for a year taking anything for granted. It’s always the competition. It’s the best league in the world. If you’re afraid of competition, you’re probably in the wrong spot.”
As camp opens, Ersson is determined to avoid the injuries which plagued him last year.
“You put in the work,” he said. “Obviously injuries happen in professional sports. Last year was part of it. Things happen. You might get injured. You have to put in the work to avoid it as best you can. I think I have. Hopefully, knock on wood, I’ll stay healthy throughout the year.”
He welcomes an open competition with Vladar.
“In today’s NHL, you need two good goalies,” Ersson said. “If you look at most teams, that’s the way they do it. At the same time, I’m a goaltender who can play 65 games a year.
“As goalies, we need to work together. Help each other. I’ll look at him and the stuff he does good. You always try to learn and implement things in your game. I try to do the same for him. Help him as much as I can. He’s a very good goalie. You can see the potential and what he has in him.”
>Tippett looks to rebound
After posting totals of 27 and 28 goals in his first two full seasons with the Flyers, Owen Tippett dropped off to 20 last season.
The big winger is looking for a bounce-back season of his own.
“After last year, there was a lot to take away,” Tippett said. “ A lot of it is small area stuff. In tight. Getting back to the habits that I got away from a little bit last year. Overall, just changed my mindset a little bit. Getting back to where I was.”
Coach Rick Tocchet believes there’s more talent in Tippett than what he’s shown so far. Tocchet made that bit of information known.
“I think it’s going to help me in terms of hanging on to pucks,” Tippett said. “He played the game, he sees it from all angles. He’s been around the league coaching for a while. I’m excited to see if I can work with him and see if he challenges me.
“I think there’s tons to add. A lot of us there’s going to be stuff to add. Just hanging onto pucks and be more creative without losing pace. We’re going to be creative off the rush and making a decision pretty quickly. It will be good to use the pace we used in the past but also add to it.”
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