Rookie Bobrovsky starts season opener...History repeats
I remember Hextall's start vividly that fateful day over my friends house.....it was on ESPN. It's what turned me into a Flyers fan at a young ripe age and haven't looked back. Hopefully, Bob has the same success and impact....regardless of the outcome I like the move..
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As it is, the Flyers' 22-year-old goalie sensation has a two-length lead in the Rookie of the Year race. Hextall's numbers—a 2.27 goals-against average and 12 wins in 17 starts—are impressive enough. Even more remarkable, he has replaced Bob Froese as Philadelphia's No. 1 goalie. Last season, Froese shared the Jennings Trophy with his backup, Darren Jensen, because the club's combined goals-against average of 2.99 was the best in the NHL. Froese, who had taken over the Flyers' top spot when All-Star Pelle Lindbergh died after a car crash six weeks into the season, has been so over-shadowed by Hextall that on some nights he hasn't even dressed. Meanwhile, the Flyers are off to the best start in the NHL (14-4-2) and have given up the fewest goals, 45 in 20 games—18 fewer than their closest rivals, the Whalers.
"Ron is the real thing," says Chico Resch, the Flyers' 38-year-old backup goaltender. "There are young goalies in this league like [ Montreal's] Patrick Roy, [Buffalo's] Tom Barrasso, even [ Edmonton's] Grant Fuhr when he came up, who were going down a lot, whose skills weren't that developed, but they were compensating with their enthusiasm and adrenaline. Ron doesn't make those mistakes. He doesn't play on his knees or use tricks. He's got the best feet and hands and lateral movement of any big goalie [6'3"] I've ever seen. He's truly got a chance to be one of the alltime greats."
Flyer coach Mike Keenan, a man who doesn't part with a compliment without a struggle, can hardly contain himself. "Ron's got that Ken Dryden aura about him," Keenan says. "I realize that I've subjected both myself and Ron to criticism by going with him, but it's a decision that we feel very comfortable with."
After winning last year's American Hockey League rookie of the year award and being named a first-team all-star while playing for the Hershey Bears, Hextall came to the Flyers' training camp in September as a long shot. But his play in four exhibition-game victories overwhelmed the Flyers. "There was no way we could not keep him," says Clarke.
The Flyers not only kept Hextall, they started him in their season opener against Edmonton. When the Oilers' Jari Kurri scored on the first shot Hextall ever faced in an NHL game, Clarke and Keenan might have questioned their decision. But Hextall went on to shut out Edmonton the rest of the way and the Flyers won 2-1. At that point Oilers general manager and coach Glen Sather might have done a little second-guessing of his own: Sather used to shoot rubber balls at a six-year-old Ron Hextall when Bryan the Younger and Sather were teammates on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
I was at that game. There was a pregame ceremony for the first 20 years of the franchise, IIRC.
Now, this rookie gets whatever ceremony they will have for the new building, which for whatever reason pays tribute to Crosby (with the 87 in the capacity and such) and not Lemieux or even Jagr.
Lemieux is in the conversation of the best ever. Crosby ... not.
If that happens, at least we can stop talking about 1987 and say that we're looking for a good goalie since 2011.
Good one...
Well I don't think Bob will make this prediction though nor will he let in shots from the blue line a la Claude Lemieux....well I hope not...
BTW I was at the game he scored against Boston....Marsh got his head shmangled by Neely and somebody else that game too unfortunately...
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Hextall vows he's going to be the first NHL goaltender to score a true goal. The Islanders' Bill Smith was credited with a goal against the Colorado Rockies in 1979, but he was merely the last Islander to touch the puck before it found its way into the Rockies' net while Colorado had possession. Hextall has it all planned. With the opposition's net empty, he will make a save, whistle a wrist shot the length of the ice and watch the puck pucker the back of the net. He can hear it now.... "Goal by number 27, Ron Hextall...." Somewhere, Bryan the Elder will be smiling.
By history you obviously mean that Bobrovsky will have an awesome rookie season, then suck next year and get traded? If anything Bobrovsky will be just like Chechmanek.
By history you obviously mean that Bobrovsky will have an awesome rookie season, then suck next year and get traded? If anything Bobrovsky will be just like Chechmanek.
Nah that would be revisionist history. I solely meant that Bob is starting the season opener like Hextall did back in 86 and that hopefully he does have a successful rookie season and he attracts a lot of attention but is not the next Hextall, Chechmanek or Jim Carey for that matter....
Hextall started in the AHL. I went to see him play for the Hershey Bears. He'd blaze into the corners to battle wingers for the puck. He'd punch opponents with his blocker who got to close to his crease. A more eccentric goaltender I can't imagine, and nothing I've seen from Bobrovsky reminds me anything of him. Throwing Bobrovsky to the wolves tonight is a shame. I hope him all the best, but anytime I see Cooke, Godard, or Rupp get to close to the net, my sphincter will tighten and I'll probably scream.
I'd like to see Sergei Bobrovsky eased into NA hockey a bit more, but lets remember he played in the KHL for two seasons, and from all accounts, put up very good numbers on a bad team. So I don't have much concern, if any at all, about rushing him at this point. Bobrovsky has given the impression that he belongs, but hey, if the Flyers do completely **** up Bobrovsky's development, theres always Joacim Eriksson
Pittsburgh just has our number. If we get rocked it could hurt Bob, although if we beat our personal Everest thanks to his efforts we may be on to something
Pittsburgh just has our number. If we get rocked it could hurt Bob, although if we beat our personal Everest thanks to his efforts we may be on to something
That just might be lavi's thinking though. Bob hasn't faced the juggernaught of crosby yet, so he has absolutly nothing to fear. Lets not kid ourselves at the fact that the flyers fear the penguins, because for the last three years it's all i have damn seen. We can act tough and talk the talk, but when it comes to the ice, god damn crosby owns it.
That just might be lavi's thinking though. Bob hasn't faced the juggernaught of crosby yet, so he has absolutly nothing to fear. Lets not kid ourselves at the fact that the flyers fear the penguins, because for the last three years it's all i have damn seen. We can act tough and talk the talk, but when it comes to the ice, god damn crosby owns it.
This. But I've had a theory that after what happened last season it can give the team the mental toughness to be able to take it straight to the Pens. That's why we kept losing to them before. It wasn't talent or that they are a better team...we usually got the first goal. Then some **** would happen, they would tie it and we'd melt down. But after all the manning up the team had to do last year I believe that it may give the team the mental edge they need to beat the pens. We find out tonight. I'm a psychology major so maybe that gives me the advantage.
This. But I've had a theory that after what happened last season it can give the team the mental toughness to be able to take it straight to the Pens. That's why we kept losing to them before. It wasn't talent or that they are a better team...we usually got the first goal. Then some **** would happen, they would tie it and we'd melt down. But after all the manning up the team had to do last year I believe that it may give the team the mental edge they need to beat the pens. We find out tonight. I'm a psychology major so maybe that gives me the advantage.
Agreed.
Ever notice how some of the most bizarre **** happens during Penguins games? Even when we're blowing them out...
This. But I've had a theory that after what happened last season it can give the team the mental toughness to be able to take it straight to the Pens. That's why we kept losing to them before. It wasn't talent or that they are a better team...we usually got the first goal. Then some **** would happen, they would tie it and we'd melt down. But after all the manning up the team had to do last year I believe that it may give the team the mental edge they need to beat the pens. We find out tonight. I'm a psychology major so maybe that gives me the advantage.
Agree, this team has had a mental block against the Penguins for years now. Time for that **** to stop.
Pittsburgh just has our number. If we get rocked it could hurt Bob, although if we beat our personal Everest thanks to his efforts we may be on to something
Not to say that you don't already get this, but there is always a middle ground. It feels like when we're talking about sports, your opinion has to be one of two extremes, and now that mindset has polluted how we anticipate things too...
It seems like we're all either waiting to be delivered to the promised land or for the sky to fall.
Not to say that you don't already get this, but there is always a middle ground. It feels like when we're talking about sports, your opinion has to be one of two extremes, and now that mindset has polluted how we anticipate things too...
It seems like we're all either waiting to be delivered to the promised land or for the sky to fall.
Every small change is just a step of something larger. So of course, we're on the way to either a Cup or folding.
I was so seriously impressed by the calmness of jonesy, coatsey and JJ that night, becuase i was throwing my laptop at the wall.
Almost as bad as when the flyers lost to buffalo with 10 seconds left on the worst icing call i have ever seen in my life. The puck barely crossed the goal line when it was called
I think his stance is too wide. a stance like that is great if you think you're gonna get back doored, but it makes it super slow to close the five hole. It's great to be able to switch it up with the stance he has now and a narrower stance with more knee bend. His puck handling decisions and ability to track the puck on quick passing plays definitely need some polishing up.
I think his stance is too wide. a stance like that is great if you think you're gonna get back doored, but it makes it super slow to close the five hole. It's great to be able to switch it up with the stance he has now and a narrower stance with more knee bend. His puck handling decisions and ability to track the puck on quick passing plays definitely need some polishing up.
