That was quick. At just 20 years old, rookie goaltender Carter Hart got his first NHL win tonight as the Flyers beat the Red Wings 3-2. He had 20 saves on 22 shots with a .909 save percentage.
Some Quick Takeaways
The Flyers played a complete game tonight and really showed out for the kid in net. It’s a refreshing feeling watching the team play like we all expect them to play. This is a very good team on paper, and maybe it was just a coaching problem. The defense played very well tonight and was complemented by similar play by the offense.
The Wells Fargo Center was loud, and it really seems like the Flyers had a different feel to them. “It has been a while since we’ve heard ‘Let’s Go Flyers’ chants so it’s pretty nice,” Shayne Ghostisbehere said. He had a nasty top-shelf goal on an even more impressive pass from Patrick to put them up 3-1. It’s hard to believe that was his first goal in 16 games.
I thought Scott Gordan iced some pretty good lines tonight, too. Travis Sanheim was on the first line and got some extended minutes with 21:06 TOI. I was also glad to see that Oskar Lindlom wasn’t scratched. It feels weird to have a head coach who knows what he’s doing. Who would’ve thought icing your best possible line would result in a win? Even the 4th line was playing good hockey. Phil Varone was averaging a point-per-game for the Phantoms under Gordan and he had some great chances. I’m pretty excited to watch this team play, for the first time in a while.
Hart is a winner
I also don’t know long the Flyers can sustain starting Hart, but I’ve been waiting a while to see this kid play. He’s got crazy junior numbers and is one of the best goalie prospects in the league, so it’s rewarding to see him get his first win. In parts of five seasons in the CHL, he has a 116–46–19 record, with a 2.01 GAA, a .927 save percentage and 26 shutouts. To top that, he also has a silver medal from the 2017 WJC and a gold medal from the 2018 WJC. The kid just wins.
I know this game is a very small sample size, but as a Flyers fan, it’s hard not to get your hopes up. The future is now people, get ready.
