PHILADELPHIA — Late in the second interval of the Philadelphia Flyers’ 3-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon at Xfinity Mobile Arena, goalie Dan Vladar paused to refresh himself after his newest flurry of saves.
Vladar pulled up his masks, rotated to face the crossbar, grabbed the water bottle, squirted a stream of liquid towards his open mouth, slicked again his hair — and couldn’t assist however take discover of the followers on that finish of the ice, standing up and applauding in appreciation of his efficiency to that time.
“The fans have been awesome all year,” Vladar stated after the sport.
So has he.
Playing their third sport in 4 days popping out of the Olympic break — and a day begin, at that — the Flyers relied on Vladar to maintain them in it early.
He swatted away Michael Eyssimont’s shot off the push about seven minutes into the primary interval. He received his proper pad on a Morgan Geekie probability about 5 minutes into the second. He denied Geekie with 11:35 to go in the center body after which held the road on Sean Kuraly’s partial breakaway with 5:40 left in the second.
Geekie was denied as soon as once more on a Bruins energy play with 4:15 to go in the second on a harmful shot from the circle, and a few minutes later, Vladar tracked a low wrist shot from Hampus Lindholm with 2:40 left in what was nonetheless a scoreless sport.
The Flyers lastly rewarded their goalie in the third. Travis Konecny opened the scoring by tapping in a skillful go to the entrance of the net by Christian Dvorak at 3:41 of the ultimate body, and Jamie Drysdale buzzed in a wrist shot from between the circles with 8:05 left in regulation to make it 2-0.
Charlie McAvoy received the Bruins on the board on an odd objective when Lindholm’s shot hit his skate and it ricocheted over Vladar, stopping him from recording his first shutout. Sean Couturier’s empty-net objective — the captain’s first objective of any type in 32 video games — secured the Flyers’ second straight victory, transferring them to inside six factors of the Bruins for the second wild-card spot in a sport they merely needed to seize to maintain their slim playoff possibilities alive.
Vladar was the first purpose they did it.
“One hundred percent,” Drysdale stated when requested if the Flyers needed to win the sport to reward Vladar, in specific. “You guys saw the saves he made throughout that game.”
There could be one other month and a half left in the Flyers’ common season, however it might be stunning if Vladar didn’t win the Bobby Clarke Award for Team MVP, contemplating the way in which he’s saved the Flyers afloat. He’s now 18-9-6 on the season, with a 2.42 goals-against common (seventh in the NHL) and .907 save share (14th). If the Flyers had even remotely competent goaltending behind Vladar, they might very properly be in a playoff place.
Vladar, 28, got here to Philadelphia as a result of he needed a chance to point out he may be a real No. 1 goaltender. Everything he’s executed so far means that that’s precisely what he ought to be thought-about.
It prompts the query: Might the Flyers attempt to lengthen Vladar as early as this summer time, as he enters the second and ultimate season of his two-year, $6.7 million contract he signed final summer time?
There have been some dear contracts for goalies lately. The New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin’s eight-year, $92 million deal is the richest in league historical past for a netminder, however he’s arguably in a league of his personal.
A tier decrease are Boston’s Jeremy Swayman — who was stable Saturday, too — and Dallas’ Jake Oettinger, who each signed eight-year, $66 million offers ($8.25 common annual worth). The New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin is signed to an eight-year, $66 million deal, too.
That’s doubtless too lengthy a time period and too excessive a price ticket for the Flyers in terms of Vladar, who has already performed 5 extra video games this season than his earlier profession excessive. A extra comparable deal may be the one signed by 27-year-old Filip Gustavsson, whose five-year, $34 million contract extension with the Minnesota Wild begins subsequent season.
Regardless, it’s a lot too quickly for these kinds of discussions from Vladar’s standpoint, as he’s focusing far more on preserving the group in the playoff race.
“It’s too early for that,” he stated. “I wanted to come here, so if I didn’t want to stay here, I wouldn’t (have come) here. But it’s too early for that. I’m focusing on my team this season and next game in Toronto (on Monday) or (whenever) I’m going to play. It’s too far ahead. I’m living my life day by day, week by week.”
Vladar’s worth to the Flyers goes past just his robust numbers. That was strengthened once more after Saturday’s sport.
When Drysdale was requested if the Flyers gamers merely depart Vladar alone between durations when he’s so locked in, the defenseman stated: “He’s the loudest guy in the room. Majorly. He does so much for us off the ice, as well. In the locker room between periods, he’s always talking, just saying whatever is on his mind. Usually it’s awesome stuff coming out of his mouth. Real positive guy, and he’s been real good for us.”
Couturier echoed that.
“He’s just so positive. Being real, being honest, also. When it’s time to pick it up, he lets us know. When it’s time to just keep pushing, keep defending well, he’s a great support back there. … He’s just been a great addition not only in front of the net, but in the locker room, he’s a great guy, great teammate.”
The Flyers have some goalie prospects in their system, after all. Despite his NHL struggles when he’s gotten an opportunity, Aleksei Kolosov is having a pleasant season in AHL Lehigh Valley. And, 2023 second-round decide Carson Bjarnason and 2023 third-round decide Egor Zavragin each have potential, too.
But Vladar doesn’t flip 29 till August. Considering his consistency and the way a lot his teammates worth him on and off the ice, the Flyers’ entrance workplace has to be not less than contemplating whether or not their long-term solution in the crease isn’t somebody they should develop, however the man who’s already residing there now.
