Flyers’ award winners to be announced as disappointing season ends; Elliott’s final game with team?
The Flyers will end their disappointing season Monday against the visiting Devils. Who will be the team's award winners? Read on.
The Flyers will conclude their disappointing, underachieving season Monday at the Wells Fargo Center, trying to avoid finishing with just their sixth sub-.500 points percentage at home in franchise history.
They will face New Jersey, and they also need a win to avoid finishing with a .500 points percentage or lower in overall games for only the third time in the last 26 seasons.
Trivial consolation goals for a season that went bad two-plus months ago.
The Flyers are 24-23-8 overall, and 11-12-4 at home. They had the NHL’s best home record (25-6-4) a year ago.
The Devils (19-29-7) went 3-0-1 in the teams’ recent four-game series.
The Flyers, who haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1975, have faded badly since the start of March and will miss the playoffs for the fifth time in the last nine years. They will finish sixth in the East Division after placing second in the Metropolitan last season.
Brian Elliott, 36, who is 14-9-2 with a 3.10 goals-against average and .888 save percentage this season, will start for the Flyers and it could be his final appearance with the team. Elliott, who has played steadily in his four years with the Flyers, is a pending unrestricted free agent, as are defenseman Samuel Morin and goalie Alex Lyon.
“We’ve got to be professional, come to the rink, and be ready Monday and have a good game in front of our fans,” Scott Laughton said after Saturday’s excruciating 2-1 overtime loss in Washington. “Finish the right way and be a pro for your teammates.”
Heading into the final game, Joel Farabee leads the Flyers with 18 goals – one more than Sean Couturier, and two more than James van Riemsdyk and Claude Giroux. Farabee, 21, could become the second-youngest player in franchise history to lead the team in goals, behind only Eric Lindros.
Jake Voracek tops the Flyers with 43 points, while van Riemsdyk (42) and Giroux (41) are close behind.
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Before the game, the Flyers will announce winners in several categories:
Bobby Clarke Trophy (team MVP): Couturier (17 goals, 39 points in 44 games) and Giroux (16 goals, 41 points in 53 games) are the top candidates. Couturier has missed 11 games because of injuries, and he has been the Flyers’ most consistent player.
Barry Ashbee Trophy (top defenseman): Ivan Provorov is expected to win the award in a landslide. He won the honor in 2016-17 and 2019-20. Provorov leads Flyers defensemen in points (26), time on ice (25:02), shots (124), and plus-minus rating (plus-3).
Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy (most improved player): Farabee, who had a breakout season in his second year, is the heavy favorite. He went from eight goals and 21 points as a rookie to 18 goals and 36 points this season. Shayne Gostisbehere is a dark horse.
Gene Hart Memorial Award (player who shows the most heart): Oskar Lindblom should be the runaway winner. An example of his courage: He is a cancer survivor who tried to spark his team, which faced a 4-0 first-period deficit at the time, by fighting the Islanders’ Oliver Wahlstrom on March 20.
Yanick Dupre Class Guy Memorial Award (player who best illustrates character, dignity, and respect for the sport – on and off the ice): James van Riemsdyk is the favorite, with Justin Braun a strong contender.
Toyota Cup (player who had the most Star of the Game points): Giroux will win this award. Heading into Monday, he has 31 points. Van Riemsdyk (22) and Farabee (21) are Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. Points are awarded on a five- (first star), three- (second star), and one-point (third star) basis.
Breakaways
The Flyers finished 13-11-4 on the road. This is the first year since 2011-12 that they will finish with a better record on the road than at home. … Gostisbehere is available to play after serving a two-game suspension. … Elliott has a 64-38-14 record with the Flyers. ... Lyon’s 38 saves in Saturday’s 2-1 overtime loss in Washington were a career high. … Cam York has played over 20 minutes in each of his first two NHL games. … The Flyers won consecutive games just once since the start of March. … Laughton tops the Flyers with a plus-13 rating – far ahead of Provorov, who is second at plus-3. The Flyers have only four regulars who are “plus” players. … Nolan Patrick (minus-29) and Travis Sanheim (minus-21) are at the bottom of the pack. … The Flyers have a minus-40 goal differential, while the Devils are minus-47.