Flyers moving forward with Sam Ersson as they try to ‘control what we can control’

DETROIT ―The Flyers say they are moving forward.

Two days after goalie Carter Hart requested an indefinite leave of absence, the team is confident that backup Sam Ersson can carry the workload. And why shouldn’t it be? Ersson has been stellar since Nov. 1.

Since that date, he ranks tied for second in goals-against average (2.09) and fourth in save percentage (.919) among goalies who have played a minimum of 20 games.

In December, he started five straight games and went 3-1-1 with a 2.16 GAA and a .921 save percentage. That stretch included a 1-0 win against the Detroit Red Wings. It’s a far cry from how he started the season, allowing 12 goals in two games.

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“I think some of the games we played in front of him, too, didn’t help him out very much,” forward Scott Laughton said. “But just his confidence and the way he carries himself, the guys love playing in front of him. I think you see it night in, night out, and that’s what he brings.

“He brings a quiet confidence to his game. He looks big in the net, always makes the right save that you need at the right time,” Laughton said. “And, like I said, we have full trust in him.

“He’s a great guy first off, and you want to play in front of a guy like that, that cares about his teammates and we care about him. So we’re excited for him. It’s a good opportunity for him.”

Last season, Ersson was the No. 1 guy in Lehigh Valley. He played 42 games and posted a 2.84 GAA and a .900 save percentage. Ersson appeared in 12 games for the Flyers, going 6-3-0 with a 3.07 GAA and an .899 save percentage.

Coach John Tortorella knows that his goalie has come a long way and has been impressed with the 24-year-old’s mental toughness and how he has handled himself. Now the coach wants to see the continued growth.

“I have full confidence in Sam, just the way he’s handled himself mentally and through some tough times early in the year,” Tortorella said. “[Also] last year when he went through some things.

“He’s a solid goalie and I’m not saying a damn word to him. I trust in how he thinks the game, how he readies himself for games. And we’re going to let them go.”

Hart’s leave of absence comes at a time when the Globe and Mail newspaper reported that five players from the 2018 Canadian World Juniors team have been told to surrender to police in London, Ontario. The London police said they will be holding a news conference on Feb. 5 regarding the case.

Tortorella would not answer any questions relating to Hart and said anything on the situation should come from the NHL. The Inquirer reached out to the league and Hart’s agent for comment but did not receive a response.

General manager Danny Brière, when asked at his midseason news conference whether he was worried about the team’s morale, said he “hadn’t gotten to that point yet.” The Flyers (25-17-6) have lost three straight and have two more games, beginning with Thursday night’s contest in Detroit, before their bye week and the All-Star break.

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“Obviously, there’s things you can’t talk about and you kind of leave it at that,” Laughton said. “But we have a job to do. You come in and you try to do your job to the best of your ability and that’s pretty much what you focus on.”

“You just kind of move forward with it,” added center Sean Couturier. “We try to control what we can control and it’s out of our control. We just try to go along with our business and we have some important games here before the break and we want to finish strong here, starting tonight.”

The Flyers recalled goalie Cal Petersen from Lehigh Valley to serve as the backup. He has a 5-8-2 record and .890 save percentage with the Phantoms and went 1-1-0 with a .896 save percentage in a brief stint with the Flyers this season.

Defenseman Jamie Drysdale was the only player who did not participate in morning skate. No reason for his absence was provided.