Brian Elliott bails out the Flyers again | On the Fly

Ron Hextall was one of the few successful goaltenders who was an absolute nut on the ice. He couldn’t sit still. He’d bang his stick on the posts during stoppages one minute, and skate to the corner to pummel an opponent the next.

But usually, you want your goaltender to be the coolest guy in the room. Carter Hart, even during his recent struggles, is that kind of guy. So is Brian Elliott.

“Everybody goes through ups and downs,” Elliott said of Hart. “That’s the progression of a goaltender. You have to go through those things to [be successful]. ... He’s been in many big games in his life. He’ll be fine.”

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— Ed Barkowitz (flyers@inquirer.com)

Anybody wondering about a goalie controversy can just forget it. This is Hart’s team. He is the No. 1 goaltender.

But with the number of games coming up, and on the merit of his play, Elliott is forcing coach Alain Vigneault to consider him goalie No. 1A.

“With the way the schedule is laid going forward, we’re going to need two goaltenders, and we’re fortunate that we have two good goaltenders that we trust,” the coach said.

The Flyers will close February with two games over the weekend in Buffalo and play 17 games in March. They’ll be on TV almost as much as Joe Lunardi.

“We have a lot of confidence in Moose,” Flyers captain Claude Giroux said, referring to Elliott. “I mean every time he’s in, he plays great. He’s giving us a chance to win.”

Hart has allowed four or more goals in six of his 11 starts. Elliott hasn’t allowed four in any of his five starts. Hart has been pulled from two games, and each time the Flyers rebounded to win the subsequent contest behind Elliott.

“He’s gonna battle every game,” Giroux continued, “so anytime you have a goalie that’s gonna battle every game, and make those big saves for you, it gets you going.”

Elliott didn’t get one of the three stars after Wednesday’s 4-3 win over the Rangers, but he was a big reason the Flyers managed to get two points. He made 24 saves, even stopping a pair of breakaways by Mika Zibanejad.

Elliott would tell Hart to forget about Sunday’s dismal performance in Lake Tahoe against the Bruins, when Hart allowed six goals in a 7-3 defeat. Don’t burn the tape entirely, but don’t just dismiss it, either.

“It’s disappointing, and you have to let that soak in a little bit because that’s what drives you,” Elliott said. “I think to make it to this level, any goaltender has to hate losing more than they like winning.”

Top four make the playoffs.

1. Boston (11-3-2, 24 points): Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon had surgery on his left hand, which he fractured Sunday against the Flyers. The Bruins, already without Matt Grzelcyk, Kevan Miller and maybe Jakub Zboril, are hurting on the back end.

2. Washington (9-5-4, 22 points): Conor Sheary has three goals in his last five games and six goals in eight career games against Pittsburgh, which visits Washington on Thursday. Sheary won two Cups while with the Pens.

3. Flyers (9-4-3, 21 points): Hart was shelled in his only game against the Sabres this season (four goals, 28 minutes). The following night, Elliott shut them out. The Flyers will play at Buffalo on Saturday and Sunday.

4. Pittsburgh (10-6-1, 21 points): The Penguins are 8-6-1 when tied or trailing entering the third period. This is either admirable or problematic that they’ve been in this situation 15 times in 17 games.

5. N.Y. Islanders (9-6-3, 21 points): “Getting ready for games hasn’t really changed a whole lot,” Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck explained. “The only thing that is different is you get two Q-tips shoved up your nose in the morning and there’s no people in the stands when you play.”

6. N.Y. Rangers (6-7-3, 15 points): Chris Kreider had a hat trick, but it wasn’t enough as the Rangers dropped their first game without Artemi Panarin.

7. New Jersey (6-6-2, 14 points): The Devils have allowed 18 power-play goals in 44 attempts, a staggering 41.9%.

8. Buffalo (6-8-2, 14 points): Jeff Skinner, in the second season of an 8-year, $72 million contract, has one assist in 14 games this year and has been scratched the last two games.

Thursday

Boston at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Washington, 7 p.m.

New Jersey at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Friday

Boston at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m. (NHLN)

Saturday

Flyers at Buffalo, 1 p.m. (NBCSP)

Washington at New Jersey, 1 p.m. (NHLN)

Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Sunday

Boston at N.Y. Rangers, 12 p.m. (NBC)

Flyers at Buffalo, 3 p.m. (NBCSP)

Washington at New Jersey, 3 p.m.

Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 5 p.m.

Saturday: Flyers at Buffalo, 1 p.m. (NBCSP)

Sunday: Flyers at Buffalo, 3 p.m. (NBCSP)

Tuesday: Flyers vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. (NBCSP)

Thursday: Flyers vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. (NBCSP)

The whole team had “jump” tonight, good puck movement, crisp scoring chances, and decisive exits from their zone. Giroux was special. Elliot made some big saves as the defense once again gave up too much time and space to attackers. All three Ranger goals were tip-ins from guys alone on the doorstep. If they don’t get batter at crease cleansing they will have a hard time advancing in the playoffs.

— Inquirer.com user Sonny J. offered some observations of Wednesday’s win against the Rangers.

***

Q: Do you think Hextall takes Sam Morin when he’s put on waivers again? — Mick via Twitter

Sam Carchidi: I don’t.

Ed Barkowitz: Agree. Unlike Friedman, Morin is too much of a project for the Penguins to take on. He’s playing now only because of all the players on the COVID-19 protocol list.

Send questions or observations via Twitter to beat writers Ed Barkowitz (@EdBarkowitz) or Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull).