The Philadelphia Flyers’ lineup for the season opener already raised a lot of questions, and Rick Tocchet raised a few more eyebrows on Thursday morning.
It will be free-agent addition Dan Vladar getting the start in net for the season opener against the Florida Panthers on Thursday night. Sam Ersson will ride the pine after being the team’s starting goalie last season.
Ersson started 45 games last season for the Flyers, going 22-17-5 with a career-worst .883 SV% and 3.14 GAA. Vladar played backup to Dustin Wolf in Calgary, posting an .898 SV% and 2.80 GAA in 29 starts.
“Well, Sam could have played. It’s just that you have to pick a goalie,” Tocchet said to media after the morning skate on Thursday. “So we decided to go Vladar, and then we’ll go from there.”
Tocchet praised Vladar’s work in camp and pointed to that as a reason for giving him the nod on opening night.
“I thought they both had good camps,” he said. “I think Vladdy did a nice job, and that’s why we decided to go with him.”
To be fair, Vladar did look like the better goalie in training camp and the preseason. In just under 50 minutes, he allowed six goals on 49 shots for an .878 save percentage, per CBS Sports. On the flip side, Ersson allowed 10 goals on 63 shots (.841 SV%) in just over 45 minutes of action.
After using three goalies last season and five the year prior, the Flyers have a goalie controversy right out of the gate to start the year.
It’s going to be a tough first start for Vladar, though, with the reigning Stanley Cup champions coming off a 3-2 win on opening night against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Panthers had a nice night with 69 shot attempts, 38 scoring chances, and 18 high-danger chances in a game that would’ve been a blowout had it not been for Spencer Knight in net.
Daniel Briere made it clear over the summer that the Flyers would have a goalie competition in training camp and throughout the season. Vladar came to Philadelphia with the right mindset, and that has earned him the start on opening night.
