The Flyers had a very strong one-two goaltending punch in Carter Hart and Sam Ersson for the better part of four months this season. Ersson played so well during the stretch of November through January that he challenged Hart for the number one spot in the depth chart. In fact, John Tortorella began using “1A/1B” to describe the tandem. It’s rather significant because when Ersson struggled out of the gate in October, Tortorella made it very clear that Hart was the starter, and Ersson would have to find his rhythm in limited appearances.
“I don’t see Sam supplanting Hartsy as our number one guy,” Tortorella said. “He is going to be our backup goalie, so he’s got to figure it out.”
Obviously at the time, Tortorella was right, but things changed. Hart’s injury in early November and extended battle with an undisclosed illness opened the door for Ersson to earn additional starts, and he took full advantage. When Hart took his indefinite leave of absence, the transition to Ersson as No. 1 was inevitable, and Cal Petersen was brought up from Lehigh Valley to provide backup duties.
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