Flyers Hockey Is Back: 2018-19 Season, Quest For The Cup Begins

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- October is a time of seasonal flux, a time for leaves to turn orange and black cats to prowl, a time for the glories of the dark winter South Broad Street nights ahead to be born anew. Flyers hockey is back, and it all starts Thursday night in Las Vegas against the defending Western Conference champion Golden Knights.

It's a fitting dawn to what could be a monumental season for a Flyers team that has a compelling mixture of elite veterans and promising youngsters. The Flyers are coming off a strong 98-point showing last season, scrapping 3rd place out of a dogfight in a Metropolitan Division which saw four playoff teams finish within three points of one another. (See the Flyers full 2018-19 schedule here).

They ultimately fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins, four games to two, in the division round, and that loss has inevitably set the tone for this season for fans, for the front office, for the players: the Flyers want to get back to the playoffs, and they want to compete for the Stanley Cup.

A Look Back At 2017-18

Are they truly contenders? The Flyers appeared to be on the verge of entering elite territory around the middle of the 2017-18 season. The peak of one torrid stretch put them briefly atop the Metropolitan Division, which included the perennially annoyingly good Penguins and the eventual Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. Slowly, the team drew respect from analysts around the league as a potential Cup contender.

But the Flyers faltered later in the season. They stayed competitive in the standings, but many of their wins were in overtime, and many were one-goal victories. Their seasonal plus-minus was 8; as a comparison, the Penguins, who finished just barely ahead in the standings, had a plus-minus of 22. The Capitals were 20. The Golden Knights were 44 and the Tampa Bay Lightning were 60.

One point of controversy was General Manager Ron Hextall deciding not to make a major move at the trade deadline. Common logic seemed to point toward the need for a top flight goalie as the final piece in bringing the team to the next level. Hextall demurred making a big splash, trading instead for Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek, a solid but unspectacular netminder to go along with the proven but injury riddled duo of Brian Elliot and Michael Neuvirth. In the playoff series, the Penguins scored 7, 5, 5, and 8 goals in each game they beat the Flyers.

What's the Same in 2018-19: Veteran Core

The Flyers possess four of the most experienced and talented veteran forwards in the game: captain Claude Giroux, Jacob Voracek, Wayne Simmonds, and offseason free agent acquisition James van Riemsdyk.

Giroux is coming off yet another career year as perhaps the best passer and one of the most all-around dominant players on the planet. He led the NHL with 68 assists last year, and was second in the league in points with 102.

All four are aged 29 or 30, which is on the older end for elite hockey players nowadays. Still, none showed signs of slowing down last year, and no signs of slowing down should be expected this year.

But for how many more years can they play at this level? The Giroux-Voracek-Simmonds tandem has been stellar for the Flyers, but they've never advanced deep into the playoffs (Giroux was the only one on the 2010 team). They've been hampered in past years by various mitigating factors, ranging from bad luck to lack of depth behind them. 2018-19 could be their best chance yet at carrying the team to a Stanley Cup, as they're still in their primes and their youthful supporting cast is very exciting.

What's New: Rookies And Improving Youngsters

While the end result might have been frustrating given the glimpses of Cup contender potential the Flyers flashed during the year, 2017-18 showed that the Flyers have a bright future.

Winger Travis Konecny and defenseman Ivan Provorov, both 21, each had breakout years. Sean Couterier and Shayne Gostisbehere, both 25, continued their stellar play. And rookie top draft pick Nolan Patrick, who turned 20 last month, played well down the stretch after a rough start.

But a name to keep an eye is Carter Hart, the Flyers 20-year-old netminder who will begin the season in the minor leagues. He has the potential to be a truly dominant force behind the net, the franchise-type goalie which the Flyers have not had for decades. It's possible he makes his Flyers debut at some point this year. If he gets the nod to come up to Philly, it'll be because he dominated at Lehigh Valley; expect him to be here to stay.

What Stands In Their Way

Goaltending remains a question. If Elliot and Neuvirth can remain healthy, which is a big if given last season, the Flyers stand an excellent chance at improving upon their 98 point win total from a year ago.

The time for the Flyers to win is now, but winning the Metropolitan will not be easy. The Capitals are coming off their championship, the Penguins are as good as ever with Sidney Cosby and Evegni Malkin leading the way, and the Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils look to be competitive this winter as well.

Predictions

The Flyers should nonetheless be considered strong favorites to return to the playoffs for the second year in a row. Various analysts have them finishing between second and fourth in the division, roughly matching their points total from last year. Here's a glance at Philadelphia Patch's Eastern Conference standings predictions for playoff contenders in 2018-19:

Metropolitan Division

1. Penguins - 106

2. Flyers - 104

3. Capitals - 100

4. Devils - 100

Atlantic Division

1. Bruins - 103

2. Lighting - 100

3. Canadiens - 98

4. Maple Leafs - 94

The Flyers will come up short of the Penguins in the regular season, but look for them to turn the tide on Pittsburgh in the postseason. After defeating the defending Stanley Cup champion Capitals in five games, they beat the Penguins in six in the semifinals, clinching in Pittsburgh and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Schedule

It all gets started at 10 p.m. Thursday night in Las Vegas. The team then travels to Denver to play the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.

Their home opener is against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, Oct. 9. Tickets are available here. And in case you haven't heard, there's going to be a different...presence in the stands and on the ice.

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