Carter Hart Rules, And The Rest Of The NHL Can Suck It
Len Redkoles. Getty Images.The Philadelphia Flyer are off to a 5-2 start to the season. I'm pretty sure it took them 82 games before they got their 5th win last year. But this is a new year, new Flyers. And fortunately for the new Flyers, it looks like they're getting old Carter Hart back.
Carter Hart was the prince who was promised. After decades of dog shit goaltending, the Flyers were finally supposed to have their guy. One of the best goalie prospects to come into the league in years. The only issue…well the Flyers finally found their goalie of the future, but the team around him fucking STUNK. It's hard enough being a young goalie in this league playing in front of guys who can at least tie their own skates. Carter Hart wasn't just thrown to the wolves in his first few seasons in Philadelphia. The man was sautéed and seasoned. And because of that, it was easy for folks to think that a young, 23-year-old Carter Hart was already cooked.
But oh how goddamn wrong they would be.
The Flyers are 5-2 on the season and those 2 losses came on the only nights that Hart wasn't in net. He's the first Flyers goalie to win his first 5 games of a season since Ron Hextall. He set a career high in saves last night against Florida with 48. And even with all that being said, he still didn't have anywhere near a perfect game. He let a couple soft ones by him last night, and his rebound control wasn't anything to write home about. But that's what should be terrifying for the rest of the NHL. Because those are both easy fixes. If Carter Hart can look this good when he's not even playing that great? Just imagine what a menace this guy is going to be between the pipes once he gets it all dialed in.
That's Elite Goaltender Carter Hart™, to you.
I will mention, however, that Carter Hart didn't even have the best Flyers save of the night. That honor belongs to Ivan Provorov, who blocked an absolute missile of a shot from the point. Looked like it drilled him right above the ankle. He could barely get back to his feet to get off the ice, Panthers come back down on a 2v1 rush, this maniac hops up and does just enough to make things difficult for the Panthers and let Carter make the easy save. Those are the plays that are going to get Torts to throw an 'A' on his sweater eventually.
And speaking of spicy plays from last night, how about this assist from Travis Konecny? Sheeeeeeesh.
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Filth. Flyers hockey, baby. It's back.