The Philadelphia Flyers will close out their regular season home schedule against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, April 5. As it stands, the Flyers still have a shot to capture the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. They need a win in this game and a regulation loss for the Pittsburgh Penguins in their game against the New York Rangers. Then, the Flyers would need to beat the Penguins in the season finale on April 7. That sounds like a lot and the Flyers can't be worrying too much about what is going on with the Pittsburgh game. However, there is something much bigger to worry about against Buffalo. For the Flyers and their fans, the home finale is all about Ilya Bryzgalov.
After missing three games with a chip fracture, the star goalie returned against the New York Rangers on April 3. After an ugly start that saw him allow four goals in the first period, Bryzgalov settled down the rest of the way. That is a good sign for a goalie that needs to be sharp in the playoffs. Prior to his injury, Bryzgalov was playing better than any goalie in the league. His dominating presence in net allowed the Flyers to have their best month of the season. When he was hurt, fans worried about how his momentum would be impacted. This game represents a chance for him to ease all of those concerns before the playoffs.
Bryzgalov will be tested against Buffalo. The Sabres are in a tight race with the Washington Capital for the final playoff spot. They need this win much more than the Flyers do. Therefore, you can bet they will be aggressive on the offensive end of the ice. That means that Bryzgalov will be facing shots and that is a good thing. I want to see the goalie tested in this game. Personally, I don't think there is a lot to worry about with him in the playoffs. But if he passes this test with flying colors it will only increase his confidence.
Depending on what happens in the games tonight, Bryzgalov might not play in the regular season finale. This very well could be his last action before the postseason begins. After a sluggish start to his tenure with the Flyers, I really believe that he has become the elite goaltender that the Flyers are paying him to be. That said it would be great to see one more strong effort before the playoffs begin. If nothing else, it will give the Flyers confidence no matter who has home ice advantage.
* - Mark Paul is a Philadelphia resident and lifelong Flyers fan.
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