Flyers vs Maple Leafs: A Series of Incomplete Thoughts

Brian Savage is a brutal career -76. The Flyers have been killed by injuries this year, but thank god he's healthy.

Michal Handzus for President? I'd vote for him tomorrow.

There are players that you hate only because they're not on your team, and should they be suddenly traded to your team, would become your favorite player. Then there is Darcy Tucker.

If Mario Lemieux saw Jean-Sebastian Aubin's performance tonight, he's mostly likely now curled up in the fetal position in his bathtub.

___________________

The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and the regular hockey season is wrapping up. It's springtime in Philadelphia, the NHL playoffs are almost here, and surprise, surprise, we have a goalie controversy.

Ever since the Olympics, Ken Hitchcock has been alternating between his two goalies. While rookie Antero Niittymaki has been a little bit better of late, the playoff job certainly seems to still be up in the air. Unless you ask Robert Esche.

"The writing is on the wall," Esche said last Sunday. "[Hitchcock] hasn't said anything to me, and I really don't know what's going to happen, but I'll bet you right now that [Niittymaki] is the starter and is going to be the starter for the rest of the year.

"It's not tough to analyze, I don't think, anyway. I'm not really sure why but obviously [Hitchcock] has gotten a lack of confidence in my game somehow. I don't know why. I've been having a tough time all year trying to put my finger on it. So I don't know.

"I know one thing: This has been a frustrating year."

To hear a goalie concede the starting job might lead you to believe that his numbers are less than subpar. But that simply isn't the case. Niittymaki has 22 wins, 12 losses, and 6 ties with a 2.96 GAA and a save % of 8.96, while Esche has 18 wins, 9 losses, 4 ties, a 3.06 GAA and a save % of 8.92.

Ok, so if their numbers are nearly identical, maybe Esche is bothered by a lack of playing time. But a quick peek at the calendar shows that, no, that isn't the case either. Niittymaki and Esche have both started 7 games in March.

A closer look at the calendar shows that Hitchcock has simply been sticking with the hot goalie, and in most cases, it has paid off. There's another factor, too, that shouldn't be ignored. It's no secret that Esche has been a better goalie on the road than at home this season. In 17 games at home, he's got a 3.55 GAA, but in 16 games on the road, his GAA drops down to 2.55. Likewise, his save percentage jumps from 8.75 to 9.10. Thus, it would make sense that Esche would be the starting goalie on the road while Niittymaki, with a home GAA of 2.99, would start at the Wachovia Center.

I was content, until Sunday, with letting the two goalies split the remaining starts in an effort to prove their worth before the playoffs. But upon hearing these comments from Esche, I'm not sure he has the mindset of a playoff goaltender. Had he simply complimented Nittyymaki on his recent outstanding performances, no one would have batted an eye. But when you publicly put words in the coaches mouth regarding a lack of faith, you plant a seed that may or may not have been there already. Call it a self-fulfilling prophesy or an already obvious decision: Nittyymaki will be the Philadelphia Flyers' playoff starter.