3 Underappreciated Flyers’ Goaltenders Since 2000

Mason, traded to Philadelphia by the Columbus Blue Jackets for what was essentially pennies on the dollar, had been on a rapid downward spiral since winning the Calder Trophy in 2008-09. He changed that when he arrived in Philly. In five seasons with the team, he posted a .918 save percentage (SV%) along with a 2.47 goals-against average (GAA). His 104-78-36 record was really impressive, given the team’s state during that time period.

In the playoffs, Mason was a mixed bag, posting a league-leading .939 SV% and 1.97 GAA one year, but having a .852 SV% and a 4.09 GAA his other year. Unfortunately for him, he lost both of these series.

Even though Mason only received All-Star votes on two occasions and Vezina Trophy consideration once, it probably should have been more than that. To put it bluntly, he had to deal with some of the worst team defense in Flyers’ history. Turnovers were pretty common for the team, and they had goal scoring issues when he needed it most. This is brought to light when we consider more advanced metrics.

According to Money Puck, Mason finished fourth in the league in goals saved above expected (GSAx) in 2014-15, which is a metric that compares goaltenders to the average netminder to see how many more pucks they kept out of their net versus what is expected out of them. Despite this masterful performance, the Flyers finished with a 33-31-18 record, which was seventh worst in the league at the time. Philadelphia was not a complete team during that era, and their star goaltender suffered the most.

Roman Cechmanek (2000-03)

It seems that a lot of people tend to forget how dominant Roman Cechmanek was in his prime. Although his time in the NHL was brief, spanning only four seasons, he was a great starter for the Flyers every single season he played for them.

Over his three-year period with the team, Cechmanek posted a .923 SV%, a 1.96 GAA, and 20 shutouts. Along with that came a pretty sensational 92-43-22 record.

For his efforts, Cechmanek received All-Star consideration every year he was a Flyer, finished second and seventh in Vezina Trophy voting, and won the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2002-03.

In the postseason, Cechmanek’s play dipped a bit, but he was still more than serviceable. In 23 playoff games with the Flyers, he won nine and lost 14, but put up a respectable .909 SV% and a 2.33 GAA in that time. He should be remembered more for his accomplishments with the team, even if it only lasted for a few seasons. He is one of the best goaltenders the Flyers have ever had.

Michael Leighton (2006-07, 2009-13)

Michael Leighton served as partial inspiration for this list. Instead of being remembered for his above-average play with the Flyers and taking over for an injured Brian Boucher in the 2010 Playoffs and reaching the Stanley Cup Final, he is instead remembered for one goal he gave up, for whatever reason. He is an unfairly disrespected player for the Flyers. To put it simply, the team would not have made it as far as they did without his heroics.

Getting to his limited action with the Flyers, Leighton was mainly known for his time in 2009-10 with the team, although he appeared in a few games outside of that year. Overall, he had a .910 SV% and a 2.76 GAA in the regular season, which is pretty decent. A 19-8-2 overall record is much better than most can say, as well. For a 2009-10 Flyers team that made the playoffs on the final day of the season, every one of these wins counted, winning 16 of them in the season in question.

The journeyman’s incredible story was made national when he had to take over for his injured starter in the second round against the Boston Bruins. In Game 5 of the series, he hunkered down and preserved the shutout effort, forcing a Game 6 in a series that the Flyers trailed 3-0 at one point. A brilliant performance in Game 6 and a flawless second and third-period effort in Game 7 made the Flyers the third team to come back from down 3-0 in a playoff series in NHL history at that point.

Against the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Final, we saw much of the same. Leighton was fantastic and was the exact spark the Flyers needed in order to make a run at the Stanley Cup. After winning that series in five games, his playoff stats were sitting at a Conn Smythe level, with a 6-1 record, a .948 SV%, a 1.45 GAA, and three shutouts.

Yes, his series against the Chicago Blackhawks was not great. No, he was not the only reason why the team lost. He was the reason they were there. Leighton deserves to be one of the most beloved players in Flyers’ history, but he is instead one of the most forgotten and ridiculed.

Goaltending Overview

While it could be argued that, as a whole, the Flyers had about average goaltending since the beginning of the new millennium. However, the team has had some phenomenal performances in net over the years that have gone unrecognized.