The Flyers goaltenders had a rough year. Yet they did make some strong saves at times. Here are the top 5 saves from Flyer goaltenders in 2024-25.
Feb 4, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson (33) tries to dive onto the puck during the third period against the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
The Flyers’ goaltending was much maligned most of 2024-25 — and for very good reasons. On most nights, they were way south of average, giving the team in front of them little confidence that the goalie would be able to make a key save. Regardless, there were a few times that the trio of Sam Ersson, Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov looked like they were very good NHL goaltenders. Here then are five occasions where the trio looked like they were providing key saves when they were called upon. We’re also hoping there’s more variety to choose from in the coming season.
5) Aleksei Kolosov versus Boston (December 7, 2024)
In one of the handful of occasions where Aleksei Kolosov came up big, the Belarus-born goalie stoned the Bruins with a great save. The Flyers were on the penalty kill, and the Bruins scored shortly thereafter. But during the preceding moments, Kolosov read a cross ice pass to a wide open Morgan Geekie. Geekie’s one-timer should’ve found the back of the net, but Kolosov stretched out to get his right goalie pad on the puck. The subsequent rebound was also blocked.
Kolosov gave up four goals on 31 shots that game for an .871 save percentage. The Flyers ended up losing the game 4-3 in overtime, leading then head coach John Tortorella to air his beef with what he determined to be Boston diving during the game.
4) Ivan Fedotov versus Vegas (November 25, 2024)
Fedotov, like any other goalie in the Philadelphia net, had a rough year. Fedotov sometimes was considered the backup. Other times he was off in third-stringer land, not quite in the mix with the Flyers but also not being sent down to Lehigh Valley. But in this contest against the highly talented Vegas Golden Knights, Fedotov made a lovely toe save on Pavel Dorofeyev. Dorofeyev attempted to lift the puck on the backhand just over Fedotov’s sprawling pad but didn’t get it quite high enough. Fortunately for Fedotov, the Golden Knight couldn’t quickly control the rebound as Fedotov’s momentum put him way out of position for a rebound. Again, it seemed to be the exception to a rule of bad goaltending. But there was evidence the goaltenders did make some good saves, as Fedotov did here.
3) Sam Ersson versus Vancouver (October 11, 2024)
In the season opener against Vancouver, a game the Flyers eventually won, Sam Ersson came up big early in the contest. With Philadelphia on the penalty kill, the potent Canucks took the puck down low. Brock Boeser took a pass and looked to have a decent portion of the net to score. However Ersson’s glove hand came out and robbed Boeser of Vancouver’s opening goal of 2024-25, at least for a little while. Boeser and his teammates could be seen shaking their heads as Boeser put his stick over his head in frustration. Meanwhile Ersson looked a little bit like Patrick Roy as he played up the save a little bit more than he usually does. Again it was a good save. Just didn’t get enough of them over the season.
2) Sam Ersson versus St. Louis (October 31, 2024)
Ersson was called on to make necessary and timely saves throughout the year. He came up big against the Blues last Halloween at the Wells Fargo Center. With the Blues down a goal in the dying seconds, and with their goaltender Jordan Binnington pulled for an extra skater, Ersson was huge making a save with roughly 20 seconds to go in regulation. Blues defenseman Justin Faulk saw Brayden Schenn open for a pass. Faulk quickly deliver the puck to Schenn perfectly. Schenn tried to shovel the puck through Ersson’s five hole to tie things up. Unfortunately for St. Louis, Ersson got enough of the puck to keep it from sliding through.
That’s not to say he was confident in making the save judging by him looking behind to see if he had it. But he did have it for the refs to blow the whistle. Ersson stopped 20 of 21 shots the Blues tossed on him that night as the Flyers eked out a 2-1 win.
1) Sam Ersson versus Florida (January 30, 2025)
The Flyers have played the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions tough the last two regular seasons, squeezing out some hard-fought wins in the process. With Philadelphia up 4-3, and limiting the Panthers to 19 shots over the first 56 minutes of the contest, Florida had a fantastic shift in the Flyers zone. Former Flyer Morgan Frost didn’t endear himself to his teammates or former head coach John Tortorella with a series of brain cramps. Frost had the puck for a clearing attempt but simply gave the puck away to Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen. Luostarinen’s great chance was stonewalled by Ersson.
From there, the rebound went back to Frost, who again handed the puck to the opposition. Luostarinen took a quick pass for another attempt but Ersson again was great. Frost (or Travis Konecny) left Florida’s Anton Lundell alone in front. Lundell’s backhand just in front of the goal crease was stopped by Ersson’s quick left goalie pad. But the highlight of the quartet of saves was the finale. Lundell managed to get the rebound to his forehand and took another shot. A diving Ersson got a piece of it, whether it was his stick which deflected it to the side of the goal or some other part of him.
It was a sequence that showed Ersson has it in him to make some great saves. Here’s hoping the clip below is a forerunner of what he might have in him when the 2025-26 season rolls around. As for the saves against Florida, they were huge in terms of the game’s outcome as the Flyers edged the Panthers 4-3 in regulation.
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