Jeff Carter's grit driving the Flyers

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Last February 6, the Flyers began a downward spiral in which they lost 10 games in a row and then found themselves trailing the Sabres 3-0 early in the first period at Buffalo on February 25 before rallying to win 4-3.

This past weekend, the Flyers trailed the Bruins 3-1 after one period of play before changing goalies and coming all the way back to prevail 4-3 in overtime.

I bring up these two games for a couple of reasons, one of which is team-based, while the other is related to an individual.

First, the team. The Flyers were wildly inconsistent last season. After a 7-3 October, they endured an 0-4-2 stretch in December only to bounce back with a 9-3-1 January before giving it all back with that disastrous 0-8-2 free fall in February. As late as mid-March, their playoff fate and possibly that of coach John Stevens were hanging in the balance after a four-game winless skein preceded an all-or-nothing four-game home stand the Flyers opened by beating Atlanta -- the perfect tonic, as they'd beaten the Thrashers nine-straight times (a mark now extended to a frightening 14). The Flyers went on to win all four dates on their way to closing out the regular season on a 7-1-1 roll; setting themselves up for a fine playoff showing that ended against Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference Final.

The comeback against the Bruins on Saturday ended a two-game losing skid and paid back Boston -- the NHL's top team -- for one of the losses. Significantly, it didn't let the losing get to three in a row. Only once all season has Philly lost three consecutively in regulation, and that was in the first week of November. In other words, this edition of the Flyers is much more consistent -- their decidedly sluggish 0-3-3 start to the season notwithstanding -- than the one that went through a dizzying array of ups and downs a year ago.

That brings us to the individual: Jeff Carter.

The third-year center ranks second in the NHL with 34 goals, and has twice gone only as long as three games in a row without scoring. Ten of his tallies are power play goals, four have come shorthanded, and seven have been game-winners. The numbers show consistency and dependability. He plays in all situations. He is on the ice if the Flyers need a goal and when they are protecting a lead -- the ultimate measure of a player's importance and versatility. It also signifies a coach's utmost trust.

Stevens says that Carter changed as a player that night in Buffalo almost a year ago: "He went out and made an unbelievable play on a breakaway to get our comeback going. Since then, I've noticed a sense of maturity in his demeanor. He wasn't going to let us lose that game and that mindset has carried on."

Has it ever. Carter tallied 10 times from the Buffalo game on, with six more goals in the playoffs. Against Boston on Saturday, he was credited with first assists on Scott Hartnell's game-tying power play goal at 6:25 of the second period and Randy Jones' game-winner three minutes into OT. Carter nearly won the game in regulation with 4.5 seconds remaining, but was robbed by Manny Fernandez' glove save. Still, his goal total this season -- including two in a 3-2 win over Atlanta the afternoon after the Boston game -- already surpasses last year's 29 as a career-best.

Is this Carter's team? Not exclusively. The Flyers have veteran leadership in Mike Knuble and Kimmo Timonen, and a strong cast of core players who are in their 20s, such captain Mike Richards, Scott Hartnell, Simon Gagne, Joffrey Lupul and Braydon Coburn. Yet, as two distinct comeback games nearly a year apart show, Carter is the engine that drives the Flyers, especially when the going gets tough.

Darren Eliot >
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