Phanatic Hockey Editor
The end of this truncated 2013 schedule is just two games away, and this evening, as it's the final home game until next October, the Philadelphia Flyers will hand out individual team hardware to honor the best and brightest from this season.
Before the club makes its own official selections, here are my picks for each of the four major awards.
Gene Hart Memorial Award: Although this honor is given to the player who demonstrated the most “Heart” during the season as voted on by members of the Fan Club at their monthly meetings, this one is all about the "eye test."
And I spied with my little eyes the heart and soul and grit of one Wayne Simmonds, who justified his lengthy contract extension by being the player who showed up most often and played hardest during the club's struggles through the first third of the schedule -- then kept up the pace with only a few drop-offs since.
He's received his rewards by posting the third-best point total (32) and second-highest goal total (15) on the Flyers, netted his first career hat trick on Saturday in Carolina, and has won over the hearts and minds of fans and a certain segment of the media alike.
Yanick Dupre Class Guy Award: A thorny prospect given the relationship between the media at large and certain members of the current roster, this selection goes to the player deemed to have the best rapport with reporters, as voted on by the writers themselves.
2012's winner Jaromir Jagr taught the youngsters a great many things about the game and life while he was here last year, so why not select his protege, Claude Giroux, to win it this year? The newest captain in team history managed to make it through the season free and clear of any controversies or baiting, keeping up good spirits and maintaining poise while the club struggled to find answers and a playoff berth.
Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy: As was expected after Jaromir Jagr signed with the Dallas Stars, Jakub Voracek was given top-line minutes and he has responded with the best season of his career, getting my vote for most improved player. The 24-year-old member of the Ginger Brigade set a new career high in goals with 21, and ranks second to Giroux in points at 45.
In a year when most expectations were skewed because of near-career years last season, Voracek stands out because he was the subject of increased expectations and either met or exceeded them, depending on whom you ask.
Barry Ashbee Trophy: The best defenseman on the club, once again, is its steadiest and "healthiest" member, Kimmo Timonen. Before a broken foot cancelled the remainder of his season, Timonen suited up in all 45 games and led the injury-wracked back line in goals (5), assists (24), points (29), plus-minus (+3), while ranking second in ice time (21:46 per game).
Perhaps the easiest choice in the bunch, the 38-year-old Finn wins the award for the second straight season and the fourth time since arriving in Philadelphia in 2007.
Bobby Clarke Trophy: Given to the player deemed to be the most valuable on the club, attention is usually paid to whomever ends up with the most points or assumes the highest profile, or one who exhibits the qualities of leadership that guide a team to success. This year, I'm going in a different direction.
Bear with me as I select Ilya Bryzgalov as the Flyers' Most Valuable Player. Haters gonna hate, but objective observers can't really argue that, with the turmoil of the defensive injuries, inconsistent to non-existent play from the forward lines from the get-go and the constant swirl of media pressure directed solely in his direction, Bryz has held it together by being a space cadet in the locker room and the steadiest man on ice, excepting Timonen, through this mulligan of a season.
You may point to an increase in his goals-against (2.48 to 2.84), a dip in his save percentage (.909 to .898), but I steer you in the direction of a winning record on a losing team (18-17-3) while playing in 39 of 46 games (including 34 of the first 36) while the front office left his coach without a viable backup and so had to use him like a plough horse in spite of constantly shifting replacement defenders that failed to grasp his system.
Simply put, amnesty this. Without Bryzgalov performing as he did, things would have been so much worse. The Flyers could have been eliminated from the playoff race by the trade deadline instead of last week. He joins Roman Cechmanek (2001, 2003), Ron Hextall (1987-89) and Pelle Lindbergh (1984-85) as the only goaltenders to be selected.
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