Sam Ersson was thrown in the deep end when he unexpectedly assumed the Flyers' No. 1 goalie role, but head coach John Tortorella praised the young goaltender with keeping the team afloat.
Sam Ersson was thrown in the deep end when he unexpectedly assumed the Flyers' No. 1 goalie role, but head coach John Tortorella praised the young goaltender with keeping the team afloat.
When the 2023-24 season started all the way back in October, Sam Ersson was only supposed to feeling out the NHL as a backup goalie.
A 24-year-old rookie from Falun, Sweden, Ersson didn't get his season off on the right foot, but quickly recovered to thoroughly impress Philadelphia Flyers fans. With then-first choice goalie Carter Hart visibly struggling, conversations started over whether or not Ersson was on pace to overtake Hart and establish himself as the team's top netminder.
It turns out that Ersson would have little say in becoming the No. 1 goalie, as Hart's legal troubles resulted in him taking an extended leave of absence from the Flyers, meaning that Philadelphia's rookie goalie would be assuming more responsibilities than he could have imagined in his first NHL season.
Even though he was facing unimaginable pressure and expectations, the way Ersson carried himself would never suggest that he was feeling intimidated by the challenge in front of him. He was playing way more hockey than he expected or was used to, but his cool, calm, and poised demeanor never faltered for a second, even when he looked to be powering through some serious exhaustion as the weeks went by.
Ersson's efforts haven't gone unnoticed, as head coach John Tortorella has repeatedly sung his praises, but gave the young goalie the ultimate compliment on Thursday by saying that he is the player that largely kept the Flyers' in playoff contention.
"We're not even talking about trying to be better to get in at this point if it wasn't for Sam," Tortorella said. "It's a crazy situation with our goaltending this year. We don't have a sniff of having an opportunity with six games left to go in if Sam Ersson doesn't play the way he's played."
Tortorella acknowledged that Ersson has played way more than anyone would have expected due to some questionable backup goalie performances, but that the organization's belief never wavered.
"He's played a ton of hockey as of late; that was the decision we made," he said. "I just didn't have a ton of confidence in some of the situations with our backups at that particular time, and he's probably played too much. We have not lost a moment of confidence in Sam."
And as for some of Ersson's stats, which some would say aren't all that impressive, Tortorella argues that the circumstances of this season are essential to appreciating Ersson's impact in net.
"We weren't expecting Sam's development to be going down this road, but things happen," he said. "The amount that he's played...it's almost unfair to look at his numbers. We put him in that spot. As I've always said about Sam, I don't have to talk to him, he doesn't have to talk to me. He accounts for himself very well. I'm sure he's licking his chops, he wants to make a difference to help us get through it here. The numbers with Sam—it's unfair, because I've put him a really tough spot in playing him as much as he has. Just when you think you're losing him, he bounces back. That's a great thing about him."
Through 46 games played, Ersson is credited with 21 wins (with three shutouts), along with recording a 2.81 GAA and a .891 SV%.
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