The Philadelphia Flyers hockey team started the 2013-2014 NHL season with a 1-7 record, their worst in team history. After losing the first three games of the season, head coach Peter Laviolette was fired, and his job was given to Craig Berube.

Berube helped the Flyers turn their season around, ending the year with a 42-27-10 record, good enough to finish third in the Metropolitan Division and a earn spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Coming back from such a bad start was amazing, but it was expected because of the high caliber players on their roster such as Giroux, Voracek, and Lecavalier,” junior Matt Long said. “I’m surprised they got themselves in such a hole to begin with.”

The Flyers faced the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, their season ended after a 2-1 loss in game seven. With the way the season started, the Flyers are lucky to even have made the playoffs at all, though fans are still upset with the end result.

“Upset would be an understatement. I know our team could have made it far, possibly outplaying Pittsburgh,” Central Catholic High School junior Michaella Ohl said. “I wish they could have shown their talent and passion for the game in the post-season longer, but a game is a game and the scoreboard proved the Flyers just didn’t have it.”

During the regular season, the Flyers offense was successful, as seven different players scored over 20 goals. They finished eighth in the NHL in both goals per game and overall power play percentage.

The Flyers’ top two leading scorers not only finished the season at the top of their roster, but earned one of the top three spots in two respective categories. Captain Claude Giroux finished third in the NHL with 86 points, and Wayne Simmonds finished third in the NHL with 15 power play goals.

The Flyers’ weak spot this season was their defensive play, as they ended the season with one of the highest numbers of goals against in the NHL with 235.

Fortunately, goalie Steve Mason came in clutch and proved himself to Flyers fans by earning himself a 33-18-7 record, a 2.50 goals against average, and a 0.916 save percentage. Mason was the hero of many games, and many fans believe he’s the reason the Flyers were able to come back from such an awful start to the season.

“When I heard the Flyers received a new goalie, I was praying for a change and Mason was that change,” Ohl said. “He was such an influence on the team and gave the city of Philadelphia hope.”

After the sudden end to the Flyers’ playoff run, it didn’t take long for the management to make a big move in the 2014 offseason. On May 7, the Flyers named Ron Hextall the new general manager and promoted Paul Holmgren to president.

Hextall played 11 seasons for the Flyers and is the winningest goalie in Flyers history with 240 wins. He was also on the managing staff for the Los Angeles Kings when they won the Stanley Cup in 2012, and hopes to help bring the cup back to Philly.