Flyers’ Presence Everywhere In Eastern Conference Finals

Rod Brind’Amour left Philly a popular Flyer. He was a talented center, a warrior and an unquestioned leader.

He played 484 consecutive games for the Flyers, a team record that still stands. He was part of the 1997 Stanley Cup finalist team.

“Rod the Bod” was his nickname and it was applicable. He was a workout fiend. Still is.

Brind’Amour, 52, transitioned from what should be a Hall of Fame playing career to a successful career behind the bench. He is the coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, who will play the Flyers-laden Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference finals starting Thursday.

This is Brind’Amour’s fifth season as a coach, each a winning one. He won the Jack Adams Award, for best NHL coach, in 2021.

His career coaching record is 226-107-37. This season, Carolina was 52-21-9.

Brind’Amour played 10 seasons for the Hurricanes and was their captain when they won the Cup in 2006 over Edmonton. He also was on the 2002 Hurricanes team that lost to Detroit in the finals.

Great career with Flyers

Brind’Amour played 20 NHL seasons, nine with the Flyers (1991-2000). He had 235 goals, 266 assists in 633 games with Philadelphia before he was traded to the Hurricanes in 2000 for Keith Primeau.

In 1,484 games, Brind’Amour scored 1,184 points. He was inducted into the Flyers’ Hall of Fame in November 2015.

“It just instilled to me as a kid that [if] I wanted to make the NHL or just to be good at it as a hockey player I knew that I had to do more than the next kid,” Brind’Amour told NHL.com.

“The one thing I could control was how hard I worked. I just never wanted to leave anything on the table, so I just always found myself kind of finding the hardest working player and trying to make sure I was working harder than him.”

‘Ghost’ on Carolina’s defense

These Eastern Conference finals have a large Flyers presence.

Manning the Hurricanes’ point is defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. He was traded in March from Arizona to Carolina for a 2026 third-round pick. He played 23 games for the Hurricanes, scoring three goals and seven assists. He had 10 goals and 21 assists in 52 games in Arizona.

Gostisbehere frequently runs the Hurricanes’ power play that is scoring 18.9 percent after a 19.8 percent in the regular season.

“I was a die-hard Panthers fan my whole life,” Gostisbehere, who was raised in South Florida, told the Raleigh News and Observer.

Florida’s Flyers connection

Both Panthers goalies started their careers with the Flyers’ organization. Sergei Bobrovsky has carried the Panthers after taking over for Alex Lyon in the Bruins series.

Forward Nick Cousins scored the overtime winner that eliminated the Maple Leafs in Game 5. He has two goals and four assists in the playoffs. Cousins played 107 games over three seasons with the Flyers. He had 12 goals and 15 assists.

Defenseman Radko Gudas has three assists and provides a physical presence. He played 290 games over four seasons with the Flyers.

Even the Panthers’ top minor league affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, has a local connection. Bobby Sanguinetti became a Checkers assistant coach before this past season.

Sanguinetti, a Lumberton, N.J., native was the 21st overall pick of the Rangers in 2006. He played three seasons in the NHL, the final two with the Hurricanes.

Team USA wins again

That’s three consecutive victories for the Americans in the World Championships. Team USA rallied from a 2-1 deficit with two third-period goals to defeat Germany, 3-2, in Finland.

Flyers defenseman Ronnie Attard scored the game’s first goal. He played 10 shifts, had two shots and 9:10 of ice time.

Off the skate 😱@ronnieattard | #MensWorlds pic.twitter.com/7h9FLDPpSh

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) May 15, 2023

Top Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier was held off the scoreboard for the first time this tournament. He skated 15 shifts for 13:57 of ice time.

Team USA next plays Wednesday against Austria (1-0-1) at 9:20 a.m. (Philadelphia time). The game will be on NHL Network.

Former Flyer Patrick Brown has been added to the Team USA roster.

Team Canada undefeated

Scott Laughton’s Canada team defeated Slovakia, 2-1, in a shootout.

The Flyers center had four shots. He had 28 shifts for 21:39 of ice time.

Canada plays Kazakhstan at 1:20 p.m. (Philadelphia time) Wednesday on NHL Network.

Flyers in case you missed it:

Four things the Flyers need to do in the offseason.

Cutter Gauthier stays hot, scores in second consecutive World Championships game.

Around the National Hockey Network:

Vegas Hockey Now: Oddsmakers have installed the Golden Knights as favorites to win the Stanley Cup as the NHL reaches its final four.

Detroit Hockey Now: Former Red Wing Troy Stecher blasts ESPN on social media for sticking with a 9-1 Cardinals-Red Sox baseball game instead of switching to Game 6 of the Edmonton-Vegas series. Three goals had been scored by the time the hockey game was aired on ESPN.

Florida Hockey Now: Injured defenseman Ryan Lomberg might return during the Eastern Conference finals.

Calgary Hockey Now: The Flames’ search for a general manager continues.

Buffalo Hockey Now: Former Sabres forward Jack Eichel helps Vegas knock off Connor McDavid’s Oilers.

Last night’s result: 

Dallas won Game 7 over the visiting Kraken, 2-1. The Stars’ second goal was spectacular. Wyatt Johnston corralled a long pass, charged the net and flipped a backhander over Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer. Johnston, a rookie, turned 20 on Sunday.