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Flyer’s goaltending situation gets uglier

Image (1) Johan-thumb-250x166-8015.jpg for post 535

The Philadelphia Flyers have some goaltending issues. It’s not that their goalies are playing bad, it’s that they keep getting hurt.Not only that, but when they do have a healthy goaltender available he may not be able to play due to college classes.

I kid you not.

Johan Backlund, making his NHL debut yesterday in net for the Flyers, aggravated a groin injury and could miss some games this week (he’s listed as day-to-day). Carter Hutton, an emergency call up from the Adirondack Phantoms, is actually still in school at UMass-Lowell, and can’t play during the week. From Tim McManus of the Post Star (via Broad Street Hockey):

Carter Hutton, a star in a win over Hershey on Sunday, is not available midweek for the rest of the season because he’s still in college at UMass-Lowell and has a seminar he can’t miss on Wednesdays. If that last sentence doesn’t sum up where the Phantoms are with goalies right now, nothing does. Hutton will be around on weekends.

The Flyers still have Jeremy Duchesne in the AHL, but reportedly there isn’t any interest in bringing him up. So the question is: if Backlund is still hurt and Hutton can’t play because of school responsibilities, then who is the backup? The goalie coach? It’s a possibility.