The Pittsburgh Penguins won the 2016 Stanley Cup by leveraging their considerable speed and skill.
While the Philadelphia Flyers possess certain qualities that might allow them to go more pedal-to-the-metal, they’re clearly going to do things their own way.
Flyers GM Ron Hextall explained the pitfalls of trying to follow someone else’s blueprint to CSNPhilly.com.
“The one thing I’ve learned over the years is you have to be very careful being a copycat,” Hextall said on Thursday. “When you start chasing everybody, you go away from your foundation and the very next year a team that plays a totally different style wins a Cup.”
Hextall insists that there’s “no real blueprint where you can say this is the only way to win.” The once-fiery netminder believes in building “through the middle” and focusing on “goaltending, defense, centers.”
Pretty simple stuff, yet signs of progress definitely seem to surface, starting with this past surprise playoff run.
When asked if the Flyers are in better shape now, he evokes Walter White.
“Are we better than we were last year? As a team, as an organization, our depth chart, damn right we’re a lot better,” Hextall said.
Don’t be surprised if Hextall soaks in some summer sun and makes the Flyers’ outlook even brighter during the off-season. The team seems like it’s in very capable hands.