Flyers’ Sam Ersson now a go-to goalie shouldering the load

Samuel Ersson turns 25 subsequent week however he speaks like somebody who has been round so much longer than that.

The Flyers’ goaltender bought his ft moist final 12 months when he took over No. 1 duties from Carter Hart round midseason. Hart has since been left unsigned and is a free agent whereas awaiting courtroom proceedings on a gaggle sexual assault cost towards him and a few teammates from Workforce Canada’s 2018 nationwide workforce.

On Friday night time at Vancouver, Ersson was set to start out the Flyers’ new season as maybe the workforce’s most vital performer. Within the eyes of some, beginning off a schedule from the start permits an athlete a level of stability and luxury. Ersson is aware of it’s his job to win or lose.

That’s why he mentioned at follow he wasn’t feeling any real case of nerves.

“I’d say everybody will get excited,” Ersson mentioned. “I feel to be a bit of bit nervous is an efficient factor. Once you’re excited you’re in your toes. I feel we’ve been trying ahead to this (the season opener) for a very long time.”

Given the circumstances, Ersson put collectively a fairly stable 2023-24 marketing campaign. He performed in 51 video games with a document of 23-19-7 and a goals-against common of two.82.

The one quantity that may very well be improved was his save proportion, which ended up at .890. Most goalies take a look at .900 as type of the suitable quantity.

Ersson mentioned the just lately accomplished coaching camp was a great one for him. In scrimmages, he was examined usually, particularly by children like Matvei Michkov.

Up to now, Michkov has been a fierce competitor across the internet, not simply settling for an preliminary shot however a rebound or two and perhaps extra.

“He performs a couple of extra rebounds than I’d like in some drills,” Ersson mentioned with a smile. “However I feel that’s a great factor. I feel that’s a trait that plenty of good goal-scorers have. They don’t take no for a solution. Even when you cease two rebounds, they wish to end with the puck within the internet.

“It’s form of like a psychological factor. So it goes each methods for me, too.”

Ersson mentioned he welcomes the problem of teammates similar to Michkov since you don’t get higher until you compete towards the most effective.

“You wish to compete in follow,” the goalie mentioned. “I feel that’s all the time good to have. They push me and I attempt to push them.”

Whereas Ersson would possibly appear to be a cool buyer outdoors, there’s so much happening inside.

With somebody like ex-Flyer Ron Hextall, it labored each methods. In video games, he performed with a chip on his shoulder. In practices, issues didn’t change that a lot.

Ersson gives the look he does have the occasional second however chooses to attempt to not let these get the higher of him. If a nasty purpose goes in, enable a second of frustration after which transfer on.

“There’s plenty of emotion within the sport,” mentioned Ersson, who was taken within the fifth spherical (143rd total) of the 2018 NHL Draft. “Typically it does get the higher of you.

“You attempt to not let your feelings get an excessive amount of up and down. Hold them at a constant degree. You already know issues are going to get thrown at you. Pucks are going to go in. You need to discover methods to take care of that.

“I attempt to preserve issues at a great degree.”