Philadelphia Flyers

We've made it to the final week of the 2021-22 NHL regular season. The playoff picture is starting to become clear, and on the other end of the spectrum, the draft lottery odds are starting to come into focus as well. 

But some things are still undecided. The awards race is heating up, and the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers are in a battle for the President's Trophy. Plus, there is still time for teams to battle for playoff positioning.

With that in mind, let's get into some of the questions that still need to be answered over this final week of play. 

Which team has the best odds for the No. 1 overall draft pick?

The rights to draft Shane Wright are on the line. 

The NHL will hold the draft lottery remotely on May 10. The odds were adjusted this season to allow for the addition of a 32nd team, the Seattle Kraken. 

The 16 teams that did not make the Stanley Cup playoffs will be entered into the lottery. The team with the fewest points will have an 18.5 percent chance of winning the top pick, while the second-worst squad will have a 13.5 percent chance.

Currently, the Arizona Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens have the fewest amount of points with 51. The Coyotes kinda sorta openly tanked this season, and the franchise is in a strange state, with the team temporarily relocating to a college arena next season while it attempts to work out a deal for a new arena in Tempe. Winning the lottery and drafting Wright, who is projected to go No. 1 overall, would be a boon to an organization struggling to attract fans. 

However, the Habs are hosting the draft in July, and that city could see a celebration even rowdier than the one we saw when the team advanced to the Stanley Cup Final last year.

The Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken will likely be the next-worst teams.

The Chicago Blackhawks and New Jersey Devils have point totals in the low 60s. 

There are two new rules this year: A team will be restricted from moving up more than 10 spots if it wins one of the lottery draws, and it cannot win the lottery more than two times in a five-year period. However, wins in lotteries prior to 2022 will not be counted, which is good for the Devils, who won the lottery in 2017 and 2019.

Will Igor Shesterkin win the Hart Trophy?

Full disclosure: I'm an awards voter as a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. It's a privilege that I take seriously, and I do a lot of research when it comes to my ballot each season. I'm not going to disclose my ballot, especially since I have yet to finish my deep dive on the candidates, but Igor Shesterkin is making my job and the job of other voters interesting. 

It's not often that a goalie makes a case for hockey's version of the MVP award, but the New York Rangers goalie will certainly be a finalist. He would be the eighth goalie to win the award. It would be the ninth time it was given to a goalie (Dominik Hasek won it twice) and the first since Carey Price won it in 2014-15. 

Shesterkin leads the league in save percentage (.936) and goals-against average (2.03). His 36 wins are tied for fifth. But the traditional analytics don't illustrate his full value, in part because sometimes it is difficult to quantify a goalie's full value.

But if fancy stats are more your thing, then consider his 24.46 goals saved above average at five-on-five, which is second behind New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin and his 0.887 high-danger save percentage (also at five-on-five). 

It's tough to compare a goalie to skaters, which is why they're often overlooked in the Hart Trophy race. And there is also the age-old question of what constitutes the most valuable player: Is it the player who make the biggest contribution or the one who does the most for the team without ending up on the scoresheet? 

Shesterkin is also a strong candidate for the Vezina Trophy, the award given to goalies and voted on by NHL general managers. 

Other top candidates for the Hart right now are Jonathan Huberdeau, Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid. If it was up to Huberdeau, who has a career-high 114 points, he would give it to Matthews. 

And speaking of Matthews…

Will he score 60 goals?

Matthews is sitting at 58 with two games left to play against the Detroit Red Wings and the Boston Bruins. The Toronto Maple Leafs have already grabbed a playoff spot, but they cannot win the Atlantic Division. They enter the week five points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning, so there isn't much left to play for in these last two games and this is typically where we see some veterans and some top players resting in anticipation of the playoffs. 

But no one has netted 60 goals in a season since Steven Stamkos did a decade ago. The only other active player to have scored 60 or more is Alexander Ovechkin, who really hasn't slowed down much considering he scored 50 this season, marking his ninth season with at least 50. It's a remarkable feat that has only occurred 39 other times and has been done by only 20 players. 

Matthews might have already reached the milestone had he not missed eight games this season, especially three he sat out last week with an injury. But he returned to the lineup Saturday and tallied two assists on Sunday in a win over the Washington Capitals. 

Is the injury nagging him enough that he should sit out and get ready for the postseason? Or should he go for 60? It's a tough call, but he appears to be well enough to play for now. 

Will the Golden Knights make the playoffs?

Things sure have changed in Las Vegas since the club began its inaugural season in 2017-18. The expectation has been to win a Stanley Cup, and they went all-in this season by acquiring star center Jack Eichel, but injuries derailed the 2021-22 season. 

The Golden Knights are currently sitting on the outside looking in, six points behind the Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division and three points behind the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference wild-card standings.

Their playoff prospects are nearly dead after a disaster of a game on Sunday night against the San Jose Sharks. San Jose was down by two with two minutes left but came back to tie it with 0.9 seconds left. The Sharks killed off a penalty in overtime and won in a shootout.

They do have a game in hand on the Stars, and they will play in Dallas on Tuesday. However, goalie Robin Lehner has been battling a knee injury since early March, and there seems to be a disconnect between him and the club as to whether he will undergo surgery. He did back up Logan Thompson on Sunday night against the Sharks, but it's been a little bit of a soap opera of late. 

A few weeks ago, I wrote that the Eichel trade needs to be judged for the long-term benefits and that the season shouldn't be considered a disaster if the team fails to make the playoffs. However, it's tough to know what management and ownership make of the situation. 

This team has been known to turn on a dime when it comes to decision-making. They jettisoned former coach Gerard Gallant in January 2018 with the team sitting in fifth place in the Pacific Division and traded goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in a salary-cap maneuver last summer. Both moves were quite unpopular. How will the management and ownership groups view the situation with current coach Peter DeBoer? DeBoer is widely regarded as one of the top coaches in the league, but there could be some heat on his seat as the season winds down. 

Can anyone beat the Panthers?

The Panthers saw their franchise-best 13-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday night in a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Avs have been stuck at 116 points for a week. They've lost their last four games, and backup goalie Pavel Francouz has been injured after an errant puck struck him on the bench. 

The schedule for Colorado isn't light this week with games against the St. Louis Blues, Predators and Minnesota Wild. So the attention turns to the Panthers to see whether they can stay hot in the postseason against either the Capitals or the Boston Bruins. 

The good news for Florida is that star defenseman Aaron Ekblad appears to be on the mend. He skated with the team on Long Island last week, so there is hope he can return for the postseason. He's been out since March 18 when he was injured in a game against the Anaheim Ducks. Without him, the Panthers have gone 15-1-0. If that's how they play without one of the best blueliners in the league, imagine what they might look like in the playoffs with him. 

How will the brackets shake out?

We have one postseason matchup set: The St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild will square off in the first round. The rest of the matchups are still up in the air, but you can probably pencil in the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings. 

The two series I would most like to see in the first round are Rangers-Bruins and Toronto-Tampa Bay. The second one is still in play.

The first round continues to vex a Toronto squad laden with talent and questionable goaltending. However, if the Leafs can get past the two-time defending champs in the first round, then it would make a huge statement that this team is ready to move on from its recent history and finally contend for a Cup once again.

As for the Rangers and Bruins facing one another, it's not quite Yankees-Red Sox, but it could be close. The intensity seems to ratchet up a few notches when Boston and New York teams play one another. Boston vs. New York might be the greatest rivalry in sports, and this is coming from a born-and-raised Californian. 

This scenario would mean the Rangers leapfrog the Carolina Hurricanes in the standings.  The two will play each other on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, but the Rangers are four points behind the Canes. 

It's a race to the finish for some and a race to the bottom for others. This next week should be high on drama and build up some excitement for the upcoming playoffs. 

The Philadelphia Flyers organization is being sued by two long-time athletic trainers who say that they were exposed to cancer-causing chemicals throughout their tenure with the team.

According to Anthony SanFilippo of Crossing Broad, Jim McCrossin, 64, and Sal Raffa, 42, worked at the team's training facility in Voorhees, New Jersey, for the past 22 and 18 years, respectively.

SanFilippo noted that the pair filed the suit "after receiving similar medical diagnoses that they allege came from a work environment in which they were unknowingly exposed to cancer-causing carcinogens" emitted from Zambonis.

The Flyers released a statement, saying in part that the organization looked into the claims by McCrossin and Raffa and believe they "have no merit":

Obviously can confirm the story broken by @AntSanPhilly regarding the lawsuit filed by Flyers trainers Jim McCrossin & Sal Raffa against Flyers ownership, alleging that an unsafe work environment at the Flyers Training Center led to rare medical conditions. The Flyers' statement: pic.twitter.com/ftAMLuH41M

— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) April 18, 2022

Several defendants were named in the suit, namely the multiple entities that own the Flyers. Those involved in owning and maintaining the training property were also named. The defendants face allegations of negligence, strict liability and a loss of consortium.

McCrossin and Raffa were both "diagnosed with nearly identical and incurable blood diseases and/or cancer a few months apart," per SanFilippo. McCrossin developed "essential thrombocythemia, myeloproliferative neoplasm, and the blood cancer myelofibrosis, which is terminal." Raffa developed "thrombocythemia, which is incurable and is proliferative for other blood diseases such as cancer, or inducing strokes."

The trainers say that the training room was directly against the Zamboni room, causing the carcinogenic chemicals to be ingested extensively potentially "due to inappropriate ventilation or through a shared drainage system."

The defendants in the suit have 20 days to respond to the complaint, though extensions are usually granted in cases like this.

Keith Yandle won't suit up for the Philadelphia Flyers for Saturday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, meaning his all-time record of consecutive games played will stand at 989.

"He received it exactly like you'd expect Keith Yandle to handle it," Flyers coach Mike Yeo told reporters of the decision to sit the veteran defenseman. "He is nothing but a phenomenal pro. He handled it extremely well. Obviously disappointed, which you would expect from a competitor and hockey player that's been doing it for as long as he has."

The 35-year-old's streak dates back to March 2009. He finally surpassed Doug Jarvis in January to become the NHL's foremost ironman.

For some, though, Yandle's benching will be long overdue.

The Flyers are seventh in the Metropolitan division and have already been eliminated from playoff contention. This is a good time to begin laying the groundwork for next year and beyond.

Yandle has also been a poor performer by a number of categories. He has one goal and 14 assists through 67 appearances, and his plus-minus (minus-39) is the worst in the league.

One downside of having a player enjoying an ironman streak is that a coach could feel a level of pressure—even implicitly—to extend the streak to the wider detriment of the team.

Here's the thing w/Yandle: sitting him at any time since Nov has been justifiable purely by quality of play. By all objective metrics, he's been poor. Doing it now, however, given where PHI stands, raises "why" question & moreso, "why not sooner, when it would have mattered?"

— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) April 2, 2022

Hot take: Keith Yandle is one of the worst defencemen in the NHL and if not for the ironman streak, would have been scratched a long time ago.

The Flyers have young D they need to get reps to down the stretch. Their development shouldn’t be sacrificed just to prolong his streak.

— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) April 2, 2022

Continuing to lean on Yandle—he's averaging 14:20 of ice time—didn't single-handedly ruin Philadelphia's postseason hopes, but it certainly didn't help.

PHILADELPHIA — Claude Giroux closed a chapter with a storied franchise in a storied sports town, playing in the final game of his Philadelphia Flyers career Thursday night at Wells Fargo Arena. 

But when an emotional Giroux sat on the dais to address the media, it was clear that he would have like to rewrite the ending. 

Giroux was finally traded to the Florida Panthers on Saturday afternoon, two days ahead of the March 21 NHL trade deadline, along with a fifth-round pick in 2024, Connor Bunnaman and German Rubtsov.

Owen Tippett, a top forward prospect, went to Philadelphia as the key part of the return. He's a 23-year-old right winger who has not yet shown the scoring prowess he was drafted for at the NHL level,  but he's been playing behind a loaded roster and spending time in the AHL this season. Lack of playing time was a reason the Panthers were willing to part with him. 

The Flyers are also receiving a 2024 first-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick. It's not exactly a package that can help the Flyers compete again next season, but Giroux had all of the leverage with a no-trade clause. 

Philadelphia is sitting tied for last place in the Metropolitan Division with 49 points. They have no other choice but to sell. The 34-year-old Giroux is an impending free agent at the end of the season and the Flyers are in one of the most competitive divisions in the NHL. As painful as it is for Flyers fans, the trade was the right move at the right time.

It's why Giroux's final game on Broad Street had a somber feeling to it. After playing for just one professional organization throughout his entire career, the now-former captain must start life in a new locale for the first time.

Before the puck was dropped, Giroux was presented with a silver stick by former Flyers great Bobby Clarke, the only other player to play in at least 1000 games with the franchise. His two young sons, Gavin and Palmer, were given silver mini sticks while his wife and parents were given flowers. Gavin waved the crowd along with his dad. 

The Flyers won the game, giving their captain a proper sendoff, but it was an empty win in the grand scheme of things. Giroux himself did not record a point, but that sort of was the point: His presence was intentionally limited so as not to risk injury. 

He didn't kill penalties, he wasn't out there for the final minute of the game to defend a one-goal lead and the term "asset management" was openly used throughout the day. 

"I think there would have been an interim to an interim coach had I put him out there late and he had blocked a shot," interim coach Mike Yeo said. "I would have liked to put him out there in a normal situation."  

It's an awkward exit from a city that has embraced him since he was drafted in the first round in 2006. 

"He's given everything he has to the city," said forward Kevin Hayes. "Even though the season hasn't gone the way we wanted to and trade rumors have been swirling, he's handled it professionally."

Weeks of speculation hit a fever pitch during the game. Although the Colorado Avalanche had flirted with Giroux all season, the Panthers emerged as the frontrunners by midday. Tippett was held out of the Charlotte Checkers lineup. Florida's director of team services, Stiles Burr, was listed on the press box seating chart, leading some to wonder whether there was already a plane already waiting for Giroux. 

The reality really set in when he appeared to tear up on the ice when he skated his final lap.

"I was trying to keep it together," he said. "Then the third period hit. The crowd, my teammates made it extra special."

It's the end of an era, but this era wasn't an especially successful one for the franchise. 

Giroux endeared himself to his teammates and the Philadelphia fans with his 900 career points (second in franchise history), 609 assists (second all-time), 291 goals (eighth all-time) and his penchant for grilled cheese sandwiches, his famous pregame meal of choice. 

"I feel like I've had a great relationship with the fans and the city. I get them. They get me," Giroux said. "I love them. That's one of the reasons why tonight was so tough."

A seven-time All-Star and a Hart Trophy finalist, the 34-year-old Giroux only has one thing left to accomplish in his NHL career: a Stanley Cup. Maybe it's not fair to place the expectations of an entire city and an entire team on one forward, and those around the organization have said as much in recent days.

Still, the Philly faithful hung their hopes on Giroux for years while the club failed to bring in enough talent around him to get him a Cup. The Flyers lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2010 Final and haven't come close since. The goalie curse that has long plagued the team has remained. They've run through six head coaches and traded away a second-overall pick in Nolan Patrick. 

Former Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall lost his job as a the general manager after failing to build a contender, and he's now running the hockey operations across the state in Pittsburgh. The fate of Chuck Fletcher, the general manager brought in from New Jersey in 2018, probably hinges on the return for Giroux. Justin Braun and Keith Yandle aren't going to bring back big anything special. 

Philadelphia has to start rebuilding—something the team probably should have done at some point throughout Giroux's tenure but never did. It's tough to sell a major-market fanbase on a rebuild, and Fletcher had to give the 2019-20 team a chance after they played so well ahead of the COVID-19 shutdown. 

Offseason moves were made with an eye toward contention, but a nightmare season ensued. Defenseman Ryan Ellis, a key offseason acquisition, has been injured much of the season, as has Hayes. Ivan Provorov regressed. The goaltending tandem of Carter Hart and Martin Jones has been better than anticipated, but they aren't getting much support: The Flyers are the second-lowest scoring team in the NHL netting just 2.52 goals per game. 

There isn't any alternative now. It's time. 

"It was a little bittersweet, for sure. He's given a lot to this city and a lot to these fans," Hart said. "If this is his last game as a Flyer—hopefully not—I wish we could have given him more. But it was a pretty special night for him to cap it off and get two points." 

There is always a chance for a reunion in free agency. For now, Giroux gets a chance to chase that hardware that has eluded him throughout his career. He could end up on a line next to Aleksander Barkov, which would make a prolific offensive team even more prolific. The Panthers don't have any glaring weaknesses and really, neither does Giroux. 

It might not have been the perfect ending in Philadelphia, Florida is the perfect fit for a player like Giroux. 

The Philadelphia Flyers are finalizing a trade that will send veteran forward Claude Giroux to the Florida Panthers, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Connor Bunnaman will join Giroux in heading south to Florida, while the Flyers will land Owen Tippett. The Athletic's Charlie O'Connor shared the full parameters:

Can confirm the final deal is:

Claude Giroux, a 2024 5th, Connor Bunnaman and German Rubtsov

for

2024 1st, 2023 3rd, and Owen Tippett.

— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) March 19, 2022

The Flyers are sitting seventh in the Metropolitan Division with 49 points and will almost certainly miss the playoffs for the second straight season. Giroux, meanwhile, is in the final year of his eight-year, $66.2 million contract.

Combine the two factors, and the 34-year-old was an obvious candidate to get moved ahead of the NHL's trade deadline.

Because of his no-movement clause, the ball was largely in Giroux's court. He had spent his entire 15-year career in Philadelphia and didn't sound like he was jumping at the chance to leave at the first opportunity.

“Right now I am committed to this team”

-Captain Claude Giroux about possibly agreeing to be traded before the deadline next month

Flyers have lost 16 of 18 games. Chuck Fletcher said it will be Claude’s decision pic.twitter.com/GSLcsNk9w4

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 16, 2022

"I haven't had a chance to talk to [general manager Chuck Fletcher]," he told reporters on Feb. 17. "We have a lot of things to talk about, what's best for the Flyers organization, what's best for me, and we'll just go from there."

By Thursday, his departure looked inevitable.

Sources confirm @AntSanPhilly report that Flyers captain Claude Giroux will not be on team flight tonight and is staying in Philly after he played 1,000th game with Flyers

Trade possibly coming pic.twitter.com/w7OaTxpl9Z

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) March 18, 2022

The no-movement clause meant Giroux could basically pick his next destination. He had little incentive to sign off on a trade to another franchise languishing near the bottom of the standings.

Despite that and his impending free agency, the Flyers still stood to gain quite a bit from this trade.

Giroux was arguably the best forward on the market. Through 57 games, the seven-time All-Star has 18 goals and 24 assists. He also has a great track record in the playoffs, putting up 73 points (25 goals and 48 assists) in 85 appearances.

Look at this fantastic edge work from Claude Giroux (@28CGiroux)! pic.twitter.com/BdFDb2WeMe

— NHL (@NHL) November 19, 2021

Keeping him around with an eye toward having him spend his entire career in Philly would've made sense if that was the plan to which all parties agreed. This trade seems to send the message that the Flyers thought there was a chance he'd sign elsewhere in the offseason.

For Florida, Giroux will make an immediate impact in the forward line.

The Athletic's Charlie O'Connor wrote how the All-Star Game MVP is "not the same dynamic power-play weapon he once was" but pointed to how he has adapted his game to fit his current skill set:

He's more of a two-way threat, capable of helping his team both create and suppress scoring chances while still producing points at an impressive rate. This season, he ranks 46th out of 421 NHL forwards with at least 200 minutes played in isolated RAPM (Regularized Adjusted Plus-Minus) impact on his team's even-strength expected goal differential (89th percentile league-wide), and over the past three seasons, he's in the 94th percentile in that regard, grading out well offensively and defensively. He still takes risks, but he's dialed back his aggressiveness and is probably a more well-rounded player now than he was in his youth.

This is a clear signal of intent for the Panthers. Simply making the playoffs isn't enough. Anything short of a deep run in the postseason will be considered a disappointment.

Adding Giroux will undoubtedly help them in looking to achieve that goal.

He was only ever going to leave Philadelphia for a title contender, and Florida certainly fits that bill this year.

The team has an Eastern Conference-high 90 points, and DraftKings Sportsbook lists Andrew Brunette's squad as the second-betting favorite (+600; bet $100 to win $600) for the Stanley Cup behind the Colorado Avalanche.

The Panthers haven't won a playoff series since 1995-96, when they reached the Stanley Cup Final. General manager Bill Zito knows how important capitalizing on this season might be. Giroux could help put the organization over the top.

---

Gambling Problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.

The Florida Panthers are reportedly "one of the top contenders" for Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux as the trade deadline approaches, according to Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now. 

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff adds that Giroux is not traveling with the Flyers to Ottawa for Friday's game against the Senators. While no deal is currently in place for the veteran, there's no "shortage of smoke," Seravalli added. 

The news comes after TSN's Darren Dreger reported the Panthers were keeping one of their top prospects, Owen Tippett, out of their AHL affiliate's game on Thursday night. 

Owen Tippett expected to be held out of Charlotte’s lineup tonight. More speculation in connection to Giroux rumours.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 17, 2022

Florida also acquired defenseman Ben Chiarot from the Montreal Canadiens earlier this week, and Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic followed that up by saying the Panthers are "all-in" and hope to acquire Giroux. He also wrote that Florida remains "focused" on getting Giroux and have "had regular and constant communication with the Flyers on him."

Habs got their first round pick on Chiarot which some people didn’t think would happen. But Florida is all-in. The Panthers still aim to try and land Claude Giroux if they can swing it.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 17, 2022

Giroux is one of the top trade candidate this season as he's in the final year of his eight-year, $66.2 million deal. The 34-year-old has spent his entire 15-year career with the Flyers after being selected in the first round of the 2006 NHL Draft. 

Giroux has shown no signs of slowing down, either. Entering Thursday night, the Ontario native tallied 18 goals and 24 assists in 56 games this season. 

The Flyers honored Giroux for playing in his 1,000th career NHL game before Thursday's matchup against the Nashville Predators, though he admitted it was tough realizing it could be his final game in Philly. 

"I feel like I've had a great relationship with the fans and the city. I get them. They get me," said Giroux after the game, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "I love them. That's one of the reasons why tonight was so tough."

In addition to the Panthers, the Colorado Avalanche have been heavily linked to Giroux. 

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle is the NHL's new iron man.

Yandle appeared in an NHL-record 965th consecutive game when he took the ice for Tuesday's contest against the New York Islanders. Former NHL forward Doug Jarvis held the previous record of 964 straight games during a streak that lasted from 1975 to 1987.

Congratulations Keith, on playing 965 consecutive games and becoming the NHL's new 'Ironman' leader! 💪

(🎨: @rbrunoill) pic.twitter.com/lT1czCRUUH

— NHL (@NHL) January 26, 2022

Yandle tied Jarvis' mark during Monday's loss to the Dallas Stars.

"It wasn't really something I expected," he told reporters. "I just kind of never really thought about it. I saw the guys standing for me, cheering. All the fans. It definitely meant a lot."

The defenseman first appeared in an NHL game in 2006-07, but the streak started in his third season in March 2009. He has not missed a single game since, though, as ESPN's Greg Wyshynski noted, there have been multiple "close calls."

The Florida Panthers nearly made him a healthy scratch at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, and he lost a number of teeth in November 2019 but played the following day after dental work.

Yandle has skated for the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers, Panthers and Flyers throughout his career with this being his first season in Philadelphia. He entered Tuesday's contest with zero goals and 13 assists in 42 games to go with a plus-minus total of minus-22.

The defenseman was named to the All-Star Game in 2011, 2012 and 2019 but is more of a veteran presence in the back end of the depth chart for Philadelphia at 35 years old at this point of his career.

He also might have to keep playing for some time if he is going to hold on to his record because Arizona winger Phil Kessel has appeared in 940 consecutive games dating back to November 2009 when he was a member of the Boston Bruins before stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Despite Yandle's new record, the Flyers are just 13-21-8 and in last place in the Metropolitan Division.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle has tied Doug Jarvis for the longest "Ironman" streak in NHL history, having played in 964 consecutive games. 

Jarvis played 964 straight games from Oct. 8, 1975, to Oct. 10, 1987. He did not miss a regular-season game from his NHL debut with the Montreal Canadiens through the end of the streak with the Hartford Whalers.

Yandle, meanwhile, has appeared in every game possible since March 26, 2009. 

964 games
12 years
4,687 total days
Four franchises
Parts of 14 seasons

Keith Yandle is now tied with Doug Jarvis for the longest “Ironman” streak in NHL history. #NHLStats: https://t.co/aootWvtFCq pic.twitter.com/gkzSipTrCp

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) January 25, 2022

When his streak started, Yandle was a member of the then-Phoenix Coyotes, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2005 draft. Since then, he has also played for the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers. 

Yandle's streak was almost ruined on multiple occasions. The Panthers considered making him a healthy scratch in the 2020-21 season, and he also had several teeth knocked out in a November 2019 game but returned that night wearing a cage and played the next day. 

Yandle signed a one-year, $900,000 deal to join the Flyers in July. He entered Monday's game against the Dallas Stars with 13 assists in 41 games. 

In 1,073 career games entering Monday, Yandle tallied 102 goals and 511 assists for 613 points.