{"id":26366,"date":"2018-04-05T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2018-04-05T13:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=26366"},"modified":"2018-04-05T12:03:27","modified_gmt":"2018-04-05T16:03:27","slug":"alex-lyon-playing-his-way-into-philadelphia-flyers-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2018\/04\/05\/alex-lyon-playing-his-way-into-philadelphia-flyers-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Alex Lyon Playing His Way Into Philadelphia Flyers Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

While playing at Yale University, Alex Lyon<\/a><\/strong> knew what it took to be a winner. He was a two-time recipient of the Ken Dryden<\/a> Award, given to the best goalie in the ECAC. He led the league in saves, shutouts and goals-against average in his rookie season. After three years at Yale, Lyon decided to forgo his senior season and signed an entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers<\/a> on April 5, 2016.<\/p>\n

Flash forward to now and Lyon has played a pivotal role in the Flyers playoff chase. Called upon when Brian Elliott<\/a><\/strong> and Michal Neuvirth<\/a><\/strong> went down with injuries, Lyon has shined during his time in the NHL. It didn’t start out that way, however.<\/p>\n

Alex Lyon Could Be Part Of Philadelphia Flyers Future<\/h1>\n

Alex Lyon never saw time in the NHL before being called up back on December 6th. He was in the midst of a sophomore season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in which he struggled. At the time, Lyon held an 8-6-1 record along with a 3.31 GAA and a .894 SV%. Lyon served as the back-up to Elliott and did not appear in a game.<\/p>\n

That would not be the only call-up Lyon would see this season, however. Lyon has seen a total of ten movements this season, five of which were when he was called up to the Flyers. One of his biggest call-ups came on January 25th when he would see his first action in the league.<\/p>\n

Lyon would make his first NHL start against the New Jersey Devils<\/a> on February 2nd. It was not a start to remember, however.<\/p>\n

Shaky Start For Alex Lyon<\/h2>\n

Lyon’s start against the Devils was not his first game in the NHL. Lyon would replace Neuvirth in the previous game against the Washington Capitals<\/a>. In a 5-3 loss, Lyon would stop all five shots he faced in the third period.<\/p>\n

This would lead to his first start against the Devils the following night. There were some clear early butterflies as Lyon would give up two goals on the first five shots he faced.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t very sharp in the first period,” Lyon said after the loss<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI think my head was in the locker room. I just tried to battle and regroup. Unfortunately at the end there, that\u2019s the main thing. You’ve got to find a way to get a point or two points at least. I\u2019m disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Things would settle down for Lyon after that. He showed his aggressiveness throughout, coming out of his blue paint a few times, along with better movements within the crease.<\/p>\n

It would not be enough, though, as the Devils would score a pair of third-period goals to come away with the 4-3 victory.<\/p>\n

Lyon made another start before being sent back down to the Phantoms. He would return about a week later and record his first NHL victory.<\/p>\n

First Win At Madison Square Garden<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Lyon was no stranger to the home of the New York Rangers<\/a>. As a part of the Rivalry on Ice, Lyon was the net-minder for a Yale team that beat Harvard University by a score of 4-1. Lyon gave up just one goal on 21 shots. He would turn in a similar performance against the New York Rangers.<\/p>\n

Lyon was called into action when Neuvirth left the game after the first period with a lower-body injury. In his fourth NHL game, Lyon would make 25 saves to record his first victory as the Flyers rolled past the Rangers by a score of 7-4.<\/p>\n

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Goaltender Alex Lyon pictured with a puck from his first @NHL<\/a> win with the @NHLFlyers<\/a> and one wicked-sweet robe. (Woooooooooooo!) \ud83e\udd81 pic.twitter.com\/u10sK6G9Ei<\/a><\/p>\n

— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) February 19, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n