In The Midst Of Their Coaching Catastrophe, The Flyers Have Called Up Carter Hart For His Damage Control As Much As His Goaltending

Sources: #Flyers make the decision to fire Dave Hakstol, hire Joel Quenneville: https://t.co/YFEyzBiJW2

— Dave Isaac (@davegisaac) December 16, 2018

Status quo in Philadelphia. No decision has been made on Dave Hakstol.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) December 16, 2018

Joel Quenneville tells me report of him taking Flyers job is not true #NHL

— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) December 16, 2018

I have been told that Hakstol has been fired. There is no replacement as of this second.

— Steph Driver (@StephaliciousD) December 17, 2018

I'm not sure there's a better way to describe the bipolarity of the emotional roller coaster above then to say I actually felt bad for the loathsome cretins that were stuck riding it as the Flyers out-Philly'd themselves in slamming the breaks during the most highly anticipated of plunge. Metaphorically speaking, the news that Joel Quenneville was replacing Dave Hakstol basically took Flyers fans to their happy place only for them to get there and find Shooter McGavin giving the girl of their dreams a tongue bath as it was almost immediately retracted.

As was likely when they handed their franchise legend of a GM his walking papers, and all-but-inevitable as they let it leak that they were canning their Head Coach, the Flyers...well...canned their Head Coach. However, there aren't many organizations that could surround an overwhelmingly agreed upon decision with such devastating disappointment. Yesterday afternoon, Flyers' fans would have signed up for Gritty grabbing the reigns behind the bench. Now, they'll be happy with nothing less than the second winningest coach in NHL history, and I can't even blame them for being impossibly insatiable, because their own franchise basically waved the finest of filet mignons under their nose only to leave them starving.

Therefore, while I find it hilariously disingenuous that they are acting as if the goaltending prospect they've been so cautious with that he has garnered an unsubstantiated support system only known to the likes of Jesus Christ himself finally developed into a finished product on the very same day in which the Flyers desperately needed a distraction, I totally understand why they are...

The #Flyers have recalled goaltender Carter Hart from the @LVPhantoms. In addition, the club has placed goaltender Anthony Stolarz on Injured Reserve. https://t.co/P6asgsZ9Xg

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) December 17, 2018

Never mind how well Carter Hart ends up stopping pucks at a professional level, because his main job at the moment is to control damage. To play the set of keys to a fanbase that has every right to be acting like disgruntled babies in the wake of being fed spoiled milk. The promising 20 year old is more than more than likely their best option at a position they've filled about as aptly as their trophy case for the last two decades, but that's not exactly some new revelation. I understand the Flyers are dealing with injuries in between the pipes, but - considering the timing - this is as much of a pounding of an "in case of emergency" button as it is anything else. Though, in fairness, with a volatile and long-suffering fanbase feeling its most scorned, this was definitely an emergency worthy of pulling the last ace out of their own asshole.