Sergei Bobrovsky Gets Surprise Start In Flyers Season Opener

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette surprised pretty much everyone today by announcing that rookie Russian goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will get the nod in net over Brian Boucher in the teams' season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins. As the official site points out, Bob had a great preseason.

Bobrovsky led the team in preseason action, appearing in five games and posting a 3-0-1 mark to go along with a 1.76 goals-against average and .939 save percentage in 205 minutes of play, allowing six goals on 98 shots.

Broad Street Hockey seems a bit concerned about the situation the Flyers are putting the young goaltender in here.

Bobrovsky was understood to have moved to #2 on the Flyers' depth chart with the injury to Michael Leighton, so to see him leapfrog veteran Brian Boucher is a huge surprise.

Not only that, could you think of a worse setting for a guy to make his NHL debut? The opening of the new arena for the team's biggest rival?

No doubt that it's about as tough a spot a young goaltender can be in during the regular season.

Brian Boucher said he was "shocked" by the decision. Brian...we're all shocked.