Philadelphia Flyers starting goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov's offseason hasn't focused on an impeding NHL lockout, instead, the former Vezina Trophy runner-up has worked on getting trimmer and more comfortable with his Flyers surroundings,a story from Philadelphia Inquirer's Sam Carchidi revealed Tuesday.
According to Bryzgalov, he's lost eight pounds from last season and now feels more at ease with his relationship with the Flyers fanbase and media members.
"To be honest, I don't analyze everything that happened last year," he said the other day. "I feel totally comfortable right now here. I understand the Philly media. I understand the Philly fans right now. I know what to expect from everybody in the locker room."
The 32-year-old veteran, who admitted in the piece he's undecided whether he will play in Russia if there's a lockout, is coming off a poor playoff performance which featured him compiling a 3.46 goals-against average and .877 save percentage. However, the Philadelphia front office still has confidence in Bryzgalov, says general manager Paul Holmgren.
"He's a good goalie, and we expect him to be a lot better, and I'm sure he does himself," Holmgren added. "When I met with him at the end of the year, he knew he made some mistakes along the way. There are some things he needed to improve on and work on, and he's willing to put the time in."