Thoughts:
It's becoming self-evident that Hart is the real thing, I mean goalies don't come in at 20 years old and look this composed and in control, just doesn't happen, maybe once a decade. His domination of the CHL is obviously no fluke, and we have him for the next decade or longer - f---- Hughes, give me an elite goaltender any day of the week (I'm old enough to remember Bernie in his prime!). The kid just grows game by game, he's not a finished product, but he's learning on the job, and this is a great season to do so without pressure.
People have been dissing Lindblom, STUFF IT. The kid isn't one of those flashing 180 lb forwards who dazzles you with skill, he's just a smart, tough solid all around player - his SHL performance at age 20 (ask Appleyard) was no fluke, he's becoming a top 6 LW, may take a year or two, but he's one of those complementary guys that people underrate.
Patrick is starting to play more physical, he needs another summer in the weight room, but as he fills out his frame he'll be able to use his skill package, think Couts Jr, not Nico or McJesus, and you'll relax. Like Couts, he'll need time to put it all together because while he's faster than Couts, he's no road runner. But size, strength, smarts, hands, it'll come the next couple years. He's learning that in the NHL he has to understand his strengths and weaknesses, he's not the smooth operator who dazzles, he's the tough guy who bulls his way to the slot then uses his hands to finish.
Oh yeah, Couts, look I love Giroux, but he's a 2C, not strong or fast enough to handle top centers defensively, but a great 1LW. His line just got dominated the 2nd game in a row. Couts is a legitimate 1C, and Lindblom is a good fit (though I want him back with Patrick in the long-run). Couts did everything tonight, he's in a small class that consists of Toews and Kopitar. The true two way centers.
Sanheim is not a top 4 D-man right now, does some really good things, makes too many really bad turnovers. Which doesn't mean he shouldn't play 20 minutes, but it means not playing him doesn't explain why this team struggled. And he doesn't help Provorov. This team really needs a reliable, veteran (but under 30) RHD to stabilize the kids, and I'd be willing to trade Ghost to get one. Gudas is solid, but he's a complementary piece, not someone to play 24 minutes a night.
The PK was amazing, it's been top of the league for two months, but that's shouldn't surprise, even when it was struggling, the PK was in the top ten in advanced metrics, the goalies were letting them down. Hagg may be a marginal 3rd pair D-man at even strength, but he, Gudas, Lindblom, Couts, Laughton excelled on the PK tonight.
This team is a long ways away, they were dominated the second night in a row and with any other goalie on the roster, they probably lose both games.
But Hart is the real thing, and his teammates are willing to take bullets for him.
Lehtera probably played his last game as a Flyer, they could deal with his mediocrity, but not outright stupidity.