Hart stopper: Flyers counting on Carter to lead them to Cup

Carter Hart spent his offseason living more like a young adult forced to move back home because of the pandemic rather than a franchise-shifting goalie who could have lived a luxe life anywhere he pleased.

The 22-year-old Hart lived with his parents in Alberta, Canada and he, like many who wanted to ease the stress of prepping three meals a day, subscribed to a meal delivery service.

“Both my parents are working most of the days, so I make my breakfast in the morning, then go and work out and then have a skate after, so I need to have lunch in between,” Hart said. “Me and my mom would make dinner most nights.”

Hart selected healthy options — — mom and dad helped keep him on track — — and says he feels “leaner” and perhaps in the best shape of his career as he starts his third season with the Philadelphia Flyers.

He can leave the cutlery with his folks. Hart is back in Philly with his plate full trying to win the Flyers their first Stanley Cup since consecutive championships in 1974 and 1975.

Promoted in 2018, Hart has shown promise that will be the goalie to fill the positional black hole that for decades has plagued the franchise. He was the first star of the game in his NHL debut and kept rolling from there — — including consecutive shutouts last season against Montreal in his first playoff series. He became the youngest goalie in Flyers history with a shutout in Game 3 at 22 years, 3 days and his second one made it the fifth time in NHL history a goalie had back-to-back post-season shutouts before age 23.

“I don’t want to just be another NHL player,” Hart said. “I want to be the best and I want to be the best NHL goaltender.”

The Flyers can only hope Hart ascends to that spot as best in the league as they enter this shortened season with loftier expectations after a surprising finish as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Alain Vigneault, the martini-drinking, Frenchspeaking, championship-making coach returns for a second season with the pieces in place for a deeper postseason push. The Flyers went 41-21-7 and earned the No. 1 seed in the restart after round-robin play but fell in the second round to the New York Islanders.