Mike Brophy

Veteran hockey columnist Mike Brophy writes Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday on Sportsnet.ca and appears regularly on Hockeycentral.

Michael Leighton has bounced around for years but now he has a chance to make his mark on NHL history.

This is it for Michael Leighton.

The Philadelphia Flyers goaltender, who finds himself still auditioning for work nine years into his professional career, needs a bounce-back game. Not just to get his team back into the Stanley Cup final, but to ensure his future in the game.

Recently turned 29, he is one of the more unlikely potential Stanley Cup heroes, having bounced around the NHL and the American Hockey League for most of his career. However, after his performance in Game 1, when he allowed five goals on 20 shots, he's also one step closer to oblivion. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration. The kid has played well enough in this, the Year of the Lousy Goalie, to at least gain the interest of one of the other 29 teams, so I doubt you'll find him selling pencils on the streets of Philly next winter.

That doesn't change the fact he desperately needs to rebound. He needs that one career-defining, Bernie Parent-like super solo effort that shuts the door on the Chicago Blackhawks, because you just know the Hawks are going to come guns-a-blazing in Game 2. The Blackhawks will be determined to expose him for what he is - a guy who has never been able to hold down a No. 1 goaltender's job in this league.

Is he the real deal after his miraculous run this postseason?

That's a bit of a stretch. There's a reason why this guy never unpacks his suitcase when he joins a new team; it saves time when he gets the notice he's on the move again.

For Leighton, the dream of getting that one money-in-the-bank contract doesn't have to end because of one bad game. In fact, if he can play well and help the Flyers even the series tonight, the memory of his series-opening flop will fade quicker than the Maple Leafs' playoff hopes at Christmas time.

Here's the rub, it wasn't just Leighton that was a big cause for concern for the Flyers in the Cup opener. Philadelphia actually got off to a great start in the game and for a while it looked like an upset was in the cards. But rather than get the lead and settle into a defensive game, the style of hockey that got them to the final, the Flyers got into an old fashioned shootout - not a great idea when you are up against a bunch of wide-eyed lamp-lighting punks who'd rather beat you 10-9 than 2-1.

What should really concern the Flyers is the fact Chicago's top line of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien was a combined minus-9 and the Hawks still won. You think that's going to happen again? Hawks goaltender Antti Niemi gave up five goals, equaling his worst outing of the playoffs. You can't count on that happening night after night.

On the flip side, Chris Pronger had an amazing game for the Flyers, playing a game-high 32 minutes and 21 seconds while drawing two assists and finishing plus-2 in defeat. Not only that, Pronger accepted and won the challenge of handling Byfuglien in front of the Flyers goal. All in all, he doesn't play much better than that - ever.

Also, Danny Briere continued his rather quiet emergence as a scoring star in the postseason with a goal and three assists. He had six shots on goal, was plus-two and even dished out a couple of hits. Scott Hartnell, whose undisciplined play during the regular season nearly led to his team missing the playoffs, has embraced the team concept (finally!!!) and his goal and three points helped keep the Flyers in contention right to the bitter end.

So when the puck is dropped for Game 2, there will be all kinds of stories within the story.

Yet none will be as compelling as that which asks, can Michael Leighton bounce back?

Not just for his team, even though that is the bottom line because this is a team game, but you just have to pull for a guy who has shown his determination. Long after many players would have succumbed, packed it in for a 9-to-5 life, Leighton held on to the dream.

Unless you are a Blackhawks die-hard, and don't give a rat's you-know-what about Michael Leighton's future, maybe it's time to cheer for the little guy. I like Leighton's moxie … and his chances for success in this series.