The Flyers' season ended Friday night with a 5-1 loss to the Bruins. With it, an era probably ended, too. There will be changes. There must be changes.

But it was clear for more than a month that they were not a championship team. Mix in injuries to Chris Pronger and Jeff Carter, among others, and they barely were equipped to worm through one playoff round.

It happens.

That's what had to have made what happened in 2010 so disturbing to Flyers fans. That was the miracle season they'd been awaiting. That was the year that they did rally from an 0-3 series hole to beat the Bruins. That was the year that as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference tournament they stumbled into the home-ice advantage over the Montreal Canadiens in the conference final.

That was the year that Pronger was dominating, and defenses were too slow change their concentration and thrust it upon Danny Briere. That was the year they had only to beat Antti Niemi --- a good goalie, but not a superstar --- in the Cup finals. That was when Peter Laviolette's messages were still coming through clear. That was the year when they had the spirit to win a Stanley Cup.

That was the wasted year.

Not the one that just ended.

Check out the Daily Times and delcotimes.com Saturday for my column on --- yup --- the goaltending and a sidebar on Mike Richards.