|
Post-Practice Roundup: Who's in, Who's out |
|
|
|
|
|
After taking a complete off-day on Thursday, the Philadelphia Flyers returned to practice at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ, in preparation to play the New York Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night.
Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn and Michael Neuvirth all skated on their own prior to practice. Schenn took part in full, while Couturier did not participate in line rushes and Neuvirth left the ice early (he was replaced by stand-in goaltender Jeff Hextall).
After practice, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall met with the media to provide updates on injuries. He said that Schenn is fine and will play against the Rangers. Couturier and Neuvirth remain day-to-day with upper body injuries.
The GM conceded that Couturier is unlikely to play on Saturday. Neuvirth's situation will be re-evaluated on Saturday. If need be, the Flyers will recall a goaltender (most likely Jason LaBarbera) from the Phantoms on Saturday to back up Steve Mason. The projected lines for Saturday night are as follows:
12 Michael Raffl - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek
24 Matt Read - 89 Sam Gagner - 17 Wayne Simmonds
10 Brayden Schenn - 21 Scott Laughton - 20 R.J. Umberger
76 Chris VandeVelde - 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 25 Ryan White
55 Nick Schultz - 32 Mark Streit
15 Michael Del Zotto - 3 Radko Gudas
82 Evgeny Medvedev - 22 Luke Schenn
35 Steve Mason
[30 Michal Neuvirth or 45 Jason LaBarbera]
Scratches: Sean Couturier (upper body), Vincent Lecavalier (healthy), Brandon Manning (healthy).
Most of the Flyers' players were reluctant to comment on the NHL's decision not to suspend former teammate Zac Rinaldo for his end-of-period hit on Couturier that injured the Flyers' center and knocked him out of the game. Hextall said he had expected Rinaldo to get something in terms of supplementary discipline -- and considered the hit to be an illegal one -- but said the Department of Player Safety has a tough job to do.
Vincent Lecavalier, who has yet to appear in a game this season, will be a healthy scratch for the seventh time. Hextall said after practice that he doesn't "have a crystal ball" to forecast when something might change for the veteran center but added that head coach Dave Hakstol will continue to put out the lineup that he thinks will give the team the best chance to win.
Hakstol said after practice that, with the exception of one game (likely the 7-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in the season's second game), he feels that the fourth line has been one of the team's most consistently effective units. He is particularly pleased with the duo of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Chris VandeVelde.
"There's chemistry in terms of being out on the PK together, and the play up ice. They read well off each other and communicate well. They use the anticipation side of the game mentally but they also work. They use their feet. They have good sticks. They work well together," said Hakstol.
The coach said that every line has the responsibility of helping out offensively as well as defensively "in their own way"; if not by scoring goals then by creating momentum through forechecking pressure and good puck management. Hakstol feels the Bellemare unit has been effective in generating quality shifts.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»