The reporters that traveled to Columbus ahead of tonight’s game between the Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers all noted that forward Steve Downie remained out on the ice at the end of the optional skate with assistant coach Ian Laperriere.
It was a bit surprising for Downie to be out so late, as extra time is usually only put in if a player is scratched.
The Flyers soon provided some clarification– Downie will be out the next seven to ten days with an “upper body injury.”
Downie missed time earlier in the season when he received a concussion as a consequence of a fight in the team’s first game against the Washington Capitals. He played on Thursday night, though, so it’s unknown whether he is experiencing any additional pain related to the previous concussion or if this is something new entirely.
The timeline from the Flyers would suggest that they could place him on injury reserve and call up another player in the meantime. They apparently have another option already available other than pugilist Jay Rosehill, however- Vincent Lecavalier.
Lecavalier was diagnosed with back spasms that was eventually determined to be a “non-displaced fracture in his lower back.” The organization expected the 33 year-old center to miss three to four weeks, putting his return some time in early January.
It’s been twelve days.
Lecavalier wouldn’t be the first player to return incredibly early to the team in recent seasons. Matt Read returned three weeks early from having torn rib cage muscles in March of this year.
Read’s a bit younger than Lecavalier, though, and it’s unlikely that the latter would be returning so quickly if Downie wasn’t ready to go. This rush back into the line-up seems a bit unnecessary, but hopefully he won’t suffer any setbacks.
The Flyers play on Monday and then don’t begin their annual west coast trip until Saturday, December 28. The holiday break should at least provide some down time (no pun intended) for #9 before they head for Edmonton.
UPDATE GAME-TIME: Nicklas Grossmann will also be out of the line-up with the flu. Hal Gill will take his place for the time being.
If anyone can even venture who the Flyers really are, I would be all ears…After giving an ass whipping to the Penguins in the playoffs two seasons back, then being ‘neutralized’ by the Devils in the next series, I can see no ‘identity’ in this group, nor system.
Berube is another Flyers pensioner plug in, or seems to be, and isn’t there another hockey coach with some scheme who can organize this bunch?…They have talent, but certainly Laviolette lost the thread, and Berube seems to be a stop gap, at best.
And how about the seemingly untouchable ‘Homer’?…Hasn’t he been on the payroll for at least 20 years?…He hasn’t won any silverware.
Is Booby Clarke still calling the shots from places unknown?
At least they gave been playing much better the last couple of weeks after a horrible Start.. They do seem to lack an identity but with many players in and out of line-up so far, maybe COBE Hanuarybthey can gel and play well in the 2nd stretch, at least they have gotten back into Playoff Contention
With lots of games left in The Season..
I’m planning to write about Berube next week.
The Flyers that beat the Penguins two seasons ago ranked 2nd in the NHL (behind the Pens) in goals-per-game. They were a team that would be outscored in the first five minutes nearly every game, but would score their way out of their defensive problems in regular comebacks.
This team’s offensive core is largely the same, except JVR, Jagr and Danny B have been replaced by Steve Downie, Michael Raffl and Lecavalier. This group probably will never be 2nd, but they’ve gotten past their early season confidence issues and are now scoring like a functioning NHL team again.
The defense is still a problem, though. They haven’t addressed it after two seasons, and Mark Streit never should have been considered “the answer.”
If there is an identity Berube is going for, it’s to be the hardest working players in the NHL. Hasn’t happened yet, of course, but he’s looking for lunchpail efforts over finesse.
Bobby Clarke is Senior Vice President, so his opinions still weigh into Flyers decisions. He isn’t likely involved in anything on a day-to-day basis, though.