Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Posted: 3:03 p.m.Updated: 5:50 p.m.By Tim PanaccioCSNPhilly.com
SUNRISE, Fla.So, whos going to dish out Chris Prongers snarkiness in the Flyers dressing room over the next month while Mr. Warmth recovers from right hand surgery?
Everyone knows that team captain Mike Richards is the proverbial good cop to Prongers bad cop. It wont be Richie. So whos it gonna be?
I dont know, but you guys are here, so Im sure itd be easy to find somebody, said Richards, who, unlike Pronger doesnt relish the daily give-and-take with the media.
Told that he, too, likes to give it back to the media on occasion, Richards replied, I like to? Yeah.
Prongers injury presents another character test for the Flyers, and a chance to pull themselves out of this recent funk and finish the season without their best defenseman while still being ready for a long playoff run.
We started the season without him and well finish it without him, Richards said. Its going to be tough. Hes a leader who loves a lot of minutes. ...
Its obviously a guy were going to miss, but Ive said it all year: a strength of ours is our depth. Were comfortable putting anyone on the ice at any time. Obviously, he will be missed.
NHL
Recall it was Pronger, who doesnt wear the C, yet often acts as if he does, who called out teammates and then specifically railed against Claude Giroux last week for sloppy play during a win against Edmonton.
A lot of players on this team talk before and after games. Kimmo Timonen and Sean ODonnell, even Scott Hartnell.
Yet no Flyers words carry the same bite or respect as Prongers. A certain Hall of Famer on the blue line who has won at every level, Pronger was brought here specifically to get this team over the hump to a Stanley Cup.
Its a situation where were going to have to get by without it, Richards said of voices in the room. We dont want anyone to do anything theyre uncomfortable doing or outside of themselves. Its one of those things where his voice is going to be missed.
Obviously, when you get a star player out of your lineup, its a big thing. Hopefully, we can rally with it and other people can step up.
Which is what coach Peter Laviolette expects, as well.
I havent thought about it much but we will miss him on the ice, Laviolette said. Weve done it before. Hes been out this year.Well get through this. It is what it is.
Players go through injuries all the time for different teams and youre forced to deal with different situations.Other guys get an opportunity to play. Gus Erik Gustafsson gets recalled and hell get in some games on this trip.
For now, Laviolette said, he will not dress seven defensemen. Gustafsson, who arrived here for the morning skate, is expected to be a healthy scratch Tuesday against the Panthers.
Were going to get him in, get him some experience and get him ready, Laviolette said of Gustafsson, who replaced Pronger for one game at Ottawa on Feb. 26.
Hes a good, young puck-moving defenseman, who skates well and makes good decisions. Positionally, he is good. Hes had a great year in the minors learning.
Nick Boyntons role suddenly comes to the forefront. He was plucked off waivers on Feb. 26 and will make his third straight start against Florida with Matt Carle.
Im the new guy whos going to talk to you guys, Boynton kidded. Its unfortunate Chris is hurt.Ill fill in as best as I can.
I dont imagine my role will change all that much. Im going to play defense and do the best job I can and keep the puck out of the net.
Boynton should see his minutes rise to 18-20 minutes a game now from the 15 minutes he averaged in two games already. Laviolette mixed up his lines and defensive combinations against Florida, using Boynton with Carle and with O'Donnell early in the game.
Ive played for a while in different situations and if need be, Im pretty confident I can help out, Boynton said of logging extra minutes.
He admitted it takes some time for himself and Carle to get a feel for each other on the ice.
I was kind of getting in his way out there, forgetting where to go and stuff, Boynton said of his previous two games with Carle.
Its been a while since I played. But its pretty easy stepping in and playing with a guy like that. He plays the game the right way and really well and really smart and that makes my job easier.
Pronger had successful surgery on Tuesday in Cleveland.
"Surgery went very well," general manager Paul Holmgren said. "Chris will be able to return in 3-4 weeks."
Loose pucks
The team signed 6-foot-6, 230-pound defenseman Oliver Lauridsen to an entry-level contract set to begin next season. He was the Flyers seventh-round pick (196th overall) in the 2009 draft. He just completed his junior year at St. Cloud State of the WCHA where he posted 22 points (seven goals).
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net
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