NEWARK, N.J.After the Flyers 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday afternoon (see story), Jaromir Jagr posed for a photo-op with a young Flyers fan. He couldnt muster the strength to smile.
It was that kind of day for the Flyers veteran right winger. Jagr left the game after just four shifts and 3:12 of ice time because he had re-injured the left groin thats been plaguing him for weeks.
Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren only called Jagrs injury a lower-body one, but when asked, Jagr said the injury that kept him from playing beyond the first period was the same issue hes been battling.
Jagr has already missed games two separate times this season because of the injury. After the game, he said the ice conditions Saturday were awful, so bad, but that he wasnt sure exactly when or how he aggravated the groin.
Its tough to say. There wasnt anyits tough to explain it, he said. When its bad ice, soft ice, I have sharp skates, the edges wont let you slide at all. Its so much on the groin, on the legs.
Jagr returned quickly from previous bouts with the groin injury. He missed two games in mid-November, then attempted a comeback before missing two more. He sat out another two games in early January because of the groin.
Now, he knows hes going to have to take his time in order to not stress the injury further.
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I dont know whats going to happen, Jagr said. But at least if I make it to the All-Star Game, I can make it strong. When we come back, we play every other day.
Theres not yet a timetable on Jagrs return, but Jagr can be counted out for Sundays afternoon game against the Boston Bruinseven though he minimized just how bad the pain he felt during the Devils game was.
Its not that bad, he said. Tomorrow, maybe it's not going to hurt tomorrow. But I just want to make sure it doesnt happen anymore. I want to make sure everything else is strong.
Zac Rinaldo was also injured at some point on Saturday. According to Holmgren, Rinaldo is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, though Rinaldo declined to speak to reporters after the game.
Along with Danny Brieres concussion (see story), the potential absence of three players from tomorrows game against Boston means the Flyers will have to call in some reinforcements from Glens Falls.
The Flyers have recalled Tom Sestito and Ben Holmstrom from the Adirondack Phantoms to fill the lineup vacancies.
E-mail Sarah Baicker at sbaicker@comcastsportsnet.com