Ilya Bryzgalov has been the Flyers’ best, most consistent player through each of the nine games he’s played in 2013.
But if that’s got anything to do with the way he’s getting himself mentally prepared, we won’t be hearing about it.
“I can’t tell you,” Bryzgalov said after Tuesday’s 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning (see story). “Because you wouldn’t believe me.”
Nonetheless, Bryzgalov was stellar yet again against the Lightning, stopping 21 of the 22 shots he faced, and keeping the Bolts silenced through almost 50 minutes of play. Bryzgalov was calm and focused through the entire game, coming up with key saves a few times against center Steven Stamkos, who has averaged a point a game against the Flyers in his career.
During a brief injury scare in the third period -- a collision with Lightning center Cory Conacher -- it was as if the air were sucked out of the Wells Fargo Center. Losing Bryzgalov would be a huge blow to an already injury-riddled team.
“It was my ankle,” Bryzgalov said. “It was hit and twisted. I felt sharp pains for a short amount of time and I had to stretch my ankle in my skates, but it was fine.”
It’s been a rocky start to the season for Bryzgalov, but not because of the way he’s played. He’s been the Cliff Lee of the Flyers, giving his team the chance to win but not getting any offensive support.
But if the Flyers can find a way to jump-start their goal scoring, Bryzgalov’s success will make them a much greater threat than they’ve been through 10 games this season.
“Bryz was solid again [Tuesday night],” Danny Briere said. “He looks comfortable, he looks in control. Nothing fazes him at this point. It’s good to see. I said this morning, if he keeps playing the same way, we’re going to be a dangerous team. And a game like tonight, a lot of offensive power on their side, and he more than did the job against them.”
‘I regret nothing’
Zac Rinaldo’s fight against Lightning winger B.J. Crombeen sent the game’s sellout crowd to its feet. The fans only got louder once they realized a perfectly landed punch had knocked Crombeen out cold.
Crombeen was kept out of the rest of the game as a precaution, but afterward hinted that maybe Rinaldo had continued to hit him well after he should have stopped, after he’d gone down to the ice.
According to Rinaldo, however, that’s not the case.
“I hit him 'til he was down,” Rinaldo said. “I’m not going to hit nobody, no matter who they are, or what they’ve done, I’ll never hit someone when they’re down. I’ll hit him 'til he’s down, I made sure he was down, and that was it.”
Wearing a hoodie pulled close over his eyes -- almost like a boxer might -- Rinaldo added he even checked in with referee Kelly Sutherland to make sure he stopped himself from needlessly pounding his opponent.
Sutherland said he had, according to Rinaldo. That’s a good thing, considering his mind was blank at the time.
“So many things are going through your mind when you’re fighting,” Rinaldo said. “It’s a fight! You ever been to a fight? It’s crazy. You don’t know what you’re thinking.”
Loose pucks
Claude Giroux was 18 for 25 (72 percent) on faceoffs Tuesday night. ... Rookie Tye McGinn led the team in shots with four.