Flyers Notes: Hartnell avoids serious injury

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It could have been a lot worse for Scott Hartnell.

This was one time when his signature “#HartnellDown” battle cry on Twitter was far more serious and nothing to joke about.

With 10 minutes left to play in Tuesday’s 2-1 Flyers win over Florida (see story), Panthers’ defenseman Erik Gudbranson ran Hartnell along the right boards.

The Flyers’ left wing fell awkwardly before crumbling to the ice, where he remained motionless for a few moments.

Gudbranson received a five-minute boarding major for the hit, and Hartnell, somehow, got up on his own power and was able to return to the ice for the Flyers’ ensuing power play.

He’s OK, he said, but he’s definitely feeling the hit.

“I was more scared than anything -- I don’t know if ‘scared’ is the right word,” Hartnell said. “But you never want to see a guy go awkwardly into the boards like that. Hasn’t happened to me in a couple years, but yeah, my shoulder’s not feeling that great, more just a little dazed or whatever.”

Schenn’s year?
Brayden Schenn’s contract expires at the end of this season. If ever there were a season for the 22-year-old to prove that he can live up to his much-talked about potential, this is it.

And so far, it seems like Schenn’s received that memo. 

Through four games, the young forward has three points -- two goals, one of which was scored in Tuesday’s win, and an assist.

Is he on his way to a breakout season?

“It’s still early,” Schenn said. “I just want to keep on contributing. Getting the opportunity to play with Vinny Lecavalier and Jake Voracek right now, you’ve got to make the most of those opportunities. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

At least by the numbers, Schenn is off to his best start. Last year, he had just two assists through his first four games and the year before, he had no points at all. In his first NHL experience in 2010-11 with the Kings, Schenn had just two assists in eight games total.

Berube’s choice
Craig Berube’s first game was a success -- a 2-1 win. It was a lot easier than Peter Laviolette’s first game as Flyers coach, which was a rather unforgettable 8-2 penalty-riddled loss to the Capitals.

Dan Carcillo took a penalty that resulted in a record nine-minute power play for the Caps, who torched the Flyers for three goals.

Now, Jay Rosehill took a four-minute double minor and received a 10-minute game misconduct in Berube’s debut that brought back memories of the Carcillo incident. The only difference is, the Flyers survived Rosehill’s.

Regarding Rosehill’s penalty, the officials gave the Flyers a choice of a four-minute, 5-on-4 penalty kill or a two-minute, 5-on-3 kill. Berube chose the 5-on-4.

“That’s kind of weird,” Berube said. “For me, I’ve never seen that before. For me, it was an obvious one -- 5-on-4. I didn’t want to kill a two-minute 5-on-3. It’s tough.”

In that situation, per the 2013-14 NHL rulebook, Table 17, Example 7, the Flyers were given the “choice to play one player short-handed for four minutes or two players short-handed for two minutes.”

The double minor for roughing was assessed as two separate minor penalties, and such results in two separate power-play opportunities. The Panthers’ power play was 0 for 5 on the game.

Machete man
That would be actor Danny Trejo, who was in attendance wearing a Flyers jersey. He’s done some films here -- “Machete” was not one of them.

Anyway, rumor was Trejo threatened to do some surgery on the Flyers if they didn’t win this one for Berube.

Trejo was accompanied by actress Alexa Vega. Both were promoting their next film, “Machete Kills,” which opens Oct. 11.

Guests
United States Army Staff SGT Paul D’Agostin, who currently serves as a Detachment SGT with the United States Army’s Striker Reserves Center in Trenton, N.J., escorted Lauren Hart on the national anthem.

Petty Officer Stanley Maculewicz is in his fifth year of service with the Navy, and just returned home from his first tour of deployment in Afghanistan.

Giroux’s Crew (Club Suite F) honored United States Army 462nd Transportation Battalion stationed out of Trenton, N.J. 

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