It was vintage Chris Pronger: snappy answers, a tinge of sarcasm and back and forth with the media.
All of which seems to imply that the Flyers captain is making progress from a right eye injury expected to keep him out of the lineup through at least the first two weeks of November.
Progress?
Thats the eye doctors job to see that progress, Pronger said during an interview between periods Saturday night. I dont think its stuff you can see cosmetically just looking at me. Its more stuff inside, swelling and bleeding and what not.
He said only the doctorteam ophthalmologist Stephen Goldmanknows when hell return to the ice.
Pronger took a stick to the right eye from Torontos Mikhail Grabovski on Oct. 24. Grabovski was taking a shot when his swing motion caught Pronger in the face with the flat part of the stick blade.
Usually, when your head goes numb, its a sign somethings wrong, Pronger said, admitting he was uncertain about the full extent of his injury when it happened.
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I couldnt see so I didnt know what was going on.
Do you feel lucky it wasnt worse?
Do you feel lucky, punk? Pronger replied smiling, using the classic Clint Eastwood line from Dirty Harry. Obviously, it could have been a lot worse. I dont know if I feel lucky getting hit, but it certainly could have been a lot worse. We have seen a lot worse.
When a rather large reporter asked how his vision was, Pronger replied, Well, I can see you. I see a large shape.
Getting serious, he added, Its still a little blurry because of the eye drops and things I have to take to relieve the pressure on the eye.
Pronger will be required to wear a visor when he returns. Hes never worn one in almost two decades of hockey.
He said he wasnt sure how long the visor will last either.
Thats getting a little ahead of ourselves, he said. You dont want to know my stance on visors. Thats for another day."
What about wearing a visor around the house to get used to it?
I wear sunglasses, thats probably pretty good, he said.
Pronger has spent four days in bed catching up on TV shows.
A little blurry at times, he added.
He also rode a bike gingerly for 15 minutes today.
The Flyers' defense hasnt been the same in the three games hes missed. His partner Matt Carle is minus-8 and the defense has been inept in front of the net.
I havent watched too closely, kind of on and off sporadically, Pronger said of the defense. I think just our attention to detail in our own zone and making sure that were doing all the little things that allow you to win hockey games. We gotta get back to that.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcastsportsnet.com