WESTMINSTER, CA -- Ilya Bryzgalov was smiling today. And coughing. And laughing.
Turns out, the Flyers goalie has been a fighting a nasty cold for more than a week and was sick during the time Sergei Bobrovsky rescued the Flyers last week.
I was sick, he said. And Im still a little sick. I caught a bad cold with a cough.
Could he have played?
I dont know, maybe its a coincidence, Bryzgalov replied, declining to say whether he was well enough to play.
Who knows? I still have some coughing, but I feel good on the ice.
Bryzgalov says he had no issue with coach Peter Laviolette sticking with Bobrovsky against Montreal and the Rangers last weekend.
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Im just an employee, he said, laughing. They hired me. When I play, I play. They want me to sit on the bench, Im gonna sit on the bench.
Laviolette downplayed Bryzgalovs illness, rightly pointing out that Bobrovksy was being rewarded for some stellar play that earned the Flyers four of six points.
He might have been battling something, but I already told you why we played Bob, Laviolette said. We pulled a guy off the bench, he played well and so we ran with him. I think there is something to be said for rewarding a player when hes played well.
Bryz will get back in there. Its a long season. Im sure there will be another opportunity for Bob to steal a couple games in a row. Hell come in, do the job and well reward him by putting him back in the net.
This isnt all about one person, whether it be Claude Giroux or Chris Pronger or Bryzgalov. Its about our team being successful and playing hard with a team concept.
It remains to be seen which game Bryzgalov playsFriday against Anaheim where he won a Stanley Cup in 2007 or Saturday in Phoenix against his most recent former team.
Sounds like Bryzgalov will go against the Ducks and Laviolette will decide from there who goes against the Coyotes.
I only think about the Anaheim game, Bryzgalov said. One game at a time, one shift, one period at a time. When you start looking ahead at the schedule, 'oh, look at this game or this game or back-to-back' ... just one period at a time.
With Pronger out for at least 12 games recovering from knee surgery, and given a hectic travel month of December, you could say this is where you might expect your goaltenders to raise their level of play.
Theres no question they are going to see more quality scoring chances than with Pronger in the lineup.
We just have to do our job and stop the puck no matter who is in the lineup, Bryzgalov said of Prongers absence.
Im not looking this direction. Yeah, injuries are happening but its part of the game. Weve lost key forwards, too.
We have to be professional and do our job. Be as good as possible, give yourself the best chance to win a game.
Bryzgalovs picture, along with Prongers and other Ducks, are plastered throughout Westminster Ice, one of the suburban rinks in Orange County where the Flyers are practicing this week.
The Ducks dont practice here, but Westminster Ice owns Anaheim Ice where the Ducks do train.
Its very nicelots of great moments here, lots of memories here, my son was born here in California and I had some great years here, Bryzgalov said.
Hed like to start a new chapter of memories here now as a Flyer.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net.