Flyers expect Holmstrom to fill void
Daily News Flyers blog
Flyers expect Holmstrom to fill void
DENVER -- Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier are not only top-flight centers in the NHL.
With the Flyers, they play a much bigger role than scoring, providing support for defensemen in the defensive zone, or even taking face-offs. Peter Laviolette relies on Couturier and Giroux, who will both sit out tonight’s game at the Pepsi Center with head injuries and no clear timetable for return, in all situations - like the penalty kill and in the last minute of periods and games.
That’s likely where Ben Holmstrom will fit in tonight. Holmstrom, 24, who was re-called from the Phantoms on Sunday, did not make it to Denver on Sunday in time for practice. After all, there isn’t exactly an easy way to get from Glens Falls, N.Y., to Colorado in a snap.
But the Colorado Springs, Colo., native will likely play his 4th career NHL game in front of family and friends on Monday night. His hometown is about an hour south of where the Avalanche call home.
“He’s a natural centermen,” Laviolette said. “I think the role in which he plays, as far as the penalty killing, faceoffs, and defense he plays, to be able to get him up here is important.
“We’re getting thin in different areas, so we just want to make sure that we’re covered positionally with everything that we need for the game.”
Even with Holmstrom in the lineup - and Danny Briere centering the top line with Scott Hartnell and Jaromir Jagr - the Flyers will still need one of Harry Zolnierczyk or Matt Read to center one line. Max Talbot is the other center.
“We’re hit hard right now with the injuries,” Laviolette said. “Through the times when you have injuries like this, you need to use some guys and have them be versatile. It’s not about whether they’re extremely comfortable in that position, it’s about the good of the team.
“Harry has done a great job in there. Matt’s been playing wing for an extended period of time but he can jump back in there at any time. It’s just something that has to be done.”
Holmstrom played 1 game this season and won 50 percent of his face-offs in Buffalo on Nov. 2. He also played in 2 games last season. He is not afraid to fight, either, as he picked up 1 fighting major against Chris Neil on April 5, 2011. Offensively, Holmstrom is 3rd in team scoring on the Phantoms with 8 goals and 8 assists in 25 games.
Holmstrom was not available for comment via phone on Sunday in Denver, but Laviolette said he will put him in a position to succeed. He fills the perfect void.
“If you’re going to bring somebody up, you need to put them in a positions of strength and see what they can do,” Laviolette said. “With that, it gives them opportunity, and it’s up to them to see what they can do.”
SESTITO HANGING: Back in training camp, it appeared that big Tom Sestito - who checks in at 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds - might have a shot to make the big club. Sestito, 24, was impressive in his limited time, and could have probably filled a role with Jody Shelley suspended for the first 5 games of the regular season.
That was, until, Sestito was caught up in the same disciplinary issues, when he was booked for 2 regular season games and 3 preseason games for a hit on the Rangers’ Andre Deveaux.
Had he not been suspended, Sestito very well could have played the 27 games that Zac Rinaldo has seen this season so far.
Last week, with the Flyers having plenty of roster and salary cap room because of injuries, Sestito was re-called from Adirondack to serve those 2 games. Many were expecting Sestito would be sent back to the Phantoms once the two games were served. But he is still here.
“It’s always good to get that out of the way and start playing again. It’s been a long time,” Sestito said after practice on Sunday in Denver.. “It’s nice to have that not be on my mind anymore.”
Sestito has not yet played a regular season game - and he probably remains a long-shot with Jody Shelley and Ben Holmstrom in the lineup - but the fact that he has not been sent down yet is to his credit.
“There’s a lot of injuries up here right now,” Sestito said. “I’m just going day by day. If I’m playing, I’ve just got to play my game. If I’m not, I’ve got to keep practicing hard and hopefully I’ll get in there.”
WHAT’S IN A NICKNAME? Peter Laviolette referred to defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon in practice on Sunday as “Bizz.” So, what exactly does that mean?
“It’s simple,” said Bourdon, a St-Hyacinte, Quebec, native. “In French, my last name means bumble bee. So, that’s what everyone calls a lot of people in my family.”
Bourdon has now played 12 games for the Flyers since making his rookie debut on Nov. 21. He has proven himself as physical and capable, NHL-caliber puck moving defenseman with a lot of room to grow. And the nickname is proof that he’s been appropriately welcomed to the fold.
QUOTABLE:
“We had a bad day, everyone had a bad day. It started bad, it ended bad. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It was a tough day for us. The only thing you can do is try and take some of that venom that’s left and bring it into the next game.”
-Flyers coach Peter Laviolette after practice yesterday in Denver talking about Saturday’s 6-0 loss to the Boston at the Wells Fargo Center. It was the Flyers’ first loss in the month of December.
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers
Love how Lavvy isn't browbeating these guys every game. Perfect mix to keep them motivated, but cut them a little slack over the course of a long season. Very looooong.— MichaelZoe
Comment removed.- Phantoms getting plenty of opps...hope they contribute....soon it could be Testwuite, Kessel and Lauridsen....I hope not however, injuiries need to slow down.— Romus
- We need to get a breather fromthe injury bug soon or we will be playing almost all Phantom players....our call ups have played well and it is a credit to how hard they worked in camp and during the Phantom's season but we need our guys to get healthy.— srcdaddy1216
- What's the status on Betts?— philly thug
- pthug: that's a great question. I think he is too busy being the face of the Flyers for Winter Classic promotions, even though he apparently will not be playing in that game. Seems like everyone kind of forgot about him, but i always liked his game.— snipesmorris
- Also, Sestito is 2nd on the phantoms in goals, tied with Holmstrom with 8 to go along with 6A. That might not mean much but sure seems worth looking at instead of Shelley once in a while.— philly thug
- Not to be negative but these injuries have to chill out for a while. One more and I think this season could go down hill really fast. On the positive side though, it is SO GREAT to see the depth this team has. If they can stay afloat until the All-Star break they will be just fine. GO FLYERS!!— ragecage22
- The reason is was difficult to travel there is because of Bush's Draconian laws and regulations placed on the airline industry, which have forced airlines to raise prices while cutting off routes. It is clear now that Bush used 9/11 to scapegoat Muslims, who he really hates only because they are not Bible thumping members of the Religious Right. Millions of people every year now have to suffer endless delays and sit in inspection lines being groped because of Bush and the Republicans, yet all you people want to do is blame the black President because the black man makes the convenient scapegoat as always. Republicans hate blacks and will miss Obama after 2016 because they won't have a black man to beat on anymore.— eldiablodelsol2009
- Dude, stay in your lane, this site is for Flyers comments. Either get back on your meds, or go spew your bigotry in the Editorial section with the other Whack Jobs. — CrashTestCorzine
- elmaricóndelsol: Barack deserves full credit for Standard & Poors downgrading of the USA's economic stability from AAA to AA+ Since ratings were established, this is the first time in history that the United States of America has been downgraded. Way to go Barack!! Obama has destroyed our health care system. Obama is in the process of removing our Bill of Rights. Obama has stolen trillions of our dollars and sent them overseas...some to locations and entities that still remain secret. He has taken over our water and food distribution (shades of Stalin and every other despotic ruler here!). Obama is increasingly talking publicly about 'the problems of democracies.' Obama's Operation Gunwalker/Gunrunner — "Fast and Furious" was specifically designed to remove legally-obtained guns from US citizens by blaming the planned murderous outcome of the program on gun shop owners and the US citizenry at large. Obama and the Marxist Democrats have also destroyed the housing market. Millions of Americans are losing their homes. Millions more are upside down in their mortgages, there is no relief in sight.
- so HOlmstromm is the new Darroll Powe? ugh. he'd better be a a lot better than Powe... If you read between the lines, the message is that Homer didn't really improve the team that much, we still have some good players at the top, and are very young and thin at the bottom. Unlike the Bruins whose roster is stacked with players top to bottom. I think Homer is stuck in the old school mentality of "certain players have certain roles" instead of adapting to new age hockey where everyone has to be able to do a little bit of everything.— KingOfPhilly
- In every season some poop gets stepped in, collectively and otherwise. Just wipe it off and move on... tonight is a new game.— Ump Al
- Comment removed.
