Briere, Grossmann will miss time; Lavy fined
It turns out center Danny Briere and defenseman Nick Grossmann were injured more seriously than the Flyers first believed.
Briere, Grossmann will miss time; Lavy fined
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
It turns out center Danny Briere and defenseman Nick Grossmann were injured more seriously than the Flyers first believed.
Both will miss games this week but are expected to be ready for the playoffs.
Both were injured in collisions with Pittsburgh's Joe Vitale in the Flyers' 6-4 win on Sunday.
After Sunday's game, the Flyers said Briere was "fine" and that Grossmann was day-to-day with an apparent knee injury.
On Monday, they said Grossmann would miss seven to 10 days, That means he is out for the regular season, which ends Saturday. GM Paul Holmgren said Briere was out indefinitely with an upper-back contusion.
The Flyers play in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Think Vitale will be looking over his shoulder?
Lavy fined. Flyers coach Peter Laviolette was fined $10,000 by the NHL for actions late in Sunday's game in Pittsburgh. He broke a stick and screamed at Penguins coaches.
Penguins assistant Tony Granato was fined $2,500.
Bryz, Simmonds honored. The NHL announced that winger Wayne Simmonds was named the league's player of the week, and goalie Ilya Bryzgalov was selected the player of the month.
Bryzgalov was 10-2-1 with a 1.43 GAA and .947 save percentage in March, and he set a franchise record with a scoreless streak that reached 249:43, the second-longest in the NHL since 1967-68.
Simmonds scored in four straight games, totaling five goals. He has a career-high 27 goals.
He is looking forward to an almost-certain playoff matchup with Pittsburgh in the first round.
"Yeah, definitely. It’s fun hockey; it’s like old-school hockey," he said. "You come to the rink, you battle everyday, you know there’s going to be fights, you know you’re gonna get hit and you know you’re going to have to hit back and that’s the type of hockey that we like to play. So I think that suits our team well.”
Simmonds was in a late brawl after Vitale hit Briere. He fought Penguins enforcer Deryk Engelland despite injuring his eye the previous afternoon.
"It wasn’t ideal for me to fight in that situation, but Danny took a solid hit there and obviously I’m going to go to my player’s defense," he said. "That’s the type of player I am. It doesn’t matter if I have stitches in my eyes, I have to go in there and stand up for my teammate.”
Next: Rangers. The Flyers will host the Rangers Tuesday and try to salavage a win in the season series. New York is 5-0 and has outscored the Flyers, 19-8, including a 10-3 advantage in the third period.
The Rangers will try for their first sweep against the Flyers since 1971-72. Over the last two years, they have won seven straight over the Flyers,
New York's magic number to clinch the East's top seed is one point.
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.
Can you imagine the suspensions that would have been dealt out if Cindy was out indefinitely due to a hit from a Flyer?— 2ndNlong- With the way the league has prevented players from policing each other, these injuries are just going to be a part of the game and teams and fans will just need to get used to it. The run at Briere yesterday at the end of a game, by a player who has no job other that to run someone in the last few minutes of a game illustrates why I thought the Flyers should have responded violently to the hit on Voracek by Kronwall. And I'm not talking about the post 80's response of square dance-wrestle-fights that the NHL has now, I'm talking about a crosscheck in the throat of the opposing teams stars. It's the only way to teach some players to respect your skilled guys. Schenn was onto something with the shot at Crosby, he just should have done it form the front and in the teeth. Then maybe Crosby won't be so quick to slash Giroux 3 or 4 times. Whether or not it’s a clean hit is meaningless. If you run one of our guys, there needs to be severe consequences for your team.— Coop Junior
- I believe Crosby actually initiated the Schenn incident. Down in the corner Cindy crosschecked Schenn either from behind or from the side either at or just after a whistle. Lines change on the whitle and Schenner decides to exact a little payback. NBC, of course, decides to show the 'end' of the play 11 times rather than the entire sequence.
Crosby gets dumped and his head immediately snaps to find a ref. Not just that instance. Any play, any game, any time. Players dont hold much repsect for guys who's first reflex is to ALWAYS look for a call. Refs dont appreciate it either. (im both player and official for 35 and 20 yrs). Watch him, Really takes away from his talent and relentless work ethic.— indyflyerfan - That's Cindy's MO. Dive and whine. I too think the officials are getting tired of him crying. Wish Hatcher was still on the ice.
— dogman5 - @hitman20--that was probably a shorter conversation than the ones they have about the Pens.
I'd be more worried about Grossmann than Briere. The 'injury' is likely a ploy to make the Pens think they did something effective, or to get the attention of Shanahan (which it probably won't since we don't wear red and white). The hit on Grossmann was knee-to-knee which is usually deemed intent to injure so where's the suspension or fine? Oh that's right, we wear orange and black so we don't get a second glance. If Saturday's game means nothing, Crosby/Malkin won't be on or they will see limited time. First shift of the playoffs, slam both of them into the boards. When those two start with the slashes and punches, it means they are getting frustrated, which means in turn they aren't going to be at the top of their game.— ena1977 
Dress Shelley and make sure Malkin is done for the playoffs.— jp8899- "It doesn't matter if I have stitches in my eyes, I have to go in there and stand up for my teammate." That statement right there just made you a Flyer for life!— ShawnC
- Will all of you fair-weather Flyer fans knock off the "take out Crosby and Malkin" comments. I know your neanderthal brains are spinning because football season is done. This is hockey, people get hurt, people get away with penalties. That doesn't mean that you target their best players. It's people like you who give all sports fans from this area a bad name.— ShawnC
Comment removed.- It's called venting. I personally haven't called for anyone to be targeted but I understand a lot of this is venting so please, no lectures. We won but the most frustrating fact is that the rule book doesn't seem to apply to crybaby and ugly malkin. If any of our guys hit crybaby like that, the league would have suspended our player. No call on ugly when he shoved G's head into the ice, no calls on obvious slashing by crybaby, no calls on diving by Cindy, no call on the knee-to-knee - same old same old. And it's funny how the bandwagon pens fans think we're whining when it's what they and their team do all season. Hypocrites and they probably don't even know the definition. Flyers don't have to be dirty to win. Just keep playing hard and get under their skin which isn't so hard since they're such sensitive pansies. And Crosby better keep his head up - bruins, rangers, then the Flyers. How stupid was his comment - makes him a complete target for good hard clean hits. Bylsma is a worm. Can't fight his own fights. Hides behind his assistant. Cindy hides behind Asham. Malkin does the sneaky dirty hits. Man-up pens! No wonder all the teams hate you and your so-called fans. Loved Couts and Schenn sticking up for themselves. Loved seeing these whiners get pushed around by our rookies. Go Flyers! — Cali7
- Sign the "Charlestown Chiefs" for Saturday! Old Time Hockey, just like Eddie Shore!— Hoofty
- Fabulous: The Flyers hope JVR is ready midway through Round 1, and that Meszaros can play sometime in Round 2. _ SC— wenonah
- If there was ever a time to put a bounty on somebody's head it would be on Saturday. Like others have said, going after Joe Vitale is pointless and won't have any effect on the playoffs. I say 50K for whoever takes out either Crosby or Malkin. These Penguins play like they forgot that one of their best players is venerable to head shots.— Mikell = Dawkins 2
- I want Malkin or Cindy the Cry baby Crosby Out indefinitely! They Go after our Stars we need to go after theirs..an eye for an eye! Obviously Bettman and the league want Cry Baby to do be their TV Star, they spend the entire game only talking about him, if it's a choice, I would rather take out Malkin, he is 10 times more dangerous than little Girl Cindy.— Dfirst
- Danny Briere can thank Schenn for his injury. If it weren't for the cheap shot he put on Crosby, the 4th line would have never been on the ice.— hockeycoach
