Pronger making progress; Bob or Boosh?
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
Pronger making progress; Bob or Boosh?
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger was able to shoot the puck at practice Wednesday _ albeit not at full strength _ and continues to make progress as he recovers from surgery to his right hand.
GM Paul Holmgren said he hopes to have Pronger back for the final two games of the regular season: April 8 in Buffalo, and April 9 against the visiting Islanders.
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The theme in the Flyers' locker room was this: Sergei Bobrovsky just had an off night in Tuesday's 5-4 shootout loss to Washington, so what's ther big deal?
Veteran goalie Brian Boucher, who has become Bobrovsky's mentor, defended the 22-year-old Russian.
"The guy has 26 wins this year. We're in first place in the conference. I think we need to pull back and get some perspective here," Boucher said. "As a tandem, we've done a lot of good things, and he's done a lot of good things as a rookie. He just needs to keep reminding himself of that."
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As is his custom, coach Peter Laviolette would not reveal the starting goalie for Thursday's game against the visiting Penguins.
In an informal poll of media members, it was 3-3 between Bobrovsky and Boucher getting the nod.
Bobrovsky is 2-1 against the Penguins this season. The rookie opened the season with a 3-2 win in Pittsburgh. Nine nights later, he dropped a 5-1 decision to the Pens, including an empty-net goal. On Oct. 29, he made 26 saves in another 3-2 win in Pittsburgh.
In the last meeting between the teams, Boucher defeated the Penguins, 3-2, on Dec. 14 and ended Pittsburgh's 12-game winning streak.
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Danny Briere on the Penguins, who have hung in the race despite losing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to injuries: "No matter who's in their lineup, they work extremely hard. Maybe they don't have their superstar in there, but they play just as hard and that makes for a very (tough) opponent to play against. We have to make sure we're ready to compete. That's going to be the name of the game."
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Jeff Carter appeared to jam his hand into the boards Tuesday, but Holmgren said he was fine and that the forward missed practice Wednesday because it was a "maintenance day."
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Defenseman Nick Boynton played just 5:54 Tuesday, including only 59 seconds after the second period….The Flyers signed free-agent forward Matt Read, 24, who just finished his senior season at Bemidji (Minn.) State, to a 2011-12 contract. The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder had 22 goals in 37 games this season....D Danny Syvret was sent back to the Phantoms on Wednesday. He was a healthy scratch after being recalled on Tuesday
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For constant Flyers updates, follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BroadStBull.
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That's good news. Just don't come back too soon.— NYluvsPhylers- Bob on thursday— fig
- agreed. bob vs pens. he owns them.
- the fact of the matter is that both were horrible against the caps last night. we finally score on 2 of our first 3 shooters in the shootout and Boosh couldn't stop a single shooter....not only that he looked AWFUL...like a 10 year old trying to stop them, just flailing his stick at the puck.— djacobs5582
- Who cares about the stupid shoot outs.Thank God they do not do it in the play offs.I would give up watching hockey.— mike cacchio
- Has anyone heard that Jeff Carter injured his hand last night and did not practice today?— debbyt
- boosh really didn't look much better than bob.— canada51stSTATE
- bob isn't ready and he's proved it. He can win 30 games during the regular season, but that's behind one of the greatest defenses assembled in the past 10 years. go with Bouch. no shoot outs in the playoffs.— MichaelZoe
- The scary part of last night is that the Flyers played hard most of the game, outplayed the Caps thoroughly, the Caps were missing multiple all-stars due to injury, AND THE FLYERS STILL LOST !!!!! What happens when the Caps (or any playoff-type opponent)play better and harder, and have all their players healthy? Yikes....— sj9096
- It's funny how short a memory people have. Boucher, I admit, looked bad in last night's shootout. But he's saved them in several others, including getting us into the playoffs last season. But the most important fact is that shootouts don't exist in the playoffs. Boucher can handle overtime (anyone recall a certain 5 overtime game back in 2001??)— vvvmetallicavvv
- Goalies, goalies, goalies. We need one of these guys to stand on their head for 2 months.— shawnmac
- Part of the problem may lie in consistency. I realize that you switch up goalies to rest one or the other but is this not the time to give some consecutive starts to Bob or Boosh and see if one can build something? That said, I don't think Bob as a rookie is ready for the big dance called the play offs.— untoldscarcasm
- SOMEONE SAID bOOSH DIDN'T LOOK BETTER THE BOB? THEY MUST BE WASTED. 3 GOALS ON 9 SHOOTS!!! JUDGE BOOSH BY HIS STARTS NOT WHEN HE'S PUT IN BECAUSE BOB LOOKED LIKE A PEE WEE GOALIE. LET BOOSH PLAY THREE OR FOUR GAMES IN A ROW TO GET HIS TIMING. HE'S THE VET WHO HAS ALWAYS PLAYED WELL IN THE PLAYOFFS (CHECK THE RECORDS) BOB'S TIME WILL COME IN THE FUTURE. USA USA USA— Howard32
- Yes, Bob had an off night. That's why there is a back up. Boucher always goes down so quickly. If he could stand up a little longer, he might stop a few more shots. I still say, go with Bob. You always have Boucher to put in if need be.— NYluvsPhylers
- yikes!,...that idiot caps-lock guy is back,.....ugh— SyddBarrett
