Flyers' Simmonds out for Tuesday

POSTED: Monday, February 4, 2013, 12:56 PM

Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer

Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds did not practice Monday and will not play in Tuesday's game against visiting Tampa Bay because of a concussion, GM Paul Holmgren said.

Simmonds was injured when Washington's John Erskine elbowed him to the face last Friday. He missed the last two-plus periods of that game, then sat out Saturday's 5-3 win over Carolina.

Holmgren also hinted that Simmonds will not play Thursday against Florida, but that won't be known until later in the week.

The Flyers (3-6) have home games this week against the Lighning, Panthers and Hurricanes.

Holmgren said defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon, who suffered a concussion with the Phantoms, has resumed skating but is not close to returning. He added that Phantoms defenseman Erik Gustafsson, who is back playing with the Phantoms after breaking a bone in his lower foot, is still trying to regain his form.

In other words, don't expect Gustafsson to be recalled for a few weeks.

High-scoring Lightning. Forget their trap. The Lightning's calling card is now their high-potent attack.

Tampa leads the NHL with an average of nearly five goals a game, and it has three players among the league's top nine scoring leaders: Steven Stamkos (16 points), Martin St. Louis (16 points) and Cory Conacher (12).

By comparison, the Flyers' scoring leaders are Matt Read (7), Claude Giroux (6), Kimmo Timonen (5) and Simmonds (5). The Flyers are averaging just 2.3 goals per game.

Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.

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Comments (10)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:23 PM, 02/04/2013

3 games was a disgrace for that elbow. There was nothing involved in that intent but an attempt to issue. It had nothing to do with the speed of the game.

— Sidewinder7

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:32 PM, 02/04/2013

Injure, not issue.

— Sidewinder7

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:19 PM, 02/04/2013

I agree. Erskine should be out as long as Simmonds is. NHL is a joke.

— ena1977

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:21 PM, 02/04/2013

I did not knwo that Gustafsson had a broken bone in his foot.

— Nitroglycerin

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:23 PM, 02/04/2013

I would hope either Rinaldo or Shelley goes after Erskine next game, but I kinda doubt it.

— BobbyD

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:17 PM, 02/04/2013

I agree,the injurer should be out as long as the injured.

— quigly46

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:33 PM, 02/04/2013

Plain and simple,it was a dirty play and hopefully when time and situation allow, the flyers let him know those actions won't be tolerated against their players.

— urbman

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:24 PM, 02/04/2013

Hockey Night in Canada showed Erksine running a similar play against aa Toronto player. Erskine is a loose cannon and a danger. Needs his knees taken out, sit out a season or two with mulitple ACL MCL and meniscus tears and ponder his navel lint for the meantime. Worthless Caps trash

— Steelmanpa