Raffl ready to go for Flyers; Hakstol faces old nemesis, Eichel
Left winger Michael Raffl, who collapsed on the bench and had to be carried to the locker room room early in the second period Saturday, returned to the Flyers' practice on Monday in Voorhees.
The Flyers have started games better than last season, scoring the first goals in five of their first seven contests. They have also played a more complete game, rarely taking a period off - something that plagued them last season.
They will try to continue those characteristics Tuesday, attempting to build off their impressive 4-2-1 start against visiting Buffalo and hotshot rookie Jack Eichel.
It appears that left winger Michael Raffl, who collapsed on the bench early in the second period Saturday and had to be helped to the locker room, will be back on the top line against the Sabres. Raffl returned to practice in Voorhees on Monday and said he felt no ill effects.
"He looks better than ever," linemate Jake Voracek said.
"I feel fine," said Raffl, who plans to play Tuesday.
In a 3-2 overtime win over the Rangers on Saturday, Raffl was pursuing Jarret Stoll and inadvertently skated into the forward's left elbow, which hit him in the jaw. Raffl skated to the bench and collapsed while seated.
After blacking out, "the next thing I know, I woke up again and everybody was freaking out," Raffl said, adding that he never had a headache and did not suffer a concussion.
Between the second and third periods, "I came out of the medic room and the boys were [concerned] and the first guy I saw was Simmer [Wayne Simmonds] and he comes up and gives me a big hug, all scared and stuff," Raffl said. "I was like, 'What's wrong, buddy?' And he said, 'Aw, man, you can't do that to us!' So I walked in and told them everything is fine and they don't have to worry about anything."
Raffl, 26, said he also blacked out after breaking his jaw while playing in Austria about eight years ago.
On Tuesday, Raffl will be back with Voracek and center Claude Giroux.
The Flyers struggled against weak teams last season, and Buffalo fits that description (again) this year.
"Last year is a different story; we're not the same team and we don't have the same identity. We don't play the same way, either," said Giroux, whose team was 0-7-5 in its last 12 games against teams not in a playoff spot when they met last season. All told, the Flyers won just 14 of 38 games against those teams in 2014-15. "We want to put what happened in the past behind us and look forward.. . . After a big, emotional win against the Rangers, we have to make sure we're ready to go against Buffalo."
The Sabres are 2-6, at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings, and are 27th out of 30 teams in goals scored (1.88 per game) and goals allowed (3.25).
Eichel is tied for Buffalo's lead with three goals and is a team-worst minus-7. The second overall pick in the June draft, Eichel has been centering Tyler Ennis and Johan Larsson on the second line.
When Flyers coach Dave Hakstol was at North Dakota, Eichel collected two goals and an assist in Boston University's 5-3 win in a Frozen Four semifinal last April.
"He's very dynamic with the puck," Hakstol said. "With the puck, he plays faster than he does without the puck. He's got tremendous acceleration to his game."
Breakaways
Retired former Flyer Danny Briere will be honored before the game.. . . Sam Gagner continued to center the second line at practice. Sean Couturier, who may have suffered a concussion on a hit by Boston's Zac Rinaldo on Wednesday, was unable to practice.. . . Former Flyers defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo has played three games for the Sabres.
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