"I feel a lot better than I look," the Flyers defenseman said.
But Carle, saying he was about 90 percent, was in the lineup last night against the Sabres.
"The last couple of days have been kind of rough, but I'm fine," he said. "Obviously, missing two days of practice, it will be a little different, but this morning I went out [in practice], and my legs felt good."
Carle took a plus-11 rating into last night, placing him first on the Flyers and tied for second in the NHL, behind Pittsburgh defenseman Alex Goligoski, who is plus-14.
Facing a defensively sound Buffalo team that took a 9-2-1 record into the game, it was a good early-season test for the Flyers. Entering last night, seven of their 12 games were against teams with losing records.
"It could be our toughest game up to this point," Carle said. "They're playing with a lot of confidence."
Seats for sale
Spectrum seats will go on sale starting Monday at 10 a.m.
The seats are $395 for a pair or $295 for one, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Comcast-Spectacor Foundation. They can be purchased through RememberTheSpectrum.com or by calling 215-952-5691.
The Spectrum is expected to be demolished in April.
Ultimate Fan
Former Flyer Jim Dowd is part of a company called the Ultimate Fan, which partners with pro teams to create unique experiences.
With the Flyers, home packages are offered that include game tickets, parking, food, a tour of the Wachovia Center, and mingling with current or former players. Road trips are also offered.
For information, go to www.theultimatefan.com. A Winter Classic package - the Flyers play in Boston on Jan. 1 - is also offered at http://theultimatefan.com/hockey/nhl/winter-classic/nhl-winter-classic-2010.
Breakaways
About 1,100 tickets remain for tonight's game against the Blues, which starts a four-game homestand. . . . Danny Briere (quad) and Ryan Parent (groin) will remain sidelined tonight. . . . Heading into last night, defenseman Chris Pronger led the league in time on ice with an average of 27 minutes, 17 seconds per game. . . . Jeff Carter has played in 227 consecutive regular-season games, the fifth-highest total in club history, behind Rod Brind'Amour (484), John LeClair (317), Bobby Clarke (276) and Brian Propp (250). . . . Riley Cote was a healthy scratch last night.
- Sam Carchidi
