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Coburn, the Flyers' best remaining defenseman once Kimmo Timonen went out with a blood clot in his left foot, did not play in Game 3 last night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. But he says he feels OK, and that he remains hopeful.
"As soon as it opens up, I'm going to play," Coburn said yesterday morning, when asked for his own personal prognosis.
When that happens is anyone's guess - and whether the doctors will clear him then remains another unanswered question. Last night, Ryan Parent dressed in Coburn's place, as the Flyers lost, 4-1, and fell behind in the best-of-seven series, 3-0.
Parent played 18 minutes and 6 seconds. He was not on the ice for any of the five goals, but was charged with four giveaways.
Coburn lost some blood in the early Game 2 incident on Sunday night, and the team said he was sick on the plane during the return to Philadelphia. Still, Coburn appeared to be in surprisingly decent shape.
"I feel fine," he said. "The eye is swollen shut so that makes it a little hard to do things. Other than that, I feel all right."
And other than that, Mrs. Lincoln . . .
Coburn's mishap has again raised the question about whether visors or other eye protection should be mandatory for NHL players. Coburn was not wearing a shield when he was hit.
Players wear them at lower levels of hockey, but sometimes remove them when they reach the NHL.
Flyers coach John Stevens, who suffered a career-ending eye injury himself while playing for the Phantoms, says that a lot of the reasons used by players to justify not wearing visors - unfamiliarity with them, or excessive heat in arenas - are no longer valid. Stevens says he would prefer that players wear them, but it is their decision.
As for Coburn, he said, "I'll probably wear a shield to protect the cut. I think that's a good idea."
Would a shield have prevented the original injury?
Although it is conjecture, Coburn said, "It's very likely that it probably would have helped."
He also added, helpfully, "I could have ducked." *
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