Gagne practices, says Game 4 a possibility
Down three games to none in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Bruins, the dazed Flyers may turn to left winger Simon Gagne for a boost in Game 4 Friday at the Wachovia Center.
Down three games to none in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Bruins, the dazed Flyers may turn to left winger Simon Gagne for a boost in Game 4 Friday at the Wachovia Center.
Surprisingly, Gagne - who suffered a broken right foot in a playoff game in New Jersey on April 20 - practiced with the team Thursday and could return to the lineup for a game the Flyers have to win to keep the series alive.
After Thursday's practice, an MRI exam "showed things are going good," general manager Paul Holmgren said. "We'll see how he feels after the morning skate" Friday and then make a decision on whether Gagne will play.
"It's one step closer to playing a game," Gagne said.
Asked if the Flyers' three-games-to-none series deficit sped up his healing, Gagne chuckled.
"No, not really," he said. "When I started walking on it, I started to feel very good. I removed the [walking] boot and I started walking pretty good on it. The pain kept getting better and better, and that's why we decided to try to put the skate on and see if it fit. That's why I'm here today: to try to skate and get a good feeling on it."
Gagne, who wore a protective covering on his skate to protect his surgically repaired foot, said he was surprised at how good he felt at practice, going from walking to skating in one day.
"It will take some time. Not only the injury, but I'm rusty out there," he said. "I didn't skate for two weeks, so it's a process."
Coach Peter Laviolette said it would take Gagne a while to regain his timing and conditioning, but added that "skating, passing and shooting, he looked good."
Sitting out and watching Boston win the first three games, was frustrating, Gagne said.
"I want to get in. Hopefully, soon. That's why I'm pushing myself to go on the ice maybe earlier than I was supposed to," he said. "We're right up against the wall right now."
The Flyers certainly could use Gagne. They have scored a total of three goals in their last two games, during which their power play went a combined 0 for 8.
"It would be nice to have another goal scorer and another threat out there," said captain Mike Richards, whose team has led for just 99 seconds in the series.
The Flyers have a daunting task. Only two teams in NHL history - the 1942 Maple Leafs and 1975 Islanders - have won a playoff series after losing the first three games.
One of the keys, Richards said, is "knowing it's a tough task and not being scared of it."
The Flyers seem stunned to be in a 3-0 hole. They have outplayed the Bruins in at least half of the series' 10 periods. But they have faltered in the final periods. Excluding an empty-net goal, they have been outscored, 1-0, in each of the three final periods. Two of those games were tied, and in the other one they faced a one-goal deficit.
In Wednesday's 4-1 loss, the Flyers outshot the Bruins, 35-20.
Richards attributed the defeat to "bad bounces" and the Bruins "being opportunistic. Give them credit. They created their luck, and we have to do that" in Game 4.
Despite the score, goalie Brian Boucher said the Flyers played their best game of the series Wednesday.
"I know the results didn't show it, but we had some unfortunate breaks," he said. "I thought the first and second periods of that game, we were as dominant as can be. I think if we take that same approach, we're going to start seeing some results.
"We get one [win] and go from there."
"These circumstances," Laviolette said, "can bring out the best in people."
Gagne, like his teammates, was baffled by Bostons' 3-0 series lead.
"I think we're right there," he said. "It's not like we're getting outplayed by Boston. You just wish you had the lucky bounces that we had against New Jersey."