Pronger won't talk until after his return to Flyers lineup

BUFFALO - Chris Pronger issued an edict yesterday, through the Flyers' public relations staff, telling reporters he will not speak to the media until after his first game back in a Flyers uniform.

When that is, exactly, remains anyone's guess.

Team sources say Pronger remains doubtful for tonight's Game 3 against the Sabres, and the Flyers will continue to assess his progress daily. Officially, he was a "game-day decision" for Games 1 and 2.

Pronger did accompany the Flyers on their charter flight to Buffalo yesterday afternoon, but that is not a strong indication of anything other than he will be skating at HSBC Arena this week - either in a game or in practice.

Pronger did not take part in the team's optional noon skate yesterday in Voorhees, N.J., and the Flyers would not say whether he skated on his own this weekend - as he did almost every day last week. Pronger was seen at the practice facility yesterday.

In reality, Saturday's 5-4 win in Game 2 - in which the Flyers evened their best-of-seven, Eastern Conference quarterfinal series - likely bought Pronger at least a couple days of extra rest and recuperation. As of last Friday, Pronger still had not shot a puck or made a pass with any authority, lacking the strength in his surgically repaired right hand to do so.

Pronger originally fractured a small bone in the hand on Feb. 24 against the New York Islanders, and missed the final 16 games of the regular season after hand surgery on March 15. He originally was only scheduled to miss 3 to 4 weeks because of the operation, which was planned to "strengthen and prevent reinjury."

Forward Andreas Nodl missed 24:26 of Game 2 with an upper-body injury.

Paul Holmgren said yesterday that Nodl is "day-to-day," but that may have opened the door just enough for Nik Zherdev to squeak back into the lineup if Nodl cannot play. Nodl played a team-low 3:43 on Saturday.

Zherdev has sat out the last four games as a healthy scratch, though Peter Laviolette recalled yesterday how effective Zherdev was in the Flyers' last handful of games in the regular season.

"When he came in, he had a lot of pop," Laviolette said. "The first couple games back, he had a real impact. The puck was on his stick a lot. We scored some power-play goals in Ottawa, but even five-on-five, in New Jersey, the puck was on his stick a lot. He seemed to have lots of possession time and he was making plays."

With 16 goals this season, Zherdev could be a genuine threat if used effectively.