Muzzle on Flyers goalie Bryzgalov doesn't last long

BEFORE yesterday's practice, reporters who cover the Flyers were told that starting goalie Ilya Bryzgalov will no longer be available to talk on a regular basis.

Bryzgalov, one of the more affable players in the locker room, had requested (or been ordered) to talk to the media only after games in which he plays.

One of the writers notified the Professional Hockey Writers Association about it and PHWA president Kevin Allen contacted the Flyers. Soon after, the rules were changed and now the goalie will be silent only on the mornings of games.

The original mandate seemed to stem from last week when, after a couple of very shaky performances (nine goals in 94 minutes), Bryzgalov said: "I feel like I'm lost in the woods. I am totally lost. I don't know what's going on. I can't stop the puck. It's that simple. It's me."

Soon after that, goalie coach Jeff Reese suggested that Bryzgalov was distracted by a number of things, including his dealings with the media.

It was all the talk yesterday after the Flyers' PR department passed the word about the gag order.

"Just trying to give him a break a little bit," coach Peter Laviolette said. "There's been a lot of too much coming out. Just trying to protect him a little bit, just to let him focus on the game a little bit."

You might not be alone if you're searching for that red flag to be raised. Though Bryzgalov did look strong in Saturday's 5-1 home win over Carolina, it seems quite strange that these measures are being taken for a player who has been in the league for 320 starts and should be accustomed to dealing with the media.

"This is something we talked about with the goaltenders," Laviolette said. "It's not just him, it's Sergei Bobrovsky, too."

As more questions were about to be asked of the new ruling, an obviously agitated Laviolette forced a subject change: "Do we have any other questions here that are hockey related?"

With that, muzzlegate was put on the back burner.

- Bob Cooney