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Flyers expect Timonen to miss Saturday's game

Durable Kimmo Timonen, the cornerstone of the Flyers' defense since Chris Pronger suffered a season-ending concussion, is listed as day-to-day with an apparent wrist injury, but he is expected to miss his first game since 2009 on Saturday.

Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen will likely miss Saturday's game because of a wrist injury. (Matt Slocum/AP)
Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen will likely miss Saturday's game because of a wrist injury. (Matt Slocum/AP)Read more

Durable Kimmo Timonen, the cornerstone of the Flyers' defense since Chris Pronger suffered a season-ending concussion, is listed as day-to-day with an apparent wrist injury, but he is expected to miss his first game since 2009 on Saturday.

General manager Paul Holmgren said that Timonen visited a doctor Friday and that X-rays found no broken bones.

Timonen, who has played in 223 consecutive games, did not practice Friday and likely will miss Saturday's matinee against visiting Ottawa.

 The Flyers put Matt Walker on waivers, but that doesn't necessarily mean the defenseman won't remain with the team if no one claims him. The Phantoms' Erik Gustafsson is among the candidates if they recall a defenseman. 

Replacing Timonen isn't easy.

"He shows up and works hard with not a lot of fanfare," coach Peter Laviolette said after Friday's practice in Voorhees. "It's hard to express how much he means to the team with his on-ice play and his leadership."

The Flyers would miss Timonen in all situations - even strength, the power play, and the penalty kill.

"Hopefully, he's not out for long," defenseman Matt Carle said. "He's a warrior and he's battled through a lot of injuries before in his career."

Entering Friday, Timonen was third among NHL defensemen in assists (23) and tied for 15th in plus-minus (plus-12). He is second on the Flyers, among all positions, in assists and in plus-minus, and he is tied for the team lead with Carle with 76 blocked shots.

Timonen, 36, appeared to get hit by a shot on the left hand or wrist in Monday's Winter Classic. He apparently reaggravated the injury during Thursday's 5-4 win over Chicago; he went to the locker room in the second period and did not return.

The Flyers will play a home-and-home series with Ottawa on Saturday and Sunday. The Senators have won four straight.

The Flyers, helped by Matt Read's four points, scored a 7-2 win in Ottawa on Oct. 18.

Like the Flyers, the Senators are winning despite subpar goaltending. Ottawa has a 3.27 goals-against average, 28th in the 30-team NHL; the Flyers are 23d, at 2.92. Despite struggling, Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson (3.12 GAA, .901 save percentage) entered Friday tied for second in the league with 19 wins.

Jagr update. Jaromir Jagr, recovering from a groin strain, skated again Friday but said he didn't expect to play Saturday.

Bryz being Bryz. Ilya Bryzgalov, the free-spirited goalie, declined to talk to reporters after Friday's practice before relenting.

"It's a free country, right? I have freedom to speak and freedom to be quiet," he said. "[If you] don't like it, go to the Supreme Court, guys."

Bryzgalov, who said he had recovered from feeling ill Thursday, answered a few questions.

Asked whether sitting out the Winter Classic was a wake-up call, Bryzgalov said: "Let's not go back and look at the past. Let's look in the future."

Bryzgalov and Sergei Bobrovsky are expected to divide the weekend starts.