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Flyers Notes: Lecavalier sits out with back spasms

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Flyers center Vinny Lecavalier missed Monday night's game in Minnesota because of back spasms, but general manager Paul Holmgren said he did not believe the condition was serious.

The Flyers' Vincent Lecavalier. (Dirk Shadd/The Tampa Bay Times/AP)
The Flyers' Vincent Lecavalier. (Dirk Shadd/The Tampa Bay Times/AP)Read more

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Flyers center Vinny Lecavalier missed Monday night's game in Minnesota because of back spasms, but general manager Paul Holmgren said he did not believe the condition was serious.

Holmgren said he hoped Lecavalier could play Wednesday in Detroit.

He said Lecavalier experienced back pain on Saturday late in the Flyers' 3-2 shootout victory in Nashville. It did not, however, prevent Lecavalier from scoring the game-winner in the shootout.

Perhaps because his back was acting up, Lecavalier appeared deliberate as he skated in during the shootout before lifting the puck past goalie Marek Mazanec.

"Slow, slow, slow," cracked teammate Scott Hartnell, playfully referring to Lecavalier's shootout style. "The worst breakaway move turned into the best one."

Entering Monday, Lecavalier led the Flyers with nine goals. Earlier this year he missed four games - three with a groin/abdominal injury, the other with facial injuries from a fight.

With Lecavalier sidelined, Michael Raffl, who had been playing on the fourth line, moved to wing on the second unit. Brayden Schenn moved from wing to center on that line, and winger Wayne Simmonds rounded out the unit.

Jay Rosehill took Raffl's spot on the fourth line.

The almost-Flyer

Monday marked the first time the Flyers had faced Minnesota since it signed free-agent left winger Zach Parise before last season.

The Flyers were also in the running, and Parise said they were high on his list.

"The idea of possibly playing with [Claude] Giroux was really appealing to me," he said before the game. "I thought we'd play pretty well together and it would have been a lot of fun. That was definitely a team I was considering."

Parise entered Monday with 11 goals and a team-high 23 points.

Junior stars

Scott Laughton and Taylor Leier, forwards drafted by the Flyers in 2012, were named to Canada's camp roster for the World Juniors.