As previously reported, Ilya Bryzgalov will not play on Thursday due to a chip fracture in his foot. The good news is that he might be back between the pipes as early as Saturday.
“We don’t think this is a serious injury,” Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said. “It’s a chip off a weight-bearing bone, and the doctor has said it’ll be absorbed back into his system, and there’s no real risk here at all [to play]. It’s just he’s in a little bit of pain right now.”
Bryzgalov has been one of the league’s top goaltenders since the All-Star break, so getting him back before the playoffs would be a huge help. That’s especially true because their first round opponent is currently projected to be the very dangerous Pittsburgh Penguins.
In the meantime, Sergei Bobrovsky will start for just the second time since Feb. 12. He has allowed three or more goals in each of his last six appearances, but this could be an opportunity for him to put that behind him before the postseason starts.