The Philadelphia Flyers aren’t sure if Kimmo Timonen will miss a second straight game on Monday. Even the veteran defenseman admitted that it’s unclear whether it’s best for him to play against the San Jose Sharks.
He hurt his left foot blocking a shot on Jan. 28, but from the sound of things, he might be getting some time on the shelf for a combination of factors.
“He needs rest,” Flyers head coach Craig Berube told CSNPhilly.com. “No sense even putting him out for practice.”
It seems like Timonen, 38, could go if he absolutely needed to. Yet at this point of the season (and in his career), there’s also the question of whether it’s wise for him to play at less than 100 percent.
“Sometimes it gets to the point where you have to say, ‘Am I helping the team or hurting the team?’ Especially, when you are almost 39-years-old,” Timonen said. “You’ve got to be in good shape to go in there.”
As much as the Flyers would like to turn things around amid recent struggles, they’re thinking about the bigger picture with their Finnish defenseman. It sounds like that picture will be a little clearer one way or another on Monday.