There was the possibility that the Flyers could be going without a pair of key players in tonight’s Game 1 against Pittsburgh, but that won’t be the case because hockey players are tougher than you are.
Forward Danny Briere and defenseman Niklas Grossmann will both suit up for the Flyers tonight the team announced after this morning’s skate. Briere is a key offensive player for the Flyers while Grossmann is a needed presence on defense to try and slow down the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and James Neal.
The team will be hoping Briere’s contributions can be big as he’s had a rough go of it all season long thanks to nagging injuries. Grossmann, meanwhile, will give the Flyers a bit more of a defensive edge along the blue line.
One move that’s less surprising is Ilya Brygalov getting the start in goal for Philly. Bryzgalov missed the last few games of the season thanks to a chip fracture in his foot and some thought Sergei Bobrovsky might get the call in Game 1. After seeing the Penguins score easily on Bobrovsky in the season finale, Bryzgalov getting the call is no shock. While Bryzgalov didn’t participate in this morning’s skate, he said he was just resting for tonight.