Last minute lineup change for the Flyers vs Penguins
John Tortorella did his pre-game presser and announced that Carter Hart, who did accompany the team on this 4-game, week long road trip, but will miss his fourth straight game allowing Samuel Ersson to get the start against the Penguins. Hart's status still remains day-to-day, and with 6 games left(not including today's game against the Penguins) it would seem like Hart's injury came at the worst time, and his shutout against the Red Wings last Saturday would be his personal season finale. However, looks are apparently very deceiving because when asked if Hart's injury might be season ending, Tortorella gave a definitive "NO".
It is worth noting, Tortorella has been wrong a time or two this season where injury returns are concerned. He didn't even come close on an Atkinson return earlier in the season, and his most recent incorrect assumption came when he said Travis Konecny was likely done for the season despite the fact Konecny was practicing with the team. Konecny returned last night, and scored a goal in his return.
With that said, after missing 1 practice and 2 games Hart is skating in full gear and taking shots, so the possibility for a return is indeed there, we just can't be sure how realistic the possibility is until he's in uniform and back in the crease before season's end.
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While the Flyers medical staff has failed at managing to cut down on the amount of injuries players have suffered this year (which may just be an impossible feat regardless of who the staff consists of) they do have a "leg up" on the last couple years medical staff with their ability to stop players from returning from injury too quickly and getting re-injured almost immediately upon return, which would further exacerbate the initial injury putting the player out even longer than he may have been if they'd have been more precautious.
They have also been very "proactive" rather than "reactive" due to being more precautious when it comes to potential injuries that could get worse and turn into a 'long-term' issue. Anything that could potentially become a "long-term" problem sees the medical staff make the decision to remove a player from playing/practicing immediately; where as the old staff seemed to wait until the injury was a much bigger problem.
Just given that fact, if Hart's injury was season ending, or even season threatening(given remaining game number) I imagine he wouldn't already be back on the ice skating, in full gear, and actually taking shots less than a week after suffering the injury. With everything we know over their nearly year long stint as the team's medical staff one may wonder if the reason Hart has even missed this playing time is more a precautionary and proactive reaction than due to a legit injury.
Ultimately, we'll have to just wait and see if Hart returns, but the fact Torts didn't hesitate and gave a definitive and seemingly authoritative "no" when asked the question is definitely intriguing at best, just given how many games remain in the season, and the fact that the Flyers are competing for nothing, having been officially eliminated from playoff contention with their loss last night.
| POLL | ||
2 AVRIL | 31 ANSWERS Last minute lineup change for the Flyers vs Penguins Do you think the injury is legit or was his removal more precautionary? | ||
| Legit; healing quickly | 3 | 9.7 % |
| Precautionary; med was being proactive | 20 | 64.5 % |
| I don't want to speculate | 8 | 25.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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