Bryzgalov leaves practice early - Bobrovski and Leighton practicing

[WoodandNails]

As much as I hate Eskin and love Homer, I think I trust Eskin more in this scenario. He's been very reliable when it comes to these and has less incentive to lie than Homer.

There's really no reason to tell the truth if you're Homer. It'd be a bold move to go out of your way to text a lie to the media, but if Bryz isn't playing, I'd want him to do that (outside of the frustration of confusion and being deceived). No reason not to keep your opponents guessing and surprising them at the last minute, if you can.

There's also the chance they're both right. Maybe Bryz tweaked the hip but is still going to play. Eskin never said Bryz was ruled out and Homer's text doesn't say he didn't hurt anything during/before practice.


I just hope that if he is hurting enough to affect his play -- foot, hip or whatever -- that we start Bob. We can afford to throw him out there for a game. Moreso than we can afford to fall behind early because Bryz fails to play through injury/pain successfully.

[IWantPizza]

from everything i read on twitter, this is what i gathered:

THE SKY IS NOT FALLING. LET'S GET PUMPED FOR TOMORROW AND HOPE OUR BOYS CAN STAY FOCUSED, DISCIPLINED, AND PLAY FLYER HOCKEY!

Good.

Holmgren txt to me on Bryz: "he is playing tomorrow"

...and good.

God I would love to close this out in front of their fans. I hope Bryz moves better laterally tonight. The blueprint now seems like:

1. If Bryz is in net, pass the puck through the slot to get him moving laterally and bury it in the corner.

2. If Bob is in net, shoot high glove side.

I want a cup, dammit.

[PhillyBronco08]

key to winning tonight score 11 goals

[Ender]

I wasn't comfortable at 3-0, I'm less comfortable at 3-1, and won't be comfortable til we wrap up win #4.

Would be really great, though, to see a nice 3-1 game tonight.

[delfinko]

from everything i read on twitter, this is what i gathered:

- gus will be playing for grossmann. grossmann did not practice

- JVR is itching to play, wants to play; it's up to Lavy whether or not he goes tomorrow

- rinaldo skated with the black aces today, so if JVR were to come back, rinaldo would seem the likely candidate to be replaced; however, some believe that rinaldo was skating with the reserves b/c the team wasn't sure if he was going to be suspended for his actions in last night's game.


- bryz left 10 min. early; the beat writers that are new to the team (aka for the playoffs) went nuts over it, but most of the writers that have covered the team for the year said bryz has done this a pretty good amount this year. so in short: i wouldn't really read much into it. he just may not have felt like having a long practice after getting beat up like he was yesterday. remember he got slammed into more than a few times last night; he could be pretty sore.



so to sum, JVR is likely to go but not definite; rinaldo is most likely the one to go out if JVR goes in; grossmann is out and gus is taking his place; and more likely than not, Bryz is just still dealing with his chip fracture in his foot.



THE SKY IS NOT FALLING. LET'S GET PUMPED FOR TOMORROW AND HOPE OUR BOYS CAN STAY FOCUSED, DISCIPLINED, AND PLAY FLYER HOCKEY!

So he left 10 minutes before practice ended? Or even if was just 10 minutes before he was supposed to be done and they made a huge deal out of it? I was pretty sure I read that he left "after just 10 minutes of practice." There is a huge difference, I mean.. unless he was only going to practice for 30 minutes. It probably takes him more time to put his equipment on than that.

[phillyeaglesman]

So he left 10 minutes before practice ended? Or even if was just 10 minutes before he was supposed to be done and they made a huge deal out of it? I was pretty sure I read that he left "after just 10 minutes of practice." There is a huge difference, I mean.. unless he was only going to practice for 30 minutes. It probably takes him more time to put his equipment on than that.

my mistake; that should read he left after 10 minutes.


thing is, according to Lavy, it was a 20 minute skate. so you have a total of 3 goalies there at practice, i think it's ok if Bryz is there half the time and decides to leave.



i'm not going to question anything Bryz really does at this point. the guy is a head-case; we all know that by now.

so if he's going to leave practice after 10 minutes, there really is no way of knowing at all what the reason for that is.



regardless of the reasoning, he's in net tonight. so let's all stand behind our goalie and our team tonight and hope they can play the way they are capable of playing.

[StryderSox]

Like I said before I think this may be more of a head game than anything else. Give the media something to talk about other than the 10 goals from Game 4 and keep Pittsburgh guessing as to who the goaltender will be. I think it could also be possible that Lav had Bryzgalov take a light skate and then dismiss himself to concentrate on being prepared mentally for Game 5 and the emminent rousing of the Pittsburgh fans.

[StryderSox]

No not as a spectator as a rep for Sports Authority I really dont know all the details except what I said but yes from what he was told it was an argument between Bryz and the coach and the coach yelled and told Bryz to leave.

Maybe this is what Bryz needed is to get angry and feel like he has something to prove. He certinaly didnt look like he was putting in a whole lot of effort or emotion into some of those goals in Game 4. I am much more comfortable with the Brygalov from Game 3 that was throwing his stick around when he got scored on. At least he showed some emotion like he was into the game.

[FLYER-FAN]

Maybe this is what Bryz needed is to get angry and feel like he has something to prove. He certinaly didnt look like he was putting in a whole lot of effort or emotion into some of those goals in Game 4. I am much more comfortable with the Brygalov from Game 3 that was throwing his stick around when he got scored on. At least he showed some emotion like he was into the game.

Agreed ,I have my fingers crossed I hate to have to say this about our goalie but I just don't who will show up and I agree I would rather have a pissed off Bryz rather a calm Bryz.....I also hate the fact that I have such little confidence in our goalies....I thought that was in the past when we got Bryz ,very disappointing ..

[Phillysports101]

Im still confident is Bryz regardless of how this series has gone.

This series in general is insane and the play has been WIDE open. He has made some great saves, let in a few clunkers, but really the defense just hasnt been that good. Every game is up and back, run and gun style that has made both goaltenders look bad.

I dont have the greatest feeling about game 5, but i think they close it out in 6. Either way, win 1 of 3 and get the hell out of this series.

[ironman9518]

I just pray we close it out tonight, with all the other east series tied 2-2 it would be realllly nice to get this little break to heal up

[StryderSox]

I think the blame on Bryz in this series is a little too hyped up (with the exception fo Game 4 where he looked awful). The defense has been running around a lot in front of him and we are facing one of the best offenses in the game. The Flyers can come back from giving up 2 and 3 early goalies because Bryz has come back out in the 2nd and 3rd period of eahc of those games and came up with some big saves to not give up the next one and allow his offense to get back in it. It just seems that he has play with a little edginess because when he gets too comfortable he becomes complacent and looks slow. When he has something to prove and/or shows a little emotion he is much better.

[delfinko]

my mistake; that should read he left after 10 minutes.


thing is, according to Lavy, it was a 20 minute skate. so you have a total of 3 goalies there at practice, i think it's ok if Bryz is there half the time and decides to leave.



i'm not going to question anything Bryz really does at this point. the guy is a head-case; we all know that by now.

so if he's going to leave practice after 10 minutes, there really is no way of knowing at all what the reason for that is.



regardless of the reasoning, he's in net tonight. so let's all stand behind our goalie and our team tonight and hope they can play the way they are capable of playing.

Yeah I still don't see the problem with it. If it were a 2 hour practice and he left after 10 minutes, that would be a lot more telling. A 20 minute practice and he took half the time in net while Bob and Leighton got the other 10 minutes? That sounds about right to me.

[crzyhawk]

Homer's a freakin boss:

WIP's Howard Eskin tweeted Bryzgalov suffered hip injury during the Flyers' 10-3 Game 4 loss on Wednesday and is questionable for tonight's Game 5, but club management insists it's not true.

General manager Paul Holmgren was asked by a team official to shoot down the report, but refused by saying, "Let 'em get it wrong."

http://www.courierpostonline.com/art...y=mod|mostview

[StryderSox]

Makes sense. Why tip your hand? The management knows who is in net, Lav knows who is in net and I am sure the team knows who is in net. Leave some doubt it the Pens mind.