The Flyers Are Straight Up Lying About Injuries
Truth.
Sometimes we write headlines to grab attention or elicit an emotion, but this one is just straight up fact, homey (that's a terrible Randy Moss pun, I don't want you to think I really talk like that).
Yes I know it's the playoffs. Yes I know you don't want to tip-off other teams. But this is getting ridiculous.
I know most of you don't like Howard Eskin. I don't particularly fancy his abrasive, I'm the king style, either. But he has been spot on during the playoffs when it comes to Flyers injuries. Homer and Lavs? Not so much.
Jeff Carter:
On April 21st, Eskin Tweeted that Carts had an MCL sprain and would be out 10-14 days. Paul Holmren quickly denied that report.
Today we learned that Carts skated on his own for the first time since the injury and told folks – according to Eskin – he could play in Game 3, which would be exactly 13 days since Eskin's original Tweet- the one Holmgren denied.
Carts is officially day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
Chris Pronger:
Where to begin…
On March 31st, Holmgren told reporters that Prongs suffered a "minor setback" with his hand injury. Two weeks later, on April 13th, Mike Gill on 97.3 ESPN in New Jersey reported that the setback was actually a re-break of the hand. A day later, without hearing Gill's report, I hinted at what I was told by someone who usually gets this stuff right:
What sort of setback does one suffer with an in-the-process-of-healing broken hand that forces him to stop shooting for two weeks? If you read between the lines, you can pretty much draw that conclusion on your own- it’s the same one a few connected folks have told me. Bones take about six weeks to heal. He was shooting at two. Now he’s not shooting. You. Do. Math.
On April 17th, Eskin reported the same thing on Sports Final, saying Pronger had to have a second surgery to have a plate installed in his hand. Holmgren, of course, quickly denied it. Pronger didn't play until Game 6 against the Sabres.
On Saturday, the Flyers told reporters that Pronger lost his voice and would be unable to speak to the media. This was after he left the bench (without returning) with two and a half minutes left in the third period of Game 1. After the game, Eskin reported that Pronger suffered a back injury and would be reevaluated on Sunday. He followed that up with a Tweet on Monday, which said Pronger would be a game time decision. He didn't play last night. No real reason was given.
Michael Leighton:
Leights was AWOL during Game 7 against the Sabres. He wasn't the backup, wasn't the third-string goalie, and, apparently, wasn't even in the press box during the game. Anthony Sanfilippo reported that Leighton was missing from that morning's practice and that there was some concern among the team as to where he was. Holmgren quickly denied that report. So did Lavs, saying "Michael is available to us."
Leighton did practice today, but he is officially listed as day-to-day with a back something or other. According to a few observers, John Backlund, not Leighton, headed down to the locker room when Brian Boucher left the game last night.
Brian Boucher:
He left last night's game after being hit with a slap shot in what looked like the left arm. Lavs said he has a – you can't make this up – "malfunction." It turns out he had x-rays. They were negative. Boucher called it "a fluke thing."
Officially, everyone who didn't play in Game 2 is day-to-day.
Malfunctions, flukes, available, not true, day-to-day, undisclosed, head cold, voiceless- all code for "injury." The NHL playoffs, ladies and gentlemen. Don't believe anything you hear.
