Thursday, March 29, 2012

Bryzgalov Broken Foot: Blessing in Disguise?

On Monday, March 26, the Flyers took on the Tampa Bay Lightning.  During the pre-game warm ups, it appeared that Ilya Bryzgalov, the Flyers starting goaltender, took a shot that hit an unprotected part of his foot.  It seemed like he was in pain, but it wasn't enough to keep him out of the game. 

During the game, it was clear Bryz wasn't quite at his best as we lost 5-3.  We all panicked when we heard that after the game, Bryzgalov was seen limping badly to the locker room.  Could this be the end of our goalie's impressive streak this month?  Will he be ready for the playoffs?  Can backup goalie Sergei Bobrovsky play effectively even though he has been minimally used lately?




There were a lot of questions being asked that night.  The next day, the team announced that Ilya Bryzgalov had an MRI on his foot to see if there was any major damage.  The team was acting confident that the injury, if any was actually sustained, wasn't too serious.  However, the fans wanted the truth.

It was announced that Bryz had suffered a bone fracture in his foot.  This may sound bad, but the bone in question isn't a weight bearing bone.  This means that even though it may hurt a lot, and there may be some limping, it won't keep Bryzgalov out of play too long.

The team claims that Ilya will miss at least one game with the team.  In my opinion, this couldn't have come at a better time.  The Flyers recently secured a playoff spot, a spot that is not likely to change.  Because of that, it wouldn't be the end of the world if the team allowed some players to rest up before the playoffs. 

Bryzgalov has been absolutely dominant since the All-Star break, and because of that, he deserves a break so he can get back some energy.  It's an unfortunate situation, but this injury doesn't really hurt the team too badly.  No one (who is a Flyers fan) wants Bryzgalov to be worn out when the playoffs start.  This gives him an opportunity to rest up and relax and get ready for the important games.  Sergei Bobrovsky will also get some playing time that he hasn't had much of lately will be important if he needs to play a game here or there in the playoffs.

The most important thing is keeping Bryzgalov at his currently dominant run.  He needs some time to rest up before the most important games of the season, and the best part is that the Flyers are basically already penciled in for the fifth spot in the playoffs.  One may think this is a lose-lose situation, but if you delve deeper, it's not so bad.

Personal Playoff Opinion: If the Flyers play the Penguins in the first round, as expected, and they manage to win that series, there's no doubt in my mind the Flyers will make the Stanley Cup Finals. Whether they win that is another story.

Follow the Flyers on twitter @NHLFlyers and you can follow me @PhillySteve15

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