Flu-ridden Turris is latest Sen out of lineup
Kyle Turris was nowhere to be seen Wednesday at practice at the Canadian Tire Centre
As the Ottawa Senators close out this five-game homestand against the Philadelphia Flyers, coach Guy Boucher is going to have a difficult time trying to piece together his lines because Turris, the club’s top centre, will be sidelined by a flu that’s running through the club.
“Turris pulled through after warm-up but he’s not good,” Boucher said. “There’s a flu going around with our boys and he’s not the only one but he had it really bad so he probably won’t be in.
“He was hit pretty hard so we’ll see if it’s one game or two games.”
Already without injured forwards Bobby Ryan and Zack Smith, the Senators also sent centre Logan Brown back to the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires Wednesday, which means Boucher is going to have to piece together a lineup against the Flyers.
The club called up forwards Filip Chlapik and Jack Rodewald (who signed an entry-level deal Tuesday) from its AHL affiliate in Belleville on Wednesday night.
The Senators will open a set of back-to-back games that will continue Friday night at the Prudential Center against the New Jersey Devils. Max McCormick, a healthy scratch Tuesday after being brought up, will likely play.
“We’re tested, that’s for sure,” said Boucher. “We’ve got three top-six guys that aren’t going to be in the lineup (Thursday) so other guys are going to have to push and make it happen.”
Boucher said the Senators will have to attempt to put the right pieces in place.
“If the bottom of your lineup is missing it’s a lot easier to compensate, but when it’s the top, you can’t expect to have the same offence,” Boucher said. “Let’s not kid ourselves, right now. We’re going to have to win like we were winning at the end of the (game vs. Los Angeles), 2-1.
“We’re going to have to try to find a way just like we did last year because we had situations like that last year. Other teams are living it and right now we’re living it. I’d rather live it at the beginning than at the end or in the middle.”