Gostisbehere remains sidelined, Alt promoted to take his place
PHILADELPHIA » Shayne Gostisbehere was scratched from the Flyers’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes Monday night. The defenseman remains day-to-day with an upper body injury.
Gostisbehere was injured in a second-period collision during a 4-2 victory Saturday in Toronto.
“Ghost is the same,” general manager Ron Hextall said Monday. “We’ll see how he goes in the next couple of days.”
By Sunday night, the Flyers were preparing to recall Sam Morin from Allentown to replace Gostisbehere. By Monday morning, however, Morin was found to have a mysterious injury. So instead, the Flyers recalled Mark Alt, just his second NHL game.
“We’re dealing with a little bit of a minor, nagging injury with Sam right now,” Hextall said. “We’re trying to get to the bottom of it. That’s where it’s at right now. The intent was to call him up.”
Morin sustained the injury in the Phantoms’ loss Saturday in Hartford.
“I think it maybe got worse in the last game, but to the degree we weren’t aware,” Hextall said. “Sam’s a tough guy. So leave it at that.”
Gostisbehere has 12 assists and 13 points through 11 games.
*** Given the earlier announcement of the Morin recall, Alt was surprised when he was promoted after the Phantoms’ practice Monday. He was paired on defense with Radko Gudas.
“I am just going to keep doing what I have been doing,” said Alt, who had two goals and four assists in 10 AHL games this season. “I felt really good in Allentown with the way we started off the year. And it’s good to be healthy again. I want to keep playing as I have been and hopefully that’s what they are looking for.”
Alt played one game for the Flyers last year. A hand injury prevented a second recall. By Monday, he was hoping to stick around.
“Alt moves very well,” Dave Hakstol said. “He’s a good, solid, two-way guy. That’s what he prides his game on. He moves the puck pretty well, makes the first pass. He’s a big, strong presence. He’s a guy who has put his time in there. He’s been at the American League level and has played very well.” *** Jake Voracek was displeased with being called for hooking Oliver EkmanLarsson at 0:32 of overtime. Though the Flyers killed the penalty, the call established the overtime’s flow.
“I’m upset with that call in overtime,” Voracek said. “You can’t call that. He’s standing in the corner and can’t even see it. They missed a call, interference, in overtime there. But we didn’t deserve to win today. It was as simple as that.”
*** In their last home game, the Flyers were thumped, 6-2, by the Anaheim Ducks … then made it clear that they were unhappy with the condition of the ice.
Is that why the Flyers had their morning skate Monday at the Wells Fargo Center, not at the Skate Zone?
“There were several reasons,” Hakstol said. “That might be one of the small, sidebars of it. But we didn’t skate (Sunday) coming off the road, so we wanted to come here and have a good, full morning skate.”
Hakstol said he heard no complaints from his players about the playing surface after the morning workout.
“The ice seemed great,” he said.
*** NOTES » Nolan Patrick missed his third consecutive game with an upper-body injury. He is day-to-day. “Nolan is doing better,” Hextall said. “We’ll see in the next day or two where we’re at with him. We’re hoping he skates (Tuesday).” ... Nick Cousins, traded by the Flyers in a minor deal in June, is settling in with the Coyotes. The centerman had a goal and an assist in nine games. “I went to dinner with a couple of the guys (Sunday) and it was good to catch up,” said the Flyers’ 2011 thirdround draft choice. “Obviously, I got drafted here and I started my NHL career here. So I have only good things to say about this organization. It’s good to be back.” Monday, Cousins centered a line including former Flyers Zac Rinaldo and Brendan Perlini. “It’s nice to get the opportunity, but with the opportunity you have to make the most of it,” he said. “I think my game is coming along.”