Lindros: Concussion research ‘nowhere near’ complete
PHILADELPHIA » In more ways than one, Eric Lindros’ Flyers career gave him a headache.
By Thursday, when his number 88 was retired by the Flyers in a tasteful ceremony before a 3-2 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, some of that stress had fully vanished. Finally, he and his family and the Flyers organization were at peace.
It will take a long time, however, before Lindros is satisfied that enough is being done to shield athletes from the kind of concussions that ultimately put limits on his Hall of Fame career.
“No, we’re nowhere near,” he said. “We’re nowhere near, and a lot of that stems from the research. It’s a tough one. It’s a tough one to go about. I’m not so sure the research is occurring and getting the most out of it. Are we sharing our results on time? Are we sharing them fully? Are we expressing some situations where our outcomes were poor? Well, let’s share those just the same as any wins, so people don’t have to duplicate them.
“Finds are hard to come by. If people worked together, that would be a really big step. But it’s never really happened in the research world. It’s going to take some time to change that culture.”
As far as the Flyers’ culture, Lindros was delighted to watch his retired-number banner rise to the rafters.
“Are you kidding?” Lindros said. “I mean, look at some of the names that are up there already. I woke up this morning with a text from Mark Howe; my day couldn’t have started any better. It’s great. You’ve got Bob (Clarke) up there and Bernie (Parent) who’s always got a great spirit. Barry Ashbee, Billy Barber. It’s a real thrill, truly a special honor.”
*** The Flyers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win when Sean Couturier scored 18 seconds into overtime from Travis Konecny and Michal Neuvirth.
“We didn’t change our game plan, even if we were down,” said Couturier, who scored his 26th goal of the season. “We came back. That was a huge win.”
The Flyers weren’t officially claiming as much, but there was a sense that they did not recover well from their recent bye week. After a victory in New Jersey Saturday, they were thumped, 5-1, by the Rangers Tuesday in Madison Square Garden.
“We had a quick day of practice, the game in Jersey and then another whole day off,” Dave Hakstol said. “It’s not the rhythm you would like to be in at this time of year. But at the same time, those are the quirks in the schedule that you have to deal with, that everybody has to deal with. We didn’t play well in New York against the Rangers. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. Those are two points that are gone. You don’t get another chance at those.”
Wayne Simmonds was confident the Flyers would recover from the New York defeat.
“We are in the thick of a playoff run,” he said. “For us, it is: Learn from the negatives and move forward. We want to be one-and-done with losses.”
*** Even on the most positive of nights involving Lindros’ association with the Flyers, there was a distinct chance Thursday that when his parents, Carl and Bonnie, were introduced, the 19,860 fans might react negatively. Both were at the front of the long-ago battle between the Flyers and the Lindros family.
But realizing the potential for a negative reaction, public address announcer Lou Nolan was quick to point out that the two would be accompanied to the ice by John LeClair and Mikael Renberg. The cheers for the wings on the legendary Legion of Doom line, which was centered by Lindros, muffled any growling.
*** Hakstol reinserted Tyrell Goulbourne into the lineup Thursday.
Goulbourne did not play against the Rangers Monday.
“He’s played very well for us,” Hakstol said. “He is a young guy that brings energy and adds a little bit of excitement to our lineup. He’s done a very good job for us in his limited time here.”
Goulbourne, a rookie known for his on-ice zest, had played sparingly in three games. He logged 3:11 of ice time Thursday, playing six shifts.
*** The Flyers have been encouraged by the consistency of rookie defenseman Robert Hagg.
“He has just really been a very, very consistent player with what he does,” Hakstol said. “And he has been able to bring that game to us. He’s a young player and he has logged some heavy minutes and some important minutes for us, and he has gone through some of the ups and downs like every young player does. But his peaks and valleys have been pretty even and he’s been able to maintain a real good level of play for us.”
In 45 games, Hagg has a goal and an assist. *** The New Jersey Devils will visit the Wells Fargo Center Saturday afternoon at 1.