Raffl has pinky pointed at road return
PHILADELPHIA >> Michael Raffl worked his fingers to the bone at an early Flyers practice Thursday ... well, all but one of those fingers.
“Just the pinky,” Raffl said. He was referring to the right little finger that he fractured Dec. 3 in a game against Toronto, one that supposedly was a four-week rebuilding project, one that due to injured list rules will indeed take all of four weeks to heal.
Even if he seems close to returning already.
“The 29th, after San Jose, I think,” Raffl said of his earliest allowable return, which will take place on the annual Flyers get shredded on the West Coast holiday tour. “Got it marked on the calendar.”
Raffl has been skating from the start of this rehab, and has been taking shots for three days this week. He has enough of his fingers untaped to make good use of the hand. Somewhat, anyway.
“Well, my finger is still broken,” Raffl said. “So if I was playing, I think it would be a risk to jam it, or if you’re in a battle you could only protect it so much if it’s still not healed. You have to wait until it’s healed.”
Frankly, Raffl seems to have had enough of waiting.
“I started shooting on Monday and it actually feels pretty good, better than I thought it would,” he said. But slapshots? Not on the daily agenda yet.
“Well, I’m not clapping out there,” Raffl said. “I’m not risking it right now, there’s no need, you know? But it’s just the pinky. And I’ve been skating a ton.
“The first two weeks without pucks was horrible. Just out there by myself, skating around the rink for 45 minutes. I’m really happy I can touch pucks now, it makes it a little more fun, you know? It makes it easier. Now I can work on everything, stickhandling and everything . ... It’s been three practices. I was still rusty in the beginning but I have enough time to get back for sure. It still hurts a little bit, you feel it. But it’ll be good.”
•••
It was Robert Hagg out and Phil Myers back in against the Sabres, as the Flyers’ game of defensive musical chairs continues.
“It’s not easy, but on defense we’ve been getting some good performances, so we’ve had some decisions to make and you make them in the best interest of the team,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “At the same time there’s a little rotation there that needs to happen and that’s what we’re doing.
“I think with Phil, the potential is there. His decisions with the puck need to be a little bit better. That’s where he seems to be getting himself in trouble. But that size and that reach against that speed is definitely something we talked about and that’s why we’re putting him in.”
• • •
NOTES >> Tyler Pitlick, who has been out with some icky congestion symptoms according to an official team medical report, returned to the lineup while Chris Stewart went back to his healthy scratch seat Thursday night against the Sabres . ... Buffalo’s best player, Jack Eichel, was a surprise last-minute scratch. No report from the Sabres as to why after their subsequent 6-1 humiliation loss. Eichel, roaring along with 50 points in the club’s first 35 games, was on a 17-game point streak . ... Flyers’ next game is Saturday night in Ottawa, then they’re back home for a pre-Christmas hug with their close buddies the Rangers.