Flyers winger Mike Knuble held out hope that he'll return for Wednesday's Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Montreal Canadiens, but he seemed more certain he would be ready for Saturday's Game 5 in Montreal.
Knuble suffered a partially torn hamstring in Game 5 of the first-round win over Washington.
"It's improved a lot," Knuble said yesterday. "I skated for the first time Friday, and it was so sore, I was pretty ginger out there. I went out [Saturday] and it was a lot better, so there's progress. Wednesday is questionable, but for sure after that."
The Flyers and Canadiens are tied at one game apiece. Game 3 is tonight at the Wachovia Center.
Knuble was told it would take 10 to 15 days before he could return. It has been nine days since the injury.
"That will probably be a judgment call by all of us," he said when asked if he might return on Wednesday. "I don't want to go out there and set myself back another week when we can wait two more days. We've been pretty aggressive with the treatments."
Getting nasty
Typically, it takes two games for teams to develop a dislike for each other in a best-of-seven series. It sounds like the Flyers and Canadiens have reached that point.
Montreal's Tom Kostopoulos punched defenseman Kimmo Timonen in the face after R.J. Umberger's goal late in the third period gave the Flyers a 4-2 lead Saturday night.
"It'll get nastier for sure," Flyers winger Joffrey Lupul said yesterday. "I don't know if it'll be because of that hit, but the more you play a team it seems the more you really start to dislike them, and that comes in every series. Now that we've played them a couple games, that dislike is really creeping in."
Umberger said Kostopoulos would have been dealt with if it happened during the regular season. "There's more on the line right now. Sacrificing and discipline are going to win us games," he said.
Lupul said there's a lot more yapping going on in this series than in the first round against Washington.
Home sweet home
Since losing Game 6 to Washington last Monday night, the Flyers had been home for about 12 hours until they returned from Montreal Saturday night.
"It feels good to be home and be able to relax and hear people talk about what the atmosphere is going to be like" tonight at the Wachovia Center, goalie Marty Biron said. "We fed off [the crowd] when we came home for Games 3 and 4 against Washington, and that's what we have to keep doing."
Habs encouraged
Despite the 4-2 loss in Game 2, the Canadiens believed they carried the play most of the game, which they did.
"If we would have buried half of the empty-netters we had, we would have won, 8-4," Montreal goalie Carey Price said.
Christopher Higgins was among the Habs who squandered a good scoring chance when he hit the post.
"We did a lot of the right things to get opportunities around the net," he said. "But it's the playoffs. and we have to start putting them in."
Loose pucks
History suggests the Canadiens could feel right at home in Philly. They are 9-1 all-time against the Flyers in playoff games here. All the previous playoff meetings between Montreal and the Flyers were played at the Spectrum. . . . The Flyers' win Saturday was their first at the Bell Centre in the three seasons since it opened. . . . What does the R.J. stand for in R.J. Umberger's name? The answer to that burning question is Richard Junior. His real name is Richard Allen Umberger, but he is a junior.
Knuble suffered a partially torn hamstring in Game 5 of the first-round win over Washington.
"It's improved a lot," Knuble said yesterday. "I skated for the first time Friday, and it was so sore, I was pretty ginger out there. I went out [Saturday] and it was a lot better, so there's progress. Wednesday is questionable, but for sure after that."
The Flyers and Canadiens are tied at one game apiece. Game 3 is tonight at the Wachovia Center.
Knuble was told it would take 10 to 15 days before he could return. It has been nine days since the injury.
"That will probably be a judgment call by all of us," he said when asked if he might return on Wednesday. "I don't want to go out there and set myself back another week when we can wait two more days. We've been pretty aggressive with the treatments."
Getting nasty
Typically, it takes two games for teams to develop a dislike for each other in a best-of-seven series. It sounds like the Flyers and Canadiens have reached that point.
Montreal's Tom Kostopoulos punched defenseman Kimmo Timonen in the face after R.J. Umberger's goal late in the third period gave the Flyers a 4-2 lead Saturday night.
"It'll get nastier for sure," Flyers winger Joffrey Lupul said yesterday. "I don't know if it'll be because of that hit, but the more you play a team it seems the more you really start to dislike them, and that comes in every series. Now that we've played them a couple games, that dislike is really creeping in."
Umberger said Kostopoulos would have been dealt with if it happened during the regular season. "There's more on the line right now. Sacrificing and discipline are going to win us games," he said.
Lupul said there's a lot more yapping going on in this series than in the first round against Washington.
Home sweet home
Since losing Game 6 to Washington last Monday night, the Flyers had been home for about 12 hours until they returned from Montreal Saturday night.
"It feels good to be home and be able to relax and hear people talk about what the atmosphere is going to be like" tonight at the Wachovia Center, goalie Marty Biron said. "We fed off [the crowd] when we came home for Games 3 and 4 against Washington, and that's what we have to keep doing."
Habs encouraged
Despite the 4-2 loss in Game 2, the Canadiens believed they carried the play most of the game, which they did.
"If we would have buried half of the empty-netters we had, we would have won, 8-4," Montreal goalie Carey Price said.
Christopher Higgins was among the Habs who squandered a good scoring chance when he hit the post.
"We did a lot of the right things to get opportunities around the net," he said. "But it's the playoffs. and we have to start putting them in."
Loose pucks
History suggests the Canadiens could feel right at home in Philly. They are 9-1 all-time against the Flyers in playoff games here. All the previous playoff meetings between Montreal and the Flyers were played at the Spectrum. . . . The Flyers' win Saturday was their first at the Bell Centre in the three seasons since it opened. . . . What does the R.J. stand for in R.J. Umberger's name? The answer to that burning question is Richard Junior. His real name is Richard Allen Umberger, but he is a junior.
