Downie won’t be back in the lineup against the Devils but said he’s “healing well,” and “should be back soon,” despite the bruising around his eye and the fact that the eye itself remains bloody.
“My vision’s good,” he said. “The doctor did a good job checking out my eye making sure everything went well. It’s going really well.”
Downie, however, is struggling with sinus issues. It's noticeable even just hearing him speak.
“That’s the issues that I’m having, the sinuses,” he said. “So I’m just waiting for that to clear up and start breathing again. Mainly sinuses right now.”
Downie has played just 10:24 in his second stint as a Flyer before he was injured, and was brought in to join Claude Giroux and Vinny Lecavalier on the top line -- at least to start. With him out, head coach Craig Berube continues to shuffle up the team's lines, but said he's encouraged to see the feisty forward back on the ice already, just six days after the scary fight.
“It’s good to see Downs skating already,” coach Craig Berube said. “Hoping he’ll be back soon.”
“He’s tough,” the coach added with a smile.
