Injury Report: Jan. 14: Matt Read (activated from IR; had concussion symptoms)

[Gert B Frobe]

I thought it was a ******** move by Landeskog. It wasn't a hard shove, but one that shouldn't have even been made with Raffl in that position. Maybe not a major/suspension worthy offense, but someone should have gone after Landy later on in the game because of it.

Agreed - somebody should have done something within the rules. At least try and take a run at him FFS - that was a very cheap play and pathetic that it didn't get called. The ref was looking right at it. It was boarding and interference - one or the other take your pick. Now he has a concussion from a dirty hit from behind and nothing is done about it. Not by the Flyers, the refs or the league. That's the stupid thing about this league - if you do that to Crosby and he's concussed - you'd get 10 games.

 

[Damaged Goods]

So because they are "cooled off" means that they shouldnt play together anymore?

If Bobby Ryan or Thomas Vanek or Patrick Marleau cool off for a bit, sure, you leave them on your top line. But Michael Raffl? No. He's not a first-liner. Those are valuable minutes with our most creative forwards that should go to a more offensively gifted player. He should be allowed to play his way back on the line, but a 4-game stretch does not reserve him a long-term spot.

Downie-Couturier-Read "cooled off" but people on these boards agree that they should still be a line. The point is that Raffl is a good compliment to that line, like Downie became a good compliment to Couturier and Read.

1: That was a shut-down line that was also scoring
2: Downie got hurt
3: Downie wasn't playing above his head as a 3RW
4: Couturier has been noticeably worse in the newer line combos

 

[CerpinTaxt]

If Bobby Ryan or Thomas Vanek or Patrick Marleau cool off for a bit, sure, you leave them on your top line. But Michael Raffl? No. He's not a first-liner. Those are valuable minutes with our most creative forwards that should go to a more offensively gifted player. He should be allowed to play his way back on the line, but a 4-game stretch does not reserve him a long-term spot.




1: That was a shut-down line that was also scoring
2: Downie got hurt
3: Downie wasn't playing above his head as a 3RW
4: Couturier has been noticeably worse in the newer line combos

Number 4 just proves my point dude. Raffl-G-V are playing well together. Who do you suggest then putting on the top line then? Its just a matter of if it isnt broke dont fix it.

 

[ahthorne]

Given that Raffl is out, this is a non-issue. The line is broken up regardless of how they've cooled off - which they have.

The main issues with the forwards right now is that Lecavalier and Couturier haven't done much 5v5 in a while. Since his 4pt night, Couturier is -12 with 2 goals and 2 assists in 13 games. Lecavalier is -4 with 1 assist in 6 games since returning from his injury. Hartnell-Simmonds has been a decent winger pairing recently but other than that the wingers will likely need to be mixed and matched.

Since Brayden Schenn sucks at faceoffs, I think he should be tried in the place of Raffl as a winger pair with Voracek. They've shown chemistry in the past. Assuming Read is cleared for Saturday, Read-Downie as the 3rd winger pairing seems logical and familiar. Lecavalier is returned to the middle.

Now, I would try something different as far as the lines go. Simmonds-Hartnell are hot, so why not try them with Giroux? Then Voracek-Schenn with Lecavalier since the down low game is where all 3 of those players have found success and maybe that'll give Vinny some players to lean on offensively. Read-Couturier-Downie is a familiar line that can hopefully find success again...

Hartnell - Giroux - Simmonds
B. Schenn - Lecavalier - Voracek
Read - Couturier - Downie

Of course, you could just stick with Schenn-Giroux-Voracek and Hartnell-Lecavalier-Simmonds but that doesn't seem like a big enough change for my liking. Perhaps Downie and Read with Lecavalier? Here's two more lineups for this top-9 using those winger pairings:

Schenn - Giroux - Voracek
Hartnell - Couturier - Simmonds
Read - Lecavalier - Downie

OR

Schenn - Giroux - Voracek
Hartnell - Lecavalier - Simmonds
Read - Couturier - Downie

OR

Hartnell - Giroux - Simmonds
Schenn - Couturier - Voracek
Read - Lecavalier - Downie

Many options, but the general idea of sticking with some winger pairings to find some chemistry and spark our two 'middle-6' centres would be ideal. I'd not a big fan of playing Giroux without Simmonds or Voracek at this point given that they're the three key 'cogs' in this offense right now.

I'd also like to see Mark Streit on the 1st PP unit.

 

[dats81]

We'll see soon enough how this pans out. Berube seems to have a knack for not going with the obvious choice so we might as well see Rinaldo taking shifts with G and Voracek like he did last game

 

[Striiker]

The smart thing to do while Raffl is injured would be (assuming Read is back)

Schenn-Giroux-Voracek
Hartnell-Lecavelier-Simmonds
Read-Couturier-Downie

Schenn needs to be given an opportunity to try playing there eventually, and it would have been stupid to change the line while it was working, so now is the perfect time. In a perfect world, when Raffl comes back he'll take Hartnells spot on the 2nd line and Hartnell will either be traded or moved to the fourth line where he belongs. I don't want to hear that garbage about his "point streak", he's been horrible, simple as that. All of his points are either secondary assists or a puck hitting him. Meanwhile he's turning over the puck constantly and doing whatever he can to be useless.

 

[Curufinwe]

"Give it a go" makes it sound like Read's injury wasn't a concussion.

http://flyers.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=24708

Read tried to give it a go at the morning skate, but left the ice early and won’t play again tonight against Phoenix… Raffl was a full participant in practice and even stayed on the ice at the end to skate with Hal Gill, the lone healthy scratch. Raffl said he is symptom-free from the concussion he suffered in Colorado and that if he is cleared by doctors and passes his baseline test in the next two days that he should be ready to play in New Jersey Tuesday. The requirement of missing seven days with a diagnosed concussion is no longer in place, having changed prior to last season

 

[Curufinwe]

But he's out again tonight, and since he didn't practice today I'd say he won't be back till Saturday at the earliest.

 

[flyershockey]

But he's out again tonight, and since he didn't practice today I'd say he won't be back till Saturday at the earliest.

The game is not until tomorrow.

 

[Curufinwe]

I figured that out a bit later, but I still don't think he'll play against NJ or Montreal.

 

[FLYERSFAN18]

When Read comes back and all the forwards are healthy the lines should be:

Raffl-Giroux-Voracek
Hartnell-Schenn-Simmonds
Read--Couturier-Downie
VV-Lecavalier-Hall

 

[Broad Street Elite]

When Read comes back and all the forwards are healthy the lines should be:

Raffl-Giroux-Voracek
Hartnell-Schenn-Simmonds
Read--Couturier-Downie
VV-Lecavalier-Hall

Eh, you never take Hall out of the C with his FO%. Swap Downie and Vinny. Yes, Vinny has struggled, but you let him work through it with Couturier and Read and take the dividends later.

 

[Damaged Goods]

Eh, you never take Hall out of the C with his FO%. Swap Downie and Vinny. Yes, Vinny has struggled, but you let him work through it with Couturier and Read and take the dividends later.

Vinny's been horrendous on the 3rd line and he's dragging Couturier down too. He needs to be in a sheltered scoring role.

 

[FLYERSFAN18]

Eh, you never take Hall out of the C with his FO%. Swap Downie and Vinny. Yes, Vinny has struggled, but you let him work through it with Couturier and Read and take the dividends later.

Then put him on the wing on the 4th line. All of the other forwards have been better than him over the last half dozen games. He doesnt deserve a top 9 role

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Concussion symptoms for Matt Read. (Jan. 8). Will miss at least games through this weekend.

Anthony SanFilippo ‏@InsideTheFlyers 6m
Matt Read will be out of the lineup through Sunday, at least.

Source: https://twitter.com/InsideTheFlyers (Anthony Sanfilippo/Flyers)

 

[Alchemy]

I hope it's not too serious. Get well Read. Rest up.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

Timmeh has more info:

http://www.csnphilly.com/hockey-philadelphia-flyers/matt-read-sidelined-concussion

Matt Read has a concussion.

Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren made the announcement Wednesday night, saying the injury initially didn’t present itself that way, but things have changed.

Read took some kind of hit on New Year’s Eve at Calgary even though his last shift, as seen on CSN’s game tape, doesn’t indicate any kind of blow to the head.

“He’s not doing too good,” Holmgren said. “It’s safe to say he has symptoms of a concussion. Initially, he passed all the [baseline] tests that are required by the protocol. Right now, he doesn’t feel right.”

The 27-year-old forward missed his fourth straight game tonight against Montreal.

Read has problems with rapid eye movement and motion, turning his head to look for a pass on the ice, etc.

“It’s all likely concussion related,” Holmgren said.

There is video of a Q and A at that link, too.

The precise source of the injury seems to be in question.

 

[King Forsberg]

Were gonna need Read healthy going down the stretch. Let him rest until the Olympic break. Get well soon Matt.

 

[Patrick Division]

Were gonna need Read healthy going down the stretch. Let him rest until the Olympic break. Get well soon Matt.

I agree. We're playing good right now and no need to rush him. Get well soon Matty!!

 

[Tripod]

Were gonna need Read healthy going down the stretch. Let him rest until the Olympic break. Get well soon Matt.

Agreed!

 

[Curufinwe]

Hopefully he bounces back as well as Grossmann has from his concussion last March which had similar symptoms.

Anyone know if this is Reads first NHL concussion?

 

[Damaged Goods]

Hopefully he bounces back as well as Grossmann has from his concussion last March which had similar symptoms.

Anyone know if this is Reads first NHL concussion?

It's not. Missed a few games with a "UBI" a couple years ago.

 

[Curufinwe]

Must have been the 3 games he missed in 11-12. Last season it was the rib injury that made him miss 6 games.

 

[Larry44]

Timmeh has more info:

http://www.csnphilly.com/hockey-philadelphia-flyers/matt-read-sidelined-concussion



There is video of a Q and A at that link, too.

The precise source of the injury seems to be in question.

Not sure about the last bit. Timmay said he watched Read's last shift and he got shoulder checked. Homer said, he got hit hard, the brain is going to bounce around in there. He said Read passed all the baseline tests, but still isn't feeling right, so they are treating it as concussion symptoms.

I guess it's possible that there was a prior hit, but the team is assuming it's a concussion.

 

[kicksave27]

The concussion that gave me PCS didn't present any symptoms till 1 week later.