Gostibehere’s return to lineup sends Hagg to bench
PHILADELPHIA » With one swift business decision Thursday, Alain Vigneault helped prove one eternal sports truth: For every playing-time move appreciated, there shall be one yielding disgust.
With Shayne Gostisbehere available for the first time in 11 games after left-knee surgery, Vigneault returned him to the rotation after a successful morning skate. With that, Robert Hagg, who had been playing well in Gostisbehere’s absence, would be a healthy, and a little annoyed, scratch for a game against the New Jersey Devils.
“Of course, I am (ticked) off that I’m not playing,” Hagg announced.
So there it was … not that Vigneault was necessarily offended. Indeed, the Flyers’ coach was hoping Hagg was professionally proud enough to be angry with the move.
“Obviously, Hags has been playing well,” Vigneault said. “He’s not happy about not playing. I expect him to not be happy about it. Shayne is ready to go and I want to get him in.”
In 40 games, Gostisbehere had provided five goals and seven assists. He was to complete a defensive pairing with Justin Braun, and was working with the second power-play unit in the morning skate.
Hagg had an assist in each of the last two games. In 34 games this season, he has eight assists and one goal.
“It’s good to be back,” Gostisbehere said. “I just want to ease into it. I am not going to try to do too much. I will play my game, do what I am good at, and hope everything goes well.”
Gostisbehere was happy to be reunited with Braun.
“For sure,” he said. “It definitely makes it easier for me. We have good communication.”
Gostisbehere had been in some pain before the injury, and he believes the arthroscopic procedure will have been beneficial.
“Yeah, mentally, with certain movements, I don’t have to worry about it hurting,” he said/ “So for me, I can play freely and just go out there and be myself. And that’s a big thing for me. When you’re not thinking about it in the games, it helps a lot.
“Every guy here plays through something. For me to get rid of that, it really is nice.”
As for Hagg, the playing-time repercussions of Gostisbehere’s return elicited no reason to celebrate.
“Of course, it (is displeasing),” Hagg said. “And you’re doing great. It’s not something I can control. All I can do is play as good as I can when I get the chances. And that’s what I’ve been doing.”
While a healthy Gostisbehere is likely to receive regular playing time, Vigneault could make defensive alignments on a gameto-game basis.
“I don’t know,” Hagg said. “That’s A.V.’s and the coaching staff’s decision. I don’t know what to say. I want to play. But there is nothing I can do.” ***
The morning skate brisk after a relatively light practice Wednesday, Nolan Patrick participated fully for a second consecutive day. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 draft, Patrick has not played at all this season due to chronic headaches.
But while his recent activity seemed to signal a pending return, his coach would maintain a professional distance.
“My expectation is that Nolan is not coming back,” Vigneault said. “In my mind, he hasn’t been here since the beginning of the year and I’m moving forward. I work with the guys that are here.”
Vigneault stressed that he was making a coaching, not a medical, decision.
“Whenever it changes, somebody will let me know,” he said. “But now, he’s not available. And I work with the guys who are available.”
***
Joel Farabee, who has been bothered by a flu, did not skate Thursday morning and was scratched. The Flyers recalled Andy Andreoff from Lehigh Valley to take his roster spot.
Andreoff had played 13 games this season for the Flyers, furnishing one assist. That ripple bumped Michael Raffl onto a line with Sean Couturier and
Jake Voracek.
Farabee had been productive in his last six games, providing four goals and two assists.
“We thought he’d be 100 percent,” Vigneault said. “But sometimes the flu is tougher on some guys than on others.”
***
The Flyers will visit Washington Saturday, their second of nine games in 17 days.
“Every game is going to be important,” Couturier said. “We’re in the spot where we want to be, right in the hunt. We haven’t really been ‘chasing’ the standings all year. Usually, in other years, it seems like were chasing a whole lot. We’ve been in the mix all year. We just have to get on a streak and heat up at the right time.”