Upshall Returns Tonight
Flyers (1st in the Atlantic, 7-3-0, 14 points) at Canadiens (2nd in the Northeast, 6-2-3, 15 points)
– From Kevin Kurz – philadelphiaflyers.com
“Scottie Upshall, who has been sidelined all season with a fractured left wrist he sustained in a preseason game, will be back on the ice when Philadelphia travels to Montreal to face the Canadiens on Thursday night. Upshall has been practicing on a line with Jeff Carter and Sami Kapanen, and his trademark enthusiasm was evident after Tuesday morning’s team practice.
“It’s a good feeling to get back into playing some games, getting to put on the jersey again with the guys, and do the whole ritual which I haven’t been able to do in four weeks,” he said. “I’m ready to try it out and I feel great.”
Upshall will continue to wear protection on the wrist in the form of a soft cast, but that doesn’t appear to hamper any of his abilities, according to one of his linemates.
Upshall, who was acquired by the Flyers in the Peter Forsberg deal with Nashville last February, made an immediate impact on the club after the trade. He finished with 6 goals and 7 assists in 18 games as a Flyer, and his jubilant celebrations made him a fan favorite almost overnight.
He also made an impact on his head coach, who is looking forward to seeing Upshall back in game action.
“If you look at what he did last year, he came in and gave us all kinds of enthusiasm,” said Stevens. “He played in all situations for us. He’s got great quickness, he’s a responsible player without the puck, and he can see the ice and make plays. He’s a really well rounded, versatile guy that can be moved around.”
– end of reprinting
This is yet another positive for the team heading into the tough remaining five games on this road trip:
Tonight 11/1 @ Montreal
Fri 11/2 @ Washington
Mon 11/5 @ NY Rangers
Wed 11/7 @ Pittsburgh
Thu 11/8 @ NJ Devils
5 games in 8 days…..I’d say getting 6 out of 10 points in this stretch would be a huge victory for this team, along with a massive boost to their seemingly growing confidence and cohesion. We’ve had a couple days off so we’ll see what type of good start we can get off to tonight. These guys seem to be great with the lead. I think Upshall is a difference maker and will end up being one of the best players, in terms of points per game, on this team at the end of this season.
Fuck Canada !
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