By Sam Bush
The Flyers scored seven goals in beating the Lightning the other night, but they paid a stiff price.
Braydon Coburn suffered a lower-body injury that will sidelined him for four weeks, four days after Nicklas Grossmann was lost for three weeks with a shoulder injury.
Coburn was injured during the first period Monday, possibly while blocking a shot off his left foot 9:46 into the game.
Coburn missed 12 games after breaking the same foot in the Flyers’ season opener.
Coburn’s first injury began a run of injuries to Flyers’ blueliners. Later, Andrew MacDonald, Luke Schenn, Michael Del Zotto and Grossmann all missed games with injuries.
And so, as it turns out, the Flyers finally will see a benefit from their unconventional approach of carrying eight defensemen instead of the usual seven.
This means, Carlo Colaiacovo, a healthy scratch 26 games in a row, will see his first game action for Thursday night’s game in Washington since Nov. 19.
“Emotions can’t even describe how I feel right now,” Colaiacovo said after practice. “I’m just real looking forward to getting back in there. … I’ve practiced real hard. I’ve kept myself in good shape in the tough time that it’s been.”
Colaiacovo, who recently expressed frustration of sitting out so many games in a row, was signed on Oct. 30 when the Flyers were two blueliners short due to injuries to Coburn and MacDonald.
Colaiaovo didn’t play the Flyers’ first game after his signing, then was in the lineup for five of their next six before being benched for almost two months. He had good stats in his few opportunities with the Flyers, registering two assist and being a plus-2 in his five games.
The Flyers had an optional practice in Voorhees on Tuesday that included the participation of just four blueliners — Colaiacovo, Del Zotto, MacDonald and Schenn.
