Flyers Hurricanes: Brind'Amour Tests Game Pace in Wednesday Practice
The flyers hurricanes story centered on Carolina’s Wednesday morning practice, where Rod Brind'Amour pushed the team into game-like situations while it waited for a second-round opponent. The workout came after several days off, and Seth Jarvis said the group needed the battle-drill pace.
Brind'Amour Pushes Pace
Brind'Amour said handling the layoff was a balancing act. “It's a little bit of a guessing game on what's the best way to approach things,” he said Wednesday, adding, “You back off all the way and get you know really feeling really great, or do you worry about the edge coming off? So I guess you kind of try to play somewhere in the middle.”
That middle ground showed up on the ice. The Hurricanes worked through physical, game-like sequences meant to match the speed and contact level they will face when the next series begins. Jarvis welcomed it after the idle stretch. “It's nice to go out there and compete,” he said. “We had a lot of battle drills, so it was good to kind of get that aspect. We sit for a few days, maybe you lose that. So it's nice just to go out there.”
Nikishin Returns in Yellow
Alexander Nikishin was back on the ice Wednesday morning in a yellow, no-contact jersey after suffering a concussion on Saturday in Game 4 against Ottawa. Brind'Amour said, “I think he's feeling good,” and added, “Whatever he's got to do to get tested, it's all going along in the right direction.”
Shayne Gostisbehere joined Nikishin during the drills, and Taylor Hall described the recovery timeline as uneven. “Concussions are never a straight line to coming back,” Hall said. “There are good days and bad days, and as you progress and go harder and harder, you might feel differently.” If Nikishin cannot play, Mike Reilly is ready to go.
Flyers Penguins Series Watch
Carolina is still waiting for the winner of the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins first-round series. The Flyers carried a 3-2 advantage into Wednesday night and were set to try to close out the Penguins at home. If Pittsburgh forced a seventh game, the start of Carolina’s next series would likely be delayed.
The Hurricanes also recalled Charles Alexis LeGault from the Chicago Wolves earlier this week, giving the roster another option while the bracket stays unsettled. Carolina will not practice Thursday morning, so the physical session on Wednesday may stand as the main tune-up before the next round begins.
