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Flyers Notes: Ailing team winging it with Sbisa


Flyers Notes

LOS ANGELES - For the Flyers, the injuries are multiplying so quickly that defenseman Luca Sbisa was used as a first-line winger last night against the Los Angeles Kings.
Sbisa had been pressed into service as a fourth-line winger Friday in the Flyers' 5-4 shoot-out win in Anaheim.
Wingers Joffrey Lupul and Claude Giroux are the latest injured Flyers. Giroux was elbowed to the head by Anaheim's Corey Perry in the third period Friday.
Yesterday, the NHL suspended Perry for four games without pay for the incident. Perry will forfeit nearly $115,000.
Lupul has an undisclosed lower-body injury, also suffered in Friday's third period. He and Giroux did not play last night and will be examined when the Flyers return home for practice tomorrow.
"We'll wait until we get home and have them evaluated by our own doctors," coach John Stevens said.
Forwards Simon Gagne (shoulder) and Arron Asham (lower-body injury) also missed last night's game, as did center Danny Briere (groin).
There is a chance Gagne will play Tuesday in Washington, Stevens said, adding that Briere is doubtful for that game.
Scottie Upshall moved to Jeff Carter's line last night, while Sbisa started on the line with Mike Richards and Mike Knuble.
Sbisa, playing his first NHL game as a forward, gave a strong account of himself Friday - he nearly scored - against Anaheim.
"I thought he did a tremendous job; he was strong on the puck and had really good offensive instincts," Stevens said.
Richards seemed excited to play alongside Sbisa.
"He's a good offensive player and he's smart, so I don't think he'll have a problem," Richards said.
Special teams struggling

The Flyers' special teams, which had been among the NHL's best for most of the season, have struggled mightily the last two weeks.
Entering last night, the Flyers had allowed a power-play goal in each of their last six games, while opponents had scored in 8 of 29 advantages (27.6 percent) with an extra man or two.
The Flyers' power-play unit was 1 for 14 in the four games before last night, going 1 for 8 in Friday's win in Anaheim.
Richards, who had three assists Friday, scored the only goal in the shoot-out.
Ossi Vaananen, Josh Gratton, Braydon Coburn and Knuble scored for the Flyers, who overcame a 3-1 deficit.
Breakaways

Stevens met with Terry Murray, his former assistant, before the game. Murray is in his first year as the Kings' head coach. . . . Peter Luukko, president of Comcast-Spectacor, and Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren are attending the world junior championship in Ottawa this weekend. James vanRiemsdyk, the Flyers' first-round pick in the 2007 draft, has played well for Team USA.
-Sam Carchidi