Giroux returns, Voracek exits; Flyers lose to Devils

Claude Giroux finally hit the ice after a long layoff recovering from that freak golf injury which managed to cause a lacerated tendon in one of his fingers, but once the initial euphoria wore off at the WFC, there was hockey to be played.

Cory Schneider finally did manage to give up a goal, but that was all, as the Devils clipped the Flyers by a 2-1 count on Tuesday.

"Yeah, it was a pretty good shot by a pretty good player. Other than that I thought our team did a really great job blocking shots," the former Vancouver back-up admitted. "Some of the guys were blocking shots like it was April, it was great to see. The start we had, (we needed to) settle in and hang onto that lead.”

Marek Zidlicky and Mike Sislo did the offensive damage for New Jersey, and Schneider also kept up his end of the bargain by stopping Jakub Voracek on a penalty shot -- one of his 22 saves -- in the second period.

Voracek eventually left the game with what the club termed the dreaded "upper-body injury" and the visitors threw their usual blanket over the Orange and Black until Kimmo Timonen's power-play strike with 91 seconds remaining in regulation.

Ray Emery stopped 17 shots in the loss.

"I think I’m ten days away from ready for the regular season, is that what we have left? But it’s getting as sharp as you can before the season starts," the 2013 Cup champion admitted.

The Flyers, who were coming off a week-long retreat in Lake Placid, didn't play with a full roster and fell to 1-3-1 during their exhibition slate, which continues on Thursday against these same Devils at Prudential Center in Newark.

Giroux, who picked up an assist on the hosts' late tally, led all Flyers forward in ice time at 22:04. He also won 9-of-11 faceoffs. Mark Streit clocked in at a healthy 23:57, second only among all players to Bryce Salvador, who topped out at 24:24 TOI.

“(I felt) better as the game went on, I think the first period I was just getting back in the game kind of and making plays," Giroux said. "I knew it was going to happen.  My legs really weren’t there at one point, but I’m happy I got to play one game and hopefully I’ll have a chance to play one more.”

Voracek will be evaluated further tomorrow, and Paul Holmgren said he expects the young Czech to play in Friday's preseason finale at Washington.

"That’s why it’s called preseason – you try different stuff, different PP unit, different forwards  together, different guys and that kind of stuff. I’m sure the next two games we’ll pare down and start playing lines together," said the always even-keeled Timonen. 

Wayne Simmonds was once again scratched due to a lingering case of the Adirondack Flu.  

The Flyers did do a better job of laying the body, outhitting the Devils by a 36-11 margin.