With the Philadelphia Flyers on an 8-2-1 run over their last eleven games, the last thing that fans want to see is an injury that could rock the boat and weaken the team’s depth. This afternoon, they were given a bit of a scare after Anthony Mingioni of Center Ice Philly noticed a surprise call-up from the AHL.
Per #AHL Transactions, the #Flyers have recalled Anthony Stolarz from the #LVPhantoms.
— Anthony Mingioni (@AnthonyMingioni) March 12, 2016
Speculation ran rampant as social media tried to guess which of the Flyers’ two goaltenders — Steve Mason or Michal Neuvirth — was dealing with some sort of secret ailment that would prevent him from suiting up for tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers. Quickly, the Flyers made an announcement, which calmed the masses immediately.
G Michal Neuvirth has a stomach virus & G Anthony Stolarz has been recalled on emergency basis from the @LVPhantoms→ https://t.co/1xPjRXgjVi
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 12, 2016
Stomach viruses certainly are no fun, but it’s reassuring that Neuvirth isn’t dealing with a more serious physical ailment. It’s entirely possible that Neuvirth would have been the backup netminder for tonight’s game anyway, considering the strong recent play of Mason, but this news almost guarantees that Mason will get the nod.
Stolarz will likely serve as the backup against Florida, and will stay with the big club as long as Neuvirth is under the weather. Hopefully, that won’t be for long.
