Jason LaBarbera has been recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers. He’ll be the backup goaltender when the team travels to Washington, D.C. to take on the Capitals tonight. The recall is due to an injury to goaltender Steve Mason, who the team says is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
That means Michal Neuvirth will get the start against the Caps, his former team, on Wednesday.
You might be asking yourself: why call up LaBarbera instead of AHL All-Star Anthony Stolarz? There are likely a few reasons:
- The Flyers don’t play again until next week, because the All-Star Break kicks in this weekend.
- Steve Mason’s injury probably isn’t that serious. He’ll be back after the break.
- Stolarz is an AHL All-Star. If he’s on an NHL roster during the AHL All-Star Game, he can’t play. That game is also this weekend.
- The Phantoms also play at home tonight, and they likely want Stolarz in the lineup for that one.
- Jason LaBarbera probably won’t get into a game anyway. This is all just about tonight’s game, and they just need a dude to sit on the bench.
So, that’s why.
