Just as the Flyers got Sean Couturier back into the lineup, they lost another forward to injury. Ahead of their matchup against the Calgary Flames, they announced Tyson Foerster would be out due to a lower-body injury.
Foerster blocked a shot from Morgan Reilly off his left ankle in the first period on Saturday night. He would leave the game in a considerable amount of pain, but returned shortly after. He didn't miss a shift and would play the remainder of the game.
Foerster later scored a power play goal to bring the Flyers within two late in the game, but they would fall 4-2.
“He’s not going to play the next few games. We’ll re-evaluate in 3-4 days, type of thing. He blocked that shot, so we’re not trying to hide anything. So we’ll see what happens from there.” Head coach Rick Tocchet said on Foerster's ahead of Sunday's game.
After Sunday, the Flyers will head to Montreal to take on the Canadiens on Tuesday and then head to Nashville to face the Predators on Thursday. With that timeline, Foerster will likely miss at least Tuesday's game. Thursday's game is a possibility depending on how he responds in the next few days.
Losing Foerster for any amount of time is a big blow to the Flyers. He is tied for second on the team in goals (4) and tied for third in points (7). But more importantly than that, his line with Noah Cates and Bobby Brink has continued to be one of the Flyers' best lines to start the season.
The three have played just over 115 minutes together at even strength and over 23 minutes on the power play. The trio has dominated the latter, scoring six goals and outchanced teams to the tune of an 88 CF%. They have given up one shorthanded goal, but have helped a power play unit that has struggled mightily over the years.
At even strength, the three have a slight edge in most possession metrics and are outscoring teams 3-2. It shows in their expected goals (4.85 to 4.01), and they do have a strong edge in high-danger chances (25-13), so they are getting into the tough areas of the offensive zone.
With Foerster's absence, Owen Tippett will slot into his spot with Cates and Brink. Tippett leads the Flyers with five goals. They will have to make a few other adjustments to their lineup, but will hope that Foerster's injury is not more serious.