The Philadelphia Flyers will be without back-up netminder Michal Neuvirth for the next week to 10 days with a lower-body injury, the team announced Tuesday.
Neuvirth has had a very strong season in a complimentary role, posting a league-leading .933 save percentage through 21 games. He’s been a great pickup for a team who is riding the cusp of being relevant to the playoff race.
In his place, the team has recalled 22-year-old netminder Anthony Stolarz. He’s put up a 15-10-3 record with a .915 save percentage through 29 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL.
His season has been strong enough to garner him an appearance in this weekend’s AHL All-Star Classic in just his second year as a pro.
With a performance like Neuvirth has given this year, the Flyers are lucky to have him on a two-year deal. He’s been hit and miss throughout his career, but this season may have earned him a raise in the open market from a team desperate to shore up problems.
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Dustin Nelson is the News Editor for The Hockey Writers. He’s a contributor to Hockey Prospectus, Hockey Wilderness, and writes a column for Rotowire. He’s also written for Gone Puck Wild, Wild Xtra, InDigest, Electric Literature, The Rumpus, Tiny Mix Tapes, Prefix Magazine & other publications. Have a tip? Email him at dlukenelson[at]gmail[dot]com.
