Flyers Notes: Perfect timing for Baby Coburn
Flyers Notes OTTAWA, Ontario - With a hectic travel schedule, Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn was grateful his team was practicing at home when his wife went into labor - two weeks early.
Flyers Notes
OTTAWA, Ontario - With a hectic travel schedule, Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn was grateful his team was practicing at home when his wife went into labor - two weeks early.
Nadine Coburn delivered the couple's first child, a girl named Rory, on Monday morning at Pennsylvania Hospital. Coburn was in the delivery room.
"It was unbelievable," said an emotional Coburn, who took a commercial flight to Ottawa on Monday night and was in the Flyers' lineup Tuesday against the Senators. "They both did so well. I'm so proud of Nadine and so happy to have a little girl. Everybody's doing great - mom, baby . . . and dad."
Rory was 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and 201/2 inches.
"She has my big feet," the 6-foot-5 Coburn said with a smile.
He added: "I feel very fortunate I was able to be there. One day later, and we would have been here [Ottawa] and it would have been really tough to get back in time. She came at just the perfect time."
Coburn was paired with Matt Walker on Tuesday, the first time he had not been teamed with Kimmo Timonen this season. Timonen started the game with Andrej Meszaros.
The Flyers gave goalie Sergei Bobrovsky his first start of the season.
Coburn said the defensemen don't do anything differently whether Bobrovsky or Ilya Bryzgalov is in the net.
"They're very similar goalies," he said before the game. "I think this will be good for Bob. He had such a good preseason, and he's looked so good in practice, so it'll be good to have him in there."
New-look lineup
Walker also made his first start of the season Tuesday.
The 6-4, 215-pound defenseman replaced Andreas Lilja. Coach Peter Laviolette has been pleased with Lilja's play, but wanted to keep Walker sharp.
Harry Zolnierczyk, recalled from Adirondack, made his NHL debut and scored a goal. He replaced fourth-line winger Andreas Nodl, who was sidelined by an undisclosed injury.
The Flyers needed another forward because Jody Shelley was serving the last game of his suspension. Shelley could play Thursday against the visiting Capitals, and there is a chance Zac Rinaldo will be sent to the Phantoms.
The Flyers did not have enough cap space to recall prized prospect Brayden Schenn ($1.69 million cap hit) from the Phantoms. Before Zolnierczyk ($900,000) was recalled, they had $1,166,667 in cap room.
Breakaways
In a roundabout way, former Flyers star Eric Lindros told thehockeyguys.net he plans to play in the Winter Classic alumni game at Citizens Bank Park. . . . Laviolette praised the play of Rinaldo in the first four games. "He's responsible and generates offense, so he brings a nice package to the ice," the coach said. "I think he's been extremely disciplined."
- Sam Carchidi