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Flyers Notes: Flyers' Simmonds out for rest of season with leg injury

The offense-challenged Flyers will have to play the final seven games of their season without their leading goal scorer, right winger Wayne Simmonds.

Flyers right wing Wayne Simmonds and center Chris Vande Velde. (Eric Hartline/USA Today Sports)
Flyers right wing Wayne Simmonds and center Chris Vande Velde. (Eric Hartline/USA Today Sports)Read more

The offense-challenged Flyers will have to play the final seven games of their season without their leading goal scorer, right winger Wayne Simmonds.

Simmonds and defenseman Andrew MacDonald suffered season-ending injuries Wednesday when they were hit by third-period shots during a 4-1 win over Chicago at the Wells Fargo Center.

Simmonds limped off the ice after getting hit on the left leg by teammate Mark Streit's blast, and MacDonald was hit on the right hand by a Chicago shot. Both players reportedly suffered fractures.

"It hurts, for sure," general manager Ron Hextall said Thursday. "They're two good players, but it gives other guys a chance to step up. A guy like Nick Cousins, we're down one more forward, so it'll give him probably a little more ice time. It'll give someone more time on the power play in front of the net."

With Simmonds sidelined, forward Vinny Lecavalier (remember him?) should get back into the lineup Saturday against San Jose. The Flyers recalled defenseman Brandon Manning from the Phantoms on Thursday night.

Since being acquired from Los Angeles in the Mike Richards trade in 2011, Simmonds has been a model of consistency, scoring 28, 29, and 28 goals in each of the team's three full seasons. He had 15 goals during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, a 26-goal pace over 82 games.

Simmonds finished with 28 goals this season - one shy of equaling his career high - 50 points, and a minus-5 rating in 75 games, while MacDonald finished with 12 points, 86 blocked shots (fifth on team), and a minus-5 rating in just 58 games.

Entering Thursday, the Flyers were 21st in the 30-team NHL, averaging 2.57 goals per game.