Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Two days off in between games 5 and 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals couldn’t come at a better time for the Flyers and Danny Briere.
According to Sarah Baicker of CSNPhilly.com, Briere was in such bad shape after receiving stitches under his right eye as a result of third period high stick, that he was unavailable to the media during the post game.
“At first glance, I almost thought it was intentional,” Laviolette told the media. “The puck wasn’t even around. Looking at it again, it should have been a four minute penalty. You have to be in control of your stick out there. Dangerously close to a severe eye injury.”
The injury occurred in midway through the third period of Monday’s 7-4 loss by the Flyers, to drop the underdogs down 3-2 in the series to the Chicago Blackhawks. Trying to lift his stick, Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith high sticked Briere immediately off a face off in the offensive zone. The stick had missed Briere’s visor completely and cut into the soft tissue under the Flyer center’s right eye. Briere dropped to the ground instantly but there was no penalty called on the play. Minor swelling was immediately noticeable to Briere’s eye as the 32-year-old sat on the bench awaiting his next shift. According to multiple visual reports, Briere’s eye was nearly swollen shut heading back to Philadelphia.
The line, made up of Briere, Ville Leino and Scott Hartnell has been a revelation for the Flyers of late, producing over a point-per-game. Briere especially has been effective, scoring 11 goals and 14 assists in 21 games.
Briere will be re-evaluated in the days to come.
Phila.Bright 
He should’ve had an ice pack on the face while he was on the bench between shifts in the third…
I believe the swelling really hit him once he received stitches after the game.