off the ice on stretcher after a hard hit from Philadelphia captain Mike
Richards, overshadowing the Flyers’ easy victory over the Panthers on Saturday
night.
Danny Briere had two goals, Arron Asham scored for a
third straight game, and Simon Gagne ended his longest goal drought to start a
season in the Flyers’ 5-1 victory.
Booth, who scored the Panthers’ lone goal, left the ice
on a stretcher near the end of the second period following a hard blow to the
face from the Flyers captain. He was taken to Pennsylvania Hospital, where he
will remain overnight for tests, according to Panthers’ GM Randy Sexton. A
member of the team’s medical staff will remain with Booth until he is able to
return to Florida.
Sexton said it’s too early to determine the extent of the
injury, but said Booth appeared to have regained consciousness as he left the
ice and was coherent in the hospital. The GM didn’t hide his feelings about the
play, saying “there is no place” in hockey for hits like that.
With 2:55 left in the second, Booth had just released the
puck in front of the Flyers’ blue line, and Richards plowed into him, striking
him with his left shoulder. Both of Richards’ feet appeared to leave the ice as
he smacked into Booth.
Booth immediately fell face down and remained motionless
for several minutes. Both teams trainers and Flyers team physician Gary
Dorshimer attended to him, and several players gathered around him, including
Flyers’ defenseman Chris Pronger. Booth was wheeled off following a 7-minute
delay.
Richards was given a major penalty for interference and a
game misconduct for intent to injure. He could face a suspension, pending a
review.
“I’m never out there to hurt anyone,” Richards said. “I
have respect for the game and respect for the players. My concern is with him.
Hopefully, he’s fine and gets better. I just wanted to separate him from the
puck. He dished it off and everything happened so quickly. I don’t have a
history of head shots and I don’t even know if it was a head shot.”
Panthers defenseman Keith Ballard offered a different
take.
“Richards knows (Booth) is in vulnerable position and
goes after him,” Ballard said. “He’s done it before. That’s the same stuff
they’ve been trying to cut out. The thing with Mike Richards is he’s a good,
honest player. I love a lot about him game. He does a lot of things well, but
then he does that stuff.”
Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren thought the hit was
clean.
“I don’t see how they can view it like that,” Holmgren
said. “Mike was doing his job. His feet never left the ice. It was a shoulder
hit. David Booth turned his head. It looks like he saw him at the last second,
but turned his head and his head took the blow. It would have been shoulder on
shoulder if not. It’s a physical game and sometimes these things happen. I feel
bad for David Booth. He’s a good young player. Hopefully everything is going to
be all right.”
Asham’s goal broke a 1-1 tie early in the second period,
taking a feed from Richards – one of his two assists – and firing a shot past
goalie Tomas Vokoun. It was the first time in Asham’s 11-year career that he has
scored in three straight games.
Rookie James van Riemsdyk capped the scoring with his
first career goal.
The Flyers (5-2-1), who snapped a three-game losing
streak on Thursday night, have won two in a row. The Panthers (2-6-1) have lost
three straight.
Briere had his 28th career two-goal game, scoring
Philadelphia’s first and fourth goals. His first came after a backhand flip from
van Riemsdyk, who stripped the puck from Brian McCabe and fed Briere. Gagne
recovered Richards’ shot during a power play, and flipped it over Vokoun.
The Panthers mood changed after Booth left the game.
“You’re worried about his welfare,” coach Peter DeBoer
said. “It’s a scary sight when you have a player totally unconscious on the ice.
You’re not thinking about hockey. You’re hoping he’s all right.”