Forward Danny Briere and defenseman Nicklas Grossmann each missed time at the end of the regular season for the Philadelphia Flyers, but they'll both be in the lineup for the team as the 2012 NHL playoffs get underway in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.
Flyers Vs. Penguins Lineup, Game 1: Danny Briere, Nicklas Grossmann In For Philadelphia
Briere, always a strong playoff performer, missed a week at the end of the season with a back injury suffered when he took a hit from Penguins forward Joe Vitale. That hit sparked a mini-brawl at the end of the game between the two rivals on April 1, but it was a clean hit without a doubt.
Grossmann was also injured by Vitale in that contest on a knee-on-knee hit in the first period. The injury looked worse than it was, and the defenseman will wear a knee brace on the injured leg in the playoffs, but he’s ready to go and expected to take his full workload.
On the Penguins' side of things, defenseman Matt Niskanen missed the morning skate and will remain out of the lineup. It's possible that Ben Lovejoy makes an early return from a knee injury in Game 1, but still unlikely.
Stick with SBNation.com for full Penguins vs. Flyers series coverage. For more from the Pittsburgh perspective, check in with Pensburgh, and for more from the Philadelphia perspective, check in with Broad Street Hockey.
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