Reese's play keeps Staios out of lineup
New York Islanders' Dylan Reese loses his helmet during a fight with Philadelphia Flyers' Claude Giroux late in the second period. (Jan. 19, 2012) Credit: AP
PHILADELPHIA -- A few Flyers and coach Peter Laviolette were asked Thursday morning about any possible extra intensity to Thursday night's game, considering Steve Staios had drawn the ire of some Flyers with a high but legal hit on Max Talbot in Philadelphia's 3-2 win over the Islanders on Jan. 12.
None of the Flyers responded much to the line of questioning from reporters, and there was no chance to hold Staios to NHL justice. The veteran defenseman was a healthy scratch for a second straight game.
Staios and the rest of the Islanders were in the dark as to why the Flyers would want to exact revenge on him for the hit, which did not draw the interest of NHL's Brendan Shanahan.
Staios got a night to rest in Washington on Tuesday, a 3-0 win with Dylan Reese on defense. That prompted Jack Capuano to keep the lineup the same.
Capuano liked what he got from Reese, who showed improvement in his nine-game stint earlier this season before being sent back to Bridgeport. Paired with Mark Eaton, Reese was a plus-1 in 13:26 in Washington.
"He's a 26-, 27-minute-a- game guy down there, a guy who goes in every situation," Capuano said. "I think he's come a long way."
Jaromir Jagr has only one point in three games for the Flyers against the Islanders this season, but he's still far and away the top scorer against the Islanders in NHL history. His 59-83-142 in 95 games has him 11 points ahead of Mario Lemieux.
"Really? Still?" Jagr said when told he still had the mark, even after his three-year hiatus in Russia's KHL.
Jagr also told NHL.com he's open to returning to the Flyers on a one-year deal. He turns 40 on Feb. 15.
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