"I'm still optimistic," he said. "We still have two more days and, hopefully, we'll see some improvement. We'll make a decision Thursday morning."
Boynton arrives
Defenseman Nick Boynton, claimed off waivers from Chicago on Saturday, practiced with the team for the first time. Boynton would play Thursday if Pronger is sidelined.
He gives the Flyers an experienced seventh defenseman.
"He proved that last year in Chicago," Pronger said. "He's played on a number of teams that have been in the playoffs and been through a lot of battles. As you all know, in the playoffs, there are a lot of injuries and a lot of things happen, and he gives us another piece."
Boynton, 32, who once played for coach Peter Laviolette in the minors, played for the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup-clinching Game 6 win over the Flyers last season.
"My main goal is to hopefully get another ring," Boynton said, adding that the "best game in my life" was winning the Cup in the Wells Fargo Center last year, "and, hopefully, we can do it again, the other way."
Oddity
The Flyers have the same record - 20-8-3 - at home and on the road. Entering Monday, they had the league's fourth-highest points total, both at home (43) and on the road (43).
Breakaways
Oskars Bartulis will have shoulder surgery Friday, Holmgren said. . . . Claude Giroux has 22 points in his last 19 games. . . . Among players who are faceoff regulars, Jeff Carter leads the Flyers at 54.7 percent, followed by Giroux at 50.5 percent.
- Sam Carchidi
