Chris Pronger

When the 2010-11 NHL schedule is released later this month, it would be understandable if defenseman Chris Pronger circled the date that his Flyers play Chicago. First, the Chicago Tribune called him "Chrissy" and showed him wearing a figure-skating outfit in a doctored photo earlier this week. And then little-used Chicago forward Adam Burish blasted the defenseman in a TV interview after the Blackhawks' Stanley-Cup-clinching 4-3 overtime win on Wednesday at the Wachovia Center.

Chris Pronger is on the verge of reaching out to former Flyer Keith Primeau to help him get through the most difficult period of his career - and perhaps his life. Pronger, the Flyers' star defenseman, whose Hall-of-Fame career may be over, has been sidelined by a concussion and has not played since November. Primeau's career was shortened because of a concussion. "That has been brought up lately; there are a lot of parallels between the two," Lauren Pronger, Chris' wife, said during the Flyers Wives Carnival on Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center.

BOSTON - Before Simon Gagne's game-winner with 7:08 remaining, there was long-forgotten James van Riemsdyk. Van Riemsdyk, the Flyers' youngest player at 21, wasn't considered a threat by the Boston Bruins - being that he was scoreless not only in the series but also in his short, 12-game playoff career. But without van Riemsdyk's ice-breaking first-period goal, which cut the deficit from three goals to two last night in Game 7, the comeback of all comebacks might not have been possible.

BUFFALO - The day began for the Flyers with a Mystery Daily Double: 1) Who would play goaltender and, 2) Would Chris Pronger take the ice for the first time in the series? The correct responses, as we now know, are: 1) Everyone, and 2) Sort of. It was a limited role for Pronger in the Flyers' Game 6 victory over the Sabres, only five shifts, all on the power play. He took two shots, one of which missed the net. His total ice time was 4 minutes, 33 seconds. Along the way, Pronger was called for a slashing penalty while fencing with Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers in the crease in the first period.

What: 2010 NHL entry draft Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles When: Round 1, tomorrow, 7 o'clock; Rounds 2-7, Saturday, 1 p.m. TV: Versus for all 7 rounds FLYERS PICKS: First round: Property of Anaheim Second round: Property of Los Angeles. Third round: 89th overall Fourth round: 119th overall Fifth round: 149th overall Sixth round: 179th overall Seventh round: 209th overall Sent to Anaheim on 6/26/09 in trade for Chris Pronger.

The Anaheim Ducks have shown they can survive a playoff game without one of the NHL's most feared defensemen in the lineup. Now they will have to prove they can prevent a turnaround in the Stanley Cup Finals without Chris Pronger, who was suspended for one game yesterday by league disciplinarian Colin Campbell for a flagrant elbow to the head of Dean McAmmond during the Senators' 5-3 victory in Game 3. Pronger will not dress tonight for...

Carolina left wing Erik Cole will miss at least the rest of the regular season with a compression fracture in a vertebra in his neck caused when he was driven headfirst into the boards by Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik during a 7-5 Hurricanes victory Saturday. Cole, 27, tied for second on the team in scoring with 60 points, will be out at least 6 to 8 weeks - a major loss for the team with the NHL's best record. Carolina has not ruled out Cole returning for the playoffs, which begin in mid-April.

ED BARKOWITZ   THERE ISN'T a team in the Eastern Conference that the Flyers can't beat. And, as they showed in their struggles against lowly Atlanta, there isn't a team they can't lose to, either. The inconsistency is maddening, but this team undoubtedly responds when it must. The most significant response will need to come from rookie goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who was yanked in the regular-season finale. Nobody in the East has been better than Buffalo recently, so this won't be a quick, first-round walk like last season, when the Flyers disposed of New Jersey in five.