PHILADELPHIA — It was a shrug of the shoulders and a one-word answer, but it said enough.
Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk returned from a six-game absence, the previous five as a healthy scratch, for the 4-2 win over the Flyers on Saturday afternoon. Afterward, he was asked if he was surprised that he stayed out that long.
“Yeah,” he said in his typical deadpan style.
Coach Barry Trotz explained his decision to keep a healthy Boychuk out because he liked the way his six defensemen were playing, and that Boychuk’s pairing with Nick Leddy had gone south.