With all the pressure and praise heaped on budding star Claude Giroux heading into the Winter Classic, many predicted aging wonder Jaromir Jagr, Giroux's linemate, could be a difference-maker Monday at Citizens Bank Park.
And he might well have been, though not in the way anyone could have predicted.
Late in the first period, Jagr aggravated a groin strain he sustained on Dec. 29 in the Flyers' last game before the Winter Classic, against the Penguins. He skated only two more shifts, but was a virtual nonfactor, eventually missing the final 35 minutes.
"Last game I sprained my leg, it was a little bit (of) swelling," said Jagr, who ultimately went 10 shifts totaling 7:09. "Then, late in the first period it was getting worse and worse. I tried (to come) back, but I just couldn't skate 100 percent. I just thought, I cannot help my team."
"That's what I think," Jagr said. "That's where it started hurting the most."
Jagr remained on the bench after the injury, saying: "I was hoping maybe if we got a power play I could volunteer. I just wanted to be with my teammates."
Since he kept his seat on the bench, he was on hand to see a goal by Mike Rupp that turned Philadelphia's two-goal lead into a 2-1 game. In his celebration, Rupp gave the crowd a spirited salute, which Jagr has made famous. The gesture angered some fans, but Jagr was more circumspect in his judgment.
"It's fine with me -- it's not my signature. I just do it to celebrate a goal," Jagr said. "Maybe he does it too, maybe he celebrates like that -- I don't know, he doesn't score many goals.
"We're still going to be play them three more times. And I think I'm going to score and I'm going to salute him back."
Though Jagr went on record before the game about his reluctance to play outdoors, citing a bad experience in the Kontinental Hockey League, he said the setting had nothing to do with his injury or removal from the game.
"I know I said I wasn't a fan of that, but I was wrong," Jagr said. "It was a great game, and it's just too bad we couldn't do it for our fans. That's the most disappointing thing."
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.