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Ersson leaves the Flyers lost to the Bruins with a lower-body injury, schedule unknown

Ersson leaves the Flyers lost to the Bruins with a lower-body injury, schedule unknown

PHILADELPHIA – Samuel Ersson left the Philadelphia Flyers' 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday in the first period with a lower-body injury.

The goalie exited with 12:24 left after stopping all eight shots he faced. He lost the blade of his right skate with 13:10 minutes left and was removed not long after.

The Flyers had no timetable for how long Ersson might be out. He was replaced by Aleksei Kolosov, who made 20 saves in his second NHL game.

“I thought he fought,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said. “It’s a (damn) great position we’ve given him. … I thought we played hard before 'Koly.' I don't think there will be a problem. He has a certain personality to his game.

Ersson is 4-2-1 with a 2.68 GAA, .901 save percentage and one shutout in nine games (eight starts). Entering Saturday, he won three straight starts with a 2.00 GAA and a .917 save percentage.

“He just calmly goes about his business,” Tortorella said after Ersson made 20 saves in a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. “The team likes to play in front of him. He’s an easy guy to win.”

Now it could be Kolosov's turn. The 22-year-old rookie was recalled from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Oct. 26. He made his NHL debut the next day, scoring four goals on 24 shots in a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Philadelphia.

Kolosov stopped 15 of 16 shots in the final two periods of play on Saturday and said he became more comfortable as the game progressed.

“It always gives you confidence when you make a save, and it helps when you get into the game,” Kolosov said through a translator. “I feel a lot better, I understood the game better, so I feel a lot better in the game today.”

The Flyers are still getting to know Kolosov but were pleased with what they saw on Saturday.

“He made some big saves,” captain Sean Couturier said. “He kept us in the game. They outran us for most of the game and he kept us in there, gave us a chance and that's what you want from your goalkeeper. I don't know him very well yet, but he fights for pucks and doesn't give up. I like what I see.

Since drafting Kolosov, Philadelphia has used three goaltenders. Ivan Fedotov was axed for the fourth time in a row.

The Flyers visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.

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