Flyers center Vincent Lecavalier benched for Tuesday against Sharks
Philadelphia Flyers center Vincent Lecavalier has been benched for Tuesday's game against the San Jose Sharks, the Philadelphia Daily News' Frank Seravalli reports.
Lecavalier, 34, has two goals and four assists in 16 games this season for the Flyers. He is in his second season of a four-year, $22.5 million contract after spending the first 14 years of his career with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The center missed time in October with a lower-body injury and said it was difficult to accept being taken out of the lineup.
"It's very hard to take," Lecavalier said. "It was a tough night, when you're told something like that. I talked to [coach Craig Berube]. We had a conversation, but I'm out of the lineup. It's as simple as that."
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Berube said he needs the team to play with more urgency. The Flyers have lost four straight games and eight of their past nine.
"That's not why he's sitting out - that's not the reason for it," Berube said when asked whether he intended to send a message. "I think it's a competitive thing with him. I just don't see enough of it out there. I've got to see more.
"Guys that are playing in the lineup need to find urgency quicker. That's their job. We definitely need to play with more urgency, and we need to play with more structure in our game."
Seravalli notes that Lecavalier has never been a healthy scratch during his NHL career.
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Jakub Voracek leads the team with nine goals and 23 assists, while Claude Giroux and Brayden Schenn have 27 points and 17 points, respectively.
The Flyers are 8-12-3 and in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division. They play at the Sharks on Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. ET.
- Paul Palladino