Brayden Schenn gets a lead pass right out of the penalty box and beats Lundqvist on the backhand to tie the game.

With his dad in attendance, Scott Hartnell scores a natural hat trick all in the second period.

The Chicago Blackhawks placed center Jonathon Toews on injured reserve this morning and have recalled forward Brandon Pirri from Rockford of the American Hockey League.

Toews left Saturday’s game against the Nashville Predators in the second period due to an upper-body injury.

Toews is second in the League with 27 goals and second on the Hawks with 50 points. He was picked for his third All-Star Game earlier this month.

“You certainly miss his leadership and how important he is to our team,” coach Joel Quenneville said Monday. “It changes the complexion of what our options are, but it’s part of it. You get tested along the way. Everybody goes through it, top guys out, key guys. It’s certainly going to test us.”

“Guys are going to have to step up and try to fill the void,” added teammate Patrick Kane. “We have to make sure we’re focused and worry about the task at hand. He plays in every situation, key player, a guy you definitely miss if he’s out of the lineup. You can’t replace a player like (Patrick) Sharp or Toews, but there are some guys who can step up, and they have. These are big opportunities for myself and a lot of guys here.”

Taking Toews’ place in the middle of the top line — at least to start tonight’s game against Nashville — will be Dave Bolland.

“I don’t want him to change how he plays,” Quenneville said Monday. “He doesn’t have to be Johnny or an offensive type of guy. Play to your strength.”

Scott Hartnell’s best week ever just got even better.

First, the Flyers’ forward had a five-goal weekend, including a natural hat trick Sunday against the Boston Bruins. And both games came with his father, Bill, in attendance as part of a father-and-son trip hosted by the team.

On Monday he was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week.
And Tuesday, he received an invitation to the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game, the first All-Star Game invite of his NHL career.

Scott Hartnell

Left Wing – PHI

GOALS: 25 | ASST: 19 | PTS: 44
SOG: 126 | +/-: 18

The NHL announced Hartnell, who leads the Flyers with 25 goals and is first in the League with 13 power-play goals, was selected to replace injured Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. The Hawks placed Toews on injured reserve Tuesday due to an upper-body injury.
“It definitely was a surprise to get the phone call late (Monday) night and be selected,” Hartnell told NHL.com from Florida, where the Flyers will play the Panthers on Tuesday night. “I just had a smile on my face. It’s our father’s trip here, so he was sitting here with me. A real special night.”

Playing on the Flyers’ top line with All-Star Claude Giroux and future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr, Hartnell is having a career season. His 25 goals are just five shy of his previous best of 30 set in the 2008-09 season.
“He’s having one of the best seasons of his career and I think he’s one of the best power forwards in the League,” Giroux said.

Hartnell said he had a trip to Las Vegas planned for this weekend, but said postponing it wouldn’t be a problem.

“I had something lined up to get away for a few days, get away from hockey,” he said, “but in the back of my mind I had my fingers crossed, maybe I’d get a call. There’s a lot of good players in the NHL these days, and if it wasn’t me it could have been two or three other guys. I feel pretty fortunate and pretty lucky. Going there, I was thinking about the skills competition. Hopefully I don’t get too nervous out there. I can’t wait. I’m super excited.”

Hartnell said he’d even take part in the Bridgestone Fastest Skater competition at the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition, a joke considering Hartnell now sells shirts for charity based on the hashtag #HartnellDown, which was started by a Flyers fan as a knock on Hartnell’s lack of skating ability. Hartnell loved the joke and created the website Hartnelldown.com, which features a large Hartnell Down-O-Meter, which keeps track of how many times he falls to the ice.

“I haven’t really thought about it too much,” he said of which event he’d participate in. “Just whatever I do, I hope I score a goal or hit the target or skate as fast as I can. Just going to enjoy the moment and be with the best players in the NHL.”

Hartnell will join Giroux, defenseman Kimmo Timonen and rookie teammates Matt Read and Sean Couturier in Ottawa for All-Star Weekend. He said being able to enjoy the game with Timonen, his closest friend on the team, and Giroux, his linemate, makes the event that much more enjoyable.

“I gave (Giroux) a big hug last night,” Hartnell said. “He’s a big part of me being selected, me having a great year so far. We have a lot of chemistry, a lot of good times on and off the ice. I’m pretty fortunate (to play with him). And to see Kimmo go, 36 years old, his fourth or fifth All-Star Game, to see him get recognized for his hard work, all the shots he blocks, all his passes.”

Hartnell also said his dad will be sticking around a little bit longer now to make the trip to Ottawa. Hartnell said his mom will join them in Ottawa, as will a brother who lives in the city and works for the Canadian government, as well as another brother, who will fly in from Halifax, N.S.

“He (his father) is extending his trip a few more days to come out to Ottawa,” Hartnell said. “Hopefully he can keep this wave of luck going tonight in Florida.”

Toews was injured during the second period of the Blackhawks’ game Saturday against the Nashville Predators. On Monday, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville announced Toews would miss Tuesday’s game against Nashville and said it was “not likely” he’d be able to take part in any of the All-Star Weekend events.

“We have some time off. Have some extra days there,” Quenneville said. “Hopefully he gets some rest. We’ll get a better assessment after (the All-Star break).”

Hartnell is the fourth player added to the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game roster due to injury. On Monday, Edmonton forward Jordan Eberle and Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang were added as replacements for injured Minnesota forward Mikko Koivu and Winnipeg defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. Also, Minnesota forward Nick Johnson was added to the rookie roster in place of injured Edmonton forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Per NHL.com:

Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk will be out indefinitely with a concussion, the team announced Saturday.

The third-year forward was limited to 15 shifts and 10:32 of ice time in Thursday’s 3-2 win over the New York Islanders. He has 11 goals and 22 points in 37 games this season.

“James was hit in the head in each of our last two games,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement released by the team. “He reported yesterday not feeling like himself. He will be out indefinitely with a concussion.”

Per NHL.com:

Could the Philadelphia Flyers be investigating bringing a brother act to the City of Brotherly Love?

TSN and the Philadelphia Daily News are reporting the Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs have held discussions regarding Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn being part of a package coming to Philadelphia in exchange for forward James van Riemsdyk.

Schenn’s younger brother, Brayden, is in his first season with the Flyers.

The Flyers reportedly have been in the market for a defenseman. Chris Pronger is out for the remainder of the season and the playoffs due to a concussion, and All-Star Kimmo Timonen is playing through a hand injury.

James van Riemsdyk

Left Wing – PHI

GOALS: 11 | ASST: 11 | PTS: 22
SOG: 107 | +/-: -1

The Philadelphia Daily News has reported the Flyers’ top target of interest is Predators defenseman Ryan Suter. Philadelphia will play in Nashville on Saturday, and Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren and Predators GM David Poile have a history of working well together. In 2007 they worked out a deal that saw the Flyers send Peter Forsberg to Nashville, and months later another trade that saw the Flyers acquire impending unrestricted free agents Scott Hartnell and Timonen. And in 2010 the Flyers acquired the negotiating rights to unrestricted free agent defenseman Dan Hamhuis from the Predators.

If Philadelphia can’t make a deal with the Predators, the Flyers then could investigate a deal with the Leafs for Schenn.

The Philadelphia Daily News reported Friday that Holmgren and Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke have held discussions on a Schenn-van Riemsdyk deal, and added that Flyers Director of Player Development Don Luce has been a frequent visitor to Leafs home games.

Schenn, who has 12 points in 41 games, has seen his ice time drop from 22:22 last season to just 16:35 this season — sixth among Leafs blueliners.

He also said he’s heard the trade rumors, but it’s not the first time he’s heard his name mentioned in potential trade talks.

“In the 3 1/2 years that I’ve been here there has been a few rumors about trades that were going to happen,” Schenn told the Toronto Star. “They come up every year somehow.

“It doesn’t really mean much. They’re just rumors and I’m happy being here in Toronto.”

Luke Schenn

Defense – TOR

GOALS: 1 | ASST: 11 | PTS: 12
SOG: 47 | +/-: 7

Adding fuel to the trade-rumor fire was Burke, who on Wednesday said on Toronto sports radio station 590 AM that he would consider what he called an “age-group asset trade.”

“I do think there is room for age-group asset trades,” Burke said. “If you trade a 22-year-old and get back a 22-year-old that plays a different position, that’s an age-group asset trade. I’m not giving away any future; I’m making a bet on what it does for our team. That’s a possibility.”

Coincidentally, Schenn and van Riemsdyk each are 22 years old.

While Schenn could fill a role for the Flyers, van Riemsdyk could do the same in Toronto.

“I think we’re a little small up front,” Burke said. “We don’t have much playoff experience.”

Van Riemsdyk could fill both those roles. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, the left wing certainly has good size. And in just three seasons, he has 32 games of playoff experience, including a trip to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. He also had 7 goals in 11 playoff games last season.

Signed to a six-year contract extension earlier this season, van Riemsdyk hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, scoring just 11 goals in 37 games, and with the emergence of rookie forwards Matt Read and Sean Couturier — both of whom were named to the All-Star Game — Holmgren could use van Riemsdyk as a trade chip in any potential deal.

Danny Briere scores all three Flyers goal in an overtime victory against Ottawa.