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Hartnell suffers upper-body injury, won’t return for Flyers (update)

hartnelldowngetty

Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Hartnell’s knack for falling over and over again generated the #HartnellDown meme, but considering some tough breaks recently, the hashtag just seems sad. The team clarified that Hartnell suffered an upper-body injury, not a lower-body one as previously announced.

Injuries and inconsistent play plagued the 31-year-old winger’s 2013 season, as he was limited to 11 points and 70 PIM in 32 games. Those tough times hurt that much more because he came off the best year of his career in 2011-12, scoring 37 goals and 67 points in 82 games.

That slump has carried over into 2013-14, as Hartnell has gone pointless through five games (or four and change).

Even if Hartnell is playing poorly, this is another tough break for a team in turmoil, unless it opens the door for a young player to get some reps.

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins