Huge update on Dan Vladar ahead of Game 4.

The Philadelphia Flyers have taken a commanding 3-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins in their opening round Stanley Cup playoff series, but in spite of that there was a ton of concern surrounding the Flyers heading into Game 4.

That concern stems from the uncertainty surrounding the status of Flyers starting netminder Dan Vladar, after Vladar has been absent from every Flyers practice since Game 3. Vladar was struck in the head by Penguins forward Bryan Rust during the course of Game 3 and appeared to be shaken up, but remained in that game and stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced.

Vladar has been an important part of why the Flyers have done so well in this series so losing him would be a huge blow, but it looks as though the Flyers have dodged a bullet in that regard.

Although there has been no official update from the Flyers regarding Vladar's status ahead of Game 4, there was good news for the Flyers this morning when Vladar returned to the ice for the first time since the incident with Rust. Vladar appeared to be a regular participant, suggesting that he will be available for tonight's game despite the concerns around him this week.

Update: Vladar was the first goalie off the ice, another indication that he will indeed be the starter for tonight's Game 4.