Flyers’ van Riemsdyk Uses His Head Against the Rangers…Literally

You've probably heard the phrase "use your head" used in conversation plenty of times before. "That was so dumb! Use your head next time!" "You know the answer on this test! Just use your head!"

Well, someone must've told Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk to use his head last night against the Rangers. I have to give him credit, he did use his head, just not the way you may have pictured it.

The Flyers went to the powerplay, down one goal in the second period. van Riemsdyk, a big presence on the ice, took his position in front of the net. Forward Travis Konecny shoots the puck in his direction, and this happened next.

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RIGHT. OFF. OF. HIS. FACE! van Riemsdyk, or JvR, as he's lovingly referred to as, goes down like a sack of potatoes. The puck bounces off of his noggin, and right past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin.

This isn't even the headline of the story, though. van Riemsdyk returned to the game with a face shield on. The Flyers on the powerplay again in the third period, and JvR went back to front of the net, and scored again.

His second goal of the game would be followed soon after by a Jakub Voracek goal, and the Flyers would hold on to beat the Rangers at Madison Square Garden by a final of 3-2.

The Rangers scored book-ending goals in the game, with Brendan Smith scoring in the first period, and Artemi Panarin rifling home his 17th goal of the season with time winding down in the third.

Every goal in the game, however, pales in comparison to the true "first star" from the game...James van Riemsdyk's face.