Flyers' Laperriere Anticipating Return
(from SLAM! Sports)
By Rob Longley
QMI Agency
May 18, 2010 - PHILADELPHIA - For as long as his teammates continue their winning ride in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Ian Laperriere can wait for his turn to contribute.
But the fact that the popular forward and inspirational leader of the team is getting closer to his return could be another big boost for the Flyers, possibly as soon as this weekend.
Laperriere was on the ice for the Flyers morning skate Tuesday, evidence that he is days away from action, his head getting clearer from the concussion he suffered in the opening-round series against New Jersey.
At the time of the injury - sustained in true Laperriere style, by blocking a puck with his face - he was told he wouldn't play again this season.
"For what I went through three weeks ago, it's like a miracle," Laperriere said. "It's like the movie Dumb and Dumber, one chance in a million."
Considering he needed 90 stitches to close the wound and he suffered a brain bruise as well, the analogy is a good one. But after getting an MRI on Monday, Laperriere was cleared by doctors to practice.
While there is no rush for him to return while the team is winning, Laperrierre intends to use the next couple of days to work on his conditioning.
"It would be stupid for me to play (Tuesday)," said Laperriere, who has been wearing a cage and a mask with added protection. "The team is playing well without me. If the team doesn't need me, that's a good sing. It means the team is doing really well.
"If (coach Peter Laviolette) needs me I'll be in shape."
The Flyers have already benefited from the return of Simon Gagne, who broke a bone in his foot in the first round and returned in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal against Boston. Since then, Gagne has had five goals and five assists in five games and was a big factor in the Flyers' dramatic comeback over the Bruins.
Fellow forward Jeff Carter, who also broke his foot in the opening round, isn't as close to returning to the lineup.
The more the Flyers look like legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, the more anxious Laperriere is to get back in action.
The Montreal native, who broke into the NHL with the St. Louis Blues in 1994 and is a first-year Flyer, is the closest he has been to winning a championship.
"I have a lot of motivation to come back, the biggest being the Stanley Cup," Laperrierre said. "It took 16 years to get this close.
"I've been taking care of myself for 20 years and that pays off. It's thanking me back for taking care of my tiny, little brain."