Broken Bone Won't Keep Flyers' Laperriere Out
(from the Delaware County Daily Times)
By Anthony J. SanFilippo
Delaware County Daily Times
April 24, 2010 - Ian Laperriere confirmed Saturday that he has a fractured orbital bone above his right eye.
He also confirmed he will not have surgery to repair the injury.
As such, Laperriere plans on playing in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against an opponent still to be determined.
Then again, that's not much of a surprise.
"Well I think hell would freeze over before he doesn't play," general manager Paul Holmgren said, "(Saturday) we kept him off the ice even though he wanted to skate. (Today) is a day off, so he'll get another day off to recuperate and we'll re-evaluate him on Monday and see where he's at. He certainly looks a lot better today than he did yesterday, other than the fact that it's very colorful."
Laperriere has proven to be as tough a player as there is when it comes to playing through injuries.
He lost seven teeth and had upwards of 100 stitches when he blocked a shot with his mouth the day after Thanksgiving.
He returned the next night wearing a full face cage.
"It's great," Laperriere said. "I just need to get the swelling down. I'm going back on the ice as soon as I can.
"I'm excited, I'm happy (to be recovering). (Friday) was a tough day, (Saturday was) a better day and I can't wait until (today), to wake up and see how it's going to be."
Laperriere will be fitted for some sort of shield, but doesn't know if it will be just a shield, like most players wear, or if he'll have to go back to the face cage.
There was also a belief that Laperriere may have suffered a mild concussion from taking the shot, but neurological tests cleared him of any foggy-headed symptoms.
"They did them (Friday)," Laperriere said. "I feel fine. It's just that obviously I'm sore. I've got that swelling in there that kind of puts pressure on my head. It's normal."
As normal as taking a frozen rubber disc to the skull from close range at 90 MPH can be.
The Flyers have created some good fortune for themselves by dispatching the New Jersey Devils so quickly. It was the only series in the NHL to end in fewer than six games, and as such the Flyers will have at least one full week off before resuming their postseason push.
"Well certainly time heals all wounds right," Holmgren asked rhetorically. "It's certainly going to help Laperriere more immediately than Simon (Gagne), but eventually if we can continue playing its going to help Simon too."
Gagne is out for three weeks after having two screws inserted into his right big toe to stabilize a fracture.