Flyers Getting Used to Life Without 'Lappy'
(from the Philadelphia Daily News)
By Frank Seravalli
Philadelphia Daily News
May 3, 2010 - BOSTON - Darroll Powe said Ian Laperriere is irreplaceable.
There is no one else like Laperriere, no one on the Flyers' roster capable of mimicking Laperrere's dogged puck pursuit and sacrifice in blocking shots on the penalty kill.
So rather than try to replicate Laperrere's style, Powe put his own spin on the top penalty-killing unit Saturday in Game 1 of the Flyers' second-round playoff series against Boston - the first time the Flyers have been without Laperriere all season.
"It's hard to replace a guy like Lappy," Powe admitted. "Him and [Blair] Betts have been clicking all year long. I have my way that I do things and he has his way of doing things. The goal is still the same - to try and keep pucks out of the net."
No, the goal has not changed. And it didn't change on Saturday, even though the Flyers dropped the first game of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, 5-4, in overtime at TD Garden.
But the Bruins' power play - which was second only to the Flyers' in first-round efficiency - had little impact on the game's final score. It is more than likely, though, that it will have an impact on how this series is decided.
The Flyers will have another crack at the Bruins tonight in Game 2 as they try to even the series before heading back to Philadelphia.
Yes, the Flyers allowed one goal on three power-play chances. That's not impressive, by any means. And Betts won't try to sell the penalty killing as good, or even acceptable.
But it wasn't bad. Laperriere was Betts' wingman, his other half.
"I think we were all right," Betts said. "Any time you give up a goal on three chances in the penalty kill, it's disappointing. We gave up a couple scoring chances. I think we did an OK job. I don't think the personnel in the lineup was a factor, although we'd like to have Ian in the lineup. We can definitely do a better job."
There are two important numbers that stand out when focusing on the penalty kill: Mike Richards' shorthanded ice time and the number of times shorthanded.
Clearly, the Flyers were more disciplined on Saturday than they were in any of their five first-round games against New Jersey. They know Boston will capitalize more than four times if given 32 opportunities.
Most important, Powe's effectiveness - his ability to jump to the top pair and play 2:39 of the Bruins' 4:31 of power-play time - took one of the two heavy burdens off Richards' shoulders.
With Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne sidelined, Richards' plate was already full with the Flyers' scoring and leadership duties. Without Laperriere, many expected the onus to fall on Richards.
Richards did not play a single second of his 26:58 total ice time shorthanded, allowing him to focus all his energy on the three points he scored. He helped the Flyers' other special team - the power play - go 2-for-5 against a team that didn't allow a power-play goal against Buffalo in the first round.
The fact that Powe filled the void nicely came as no surprise to Betts.
"Ian was a big part of the penalty kill, everyone knows that," Betts said. "But Darroll stepped in. He has killed penalties all year. His game is built for it. He is a good skater. He is quick. He's willing to block shots.
"It's time that he was given more of an opportunity to kill penalties."
Betts is no slow skater, not by any stretch. It was an intentional pick, Betts said, that prevented him from getting to Miro Satan that resulted in the Bruins' only power-play goal. But Powe - who said he tries to use his speed as much as possible - brings a swift dynamic that didn't exist with Laperriere on the unit.
After a full year of seasoning, Powe is a known entity to the Flyers' fan base. Some of that is due to his work in the playoffs last year, when he earned his keep as an NHLer after shuttling back and forth between the Flyers and Phantoms.
Another Phantom might have found a niche with the Flyers. Many wondered aloud why coach Peter Laviolette decided to dress call-up Andreas Nodl - who can be offensively challenged - over scorers like Stefan Legein, Jon Matsumoto or even David Laliberte, who played on the first line in Game 5 of the Devils series.
They got their answer on Saturday. Nodl anchored the second penalty-killing unit with Claude Giroux, playing 1:37 of his total 9:41 down a man. Laviolette said we will see more of Nodl tonight in Game 2.
They're all capable of killing penalties," Laviolette said, referring to his top four killers. "They are filling shoes that have to be filled. I thought our penalty kill did a pretty good job."
Once the Flyers knocked off the rust from their 9-day layoff, they played a game that Laviolette called "gutsy." They erased a two-goal deficit three times, giving players a sense of confidence heading into Game 2.
The Flyers can bounce back if they have a poor start tonight. They will need to, in order to avoid being in a 2-0 hole, which would force them to win four of the final five games.
But they will also need to stay out of the box again. They know that. That much, like the original goal, hasn't changed.
seravaf@phillynews.com