Guts and Glory
Excerpt from "Carcillo Suspended For Two Games"
(from the Bucks County Courier Times)
By Wayne Fish
Bucks County Courier Times
March 31, 2010 - To be willing to dive in front of one of Ilya Kovalchuk's Russian ballistic missiles, you have to be three things:
1. Competitive.
2. Courageous.
3. Crazy.
But that's what the Flyers' Ian Laperriere was Sunday night in the Flyers' 5-1 win over the Devils.
Just another day at the office for Laperriere, who makes blocking shots both a science and an artform.
Folks made a pretty big deal of Sunday night's effort because the Flyers as a group came up with 26 blocks, which made life a little easier for goaltender Brian Boucher.
However, it's more than just the numbers - it's the time and place of the blocks.
Laperriere and penalty-kill sidekick Blair Betts just seem to have a knack for when to leave their skates and put their bodies in harm's way.
It's not like Laperriere is a shotblocking machine - his total of 69 for the season ranks him only 154th in the league. Yet, a big block at the right time can be almost as effective as scoring a goal in terms of building energy for the bench.
"That's our game," Laperriere said. "If we get a chance to block a shot, we will. That doesn't change from the first 76 games to the last couple now."
Is the spirit of blocking a shot contagious?
"I sure hope so," he said. "You come back from a block and the guys are standing up (on the bench) like you scored a goal. Everybody is giving you high fives because they know it's a big block. It just pushes you to do it the next shift.
"We do have a lot of young guys in the room and if we can influence them by adding that to their game, that's great."
Laperriere had six teeth lost or damaged when a puck struck his face earlier this season yet he's still willing to dive in front of a sniper like Kovalchuk.
"I don't mind when it's on the ice," Laperriere said with a grin. "It's when it's near my face ... I had one (from Kovalchuk) that was spinning and just missed me. He does have a hell of a shot. If you do it right, you won't feel it as much as when you do it wrong.
"Trust me, I've been on both sides."
Coach Peter Laviolette had nothing but good things to say about Laperriere.
"They (Laperriere and Betts) are willing to do just about anything to not let a shot see the net," Laviolette said. "... They sacrifice themselves constantly.
"When you stare down the barrel of a Kovalchuk, you've really got to muscle up and take the brunt of it. They do that, they do it constantly, they're fearless."