Laperriere is Ready to Roll for Flyers
(from the Delaware County Daily Times)
By Anthony J. SanFilippo
Delaware County Daily Times
May 21, 2010 - MONTREAL — In case you haven't been to Wachovia Center to notice, the Flyers have been selling T-shirts, among countless other bits of playoff merchandise in an every-stoppage-of-play in-house commercial, among them one that reads "It's all about Lappy."
That phrase could be used to describe the buzz that emanated from Flyers' practice Friday, a day after suffering their worst playoff beating of the season, 5-1 to the Canadiens in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.
That's because "Lappy," or Ian Laperriere in the more common vernacular, appears set to return to the lineup tonight in Game 4.
According to multiple Flyers' sources Laperriere will don his Flyers sweater for the first time since suffering a fractured orbital bone, a brain contusion and a minor concussion when he blocked a slap shot with his face on April 22 in New Jersey.
Call it a miracle. Call it courageous. Call it crazy, insane, heroic — whatever. Laperriere is going to play hockey again exactly one month to the day of the scary incident.
If nothing else, just having him on the bench and in the lineup should give the Flyers an emotional lift, which is perfect timing since they had very little emotion to put on display in a disastrous Game 3.
"First of all, just his presence … it's a veteran presence in the locker room," Danny Briere said. "He's a guy who is very energetic in the dressing room as much as on the ice to get us going, to get us pumped up. He talks a lot in the dressing room and on the ice. So just his presence I think is going to bring a lot.
"And we all know what he does on the ice. He's tough to play against. He's a great penalty killer. He brings a lot of energy, finishes his checks. And his line along with Blair Betts and whoever, Darroll Powe or Carcillo or whoever is on the other side have had a lot of success this year. He's one of those guys that at the end of the night might not have a couple goals and couple assists, but he does a lot of little things right that helps out your team."
Laperriere wasn't allowed to talk to the media for a second straight day — Paul Holmgren's orders. Holmgren had nothing to say either — toeing the day-to-day mantra as he has since Wednesday.
But when Laperriere emerged from the Flyers locker room on his way to the workout room across the hall at Bell Centre he was greeted by a small gathering of reporters.
He didn't make eye contact, but sported a huge grin.
"I'm looking straight ahead," he said. "I can't make eye contact with you guys because if I do I'll want to talk. I can't look. I'm just looking straight."
He said more with that little comic quip then he ever could have if he were allowed to remove the muzzle and get behind the microphone on the podium.
"He's a big part of the team," Simon Gagne said. "He's a character player. He's a role guy that at this time of the season is really important. He's a guy that's going to do everything for his teammates. He's going to block shots, we all know that. He's going to be physical; he's going to be tough to play against.
"He's the type of guy you like to have on the ice when it's two minutes left in the game, when you've got the lead or for checking the other team's best player. He's maybe one of the best players on the penalty kill (in the league)."
Laperriere skated during a spirited Flyers' practice with Betts and Powe while Andreas Nodl skated with a "fifth line" (read: scratched players) with Jeff Carter and an alternating wing duo of Riley Cote and David Laliberte.
Carter was the topic of much speculation to return today. One Montreal radio station reported he would be in the lineup.
But Carter isn't ready, and likely needs at least one more full practice and a morning skate or two before he could go.
Carter could play as soon as Game 5 in Philadelphia Monday.
As has been his practice all playoffs long, when it comes to the topic of line changes or injured players, coach Peter Laviolette refuses to discuss publicly.
Therefore, he wouldn't chime in on Laperriere's or Carter's availability, but he did praise his shot blocking, penalty-killing, warrior-mentality plugger.
"He's an excellent player who does a lot of things for us," Laviolette said of Laperriere. "He's an inspirational guy, and he looked good in practice."