Laperriere makes sacrifice for Flyers
NEWARK, N.J. - Ian Laperriere is playoff hockey. His face is proof. Even with the Flyers holding a 3-0 lead early in the third period last night, Laperriere played the penalty kill - diving and blocking shots - as if it were overtime in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. It was how he played all season. And for the second time this season, he took a puck in the face for his teammates.
NEWARK, N.J. - Ian Laperriere is playoff hockey.
His face is proof.
Even with the Flyers holding a 3-0 lead early in the third period last night, Laperriere played the penalty kill - diving and blocking shots - as if it were overtime in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. It was how he played all season. And for the second time this season, he took a puck in the face for his teammates.
Laperriere dove to block a Paul Martin slap shot 3 minutes into the third period and immediately knew he was in trouble, as blood trailed him wherever he skated.
"I was a little bit in panic mode, I couldn't see out of my right eye," Laperriere said. "I said to [Flyers trainer Jimmy McCrossin], 'Is it there?' He said, 'Yeah, it is.' "
Relieved once he knew his eye was fine, Laperriere was more shaken up than he was on Nov. 27 when Buffalo's Jason Pominville caught him in the mouth in the first period on Black Friday afternoon.
Pominville's shot knocked out seven teeth and required more than 100 stitches to close the wound. Laperriere returned to that game for the third period.
But last night was different. If Martin's shot was a few inches lower, Laperriere could have lost his right eye.
"I want to see my children grow up with both of my eyes," Laperriere said, frustrated with himself for sliding too early to block the shot. "You want to block shots but you don't want to block shots with your face.
"I'll do whatever it takes to block shots."
Laperriere was unsure how many stitches he received last night - though it was estimated in the range of 60 to 80 - to close the wound just above his right eye. The wound also was partially held together by a glue-like solvent. The area around his eye was so swollen that he was not able to fully open his eyelids and his eye was bloodshot.
"The amount of shots that we blocked in this series and the guys - I'll guarantee you that Lappy would have been back on the bench if they could have gotten him stitched up in time," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. "He and [Blair] Betts, all of them, but he and Betts do such a tremendous job. They're the front line of those blocks [with Mike] Richards and [Simon] Gagne."
Laperriere's shot-blocking was one of the reasons the Flyers were a perfect 8-for-8 on the penalty kill last night, including a kill in the first 43 seconds of the game.
"I think it's contagious," he said. "When you see 'Bettsy' and 'G' [Claude Giroux] blocking shots, it makes you want to block shots. The less shots you let them put on net, the less chances they have to score."
Laperriere's teammates, though, said his sacrifice is what energizes them to do more.
"It was scary," Dan Carcillo said. "I've never seen someone sacrifice their body the way he does, in this league or anywhere for that matter. It's pretty amazing. You never want to see anything like that happen.
"I saw him asking [if his eye was still there]. He's been doing it all year. He's always the guy that we could look to for blocking shots and sacrificing. You want to have the courage to be able to do what he does."
Laperriere said earlier in the series that as a rookie, he knew he needed to distinguish himself in the NHL with a certain niche. Penalty killing and shot-blocking - not his offensive skills, as he readily admits - are what have kept him in the NHL for 15 seasons.
"If I get a chance to block a shot next game, I will," Laperriere said. "That's what I do. When I stop doing that, I'll retire."
Laperriere did say he would change his equipment, though, to prevent another close call.
"This made me realize I'm going to wear a shield for the rest of my career," he said. "It's stupid. I'm mad at myself. It's a position you don't want to be in. I needed that to make me realize I'll wear a shield. I will. I swear.
"You learn from your mistakes. I'm 36, I'm still learning from my mistakes."
Now, with the Eastern Conference semifinals not beginning until at least next Thursday, Laperriere will have plenty of time for his wounds to heal.
"We didn't want to give that team any life at all," Laperriere said. "It's also nice to get some extra rest. Any time you can get some days off in the playoffs, you welcome that."
Laperriere's sacrifice earned the Flyers an extra rest.
"You don't win when guys aren't paying the price," Brian Boucher said. "Without him, we're not going to the second round. We'd be dead."
Kick saves
The Flyers' defense outscored the Devils' defense, 10-4, in points . . . Adirondack Phantoms call-up Andreas Nodl practiced with the Flyers in their pregame skate but was a healthy scratch with Riley Cote and Oskars Bartulis . . . Devils coach Jacques Lemaire still refused to believe the reports that the Flyers would be without Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter last night, calling the reports "bullbleep" during his pregame news conference . . . Carter and Gagne will both undergo surgery today at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. *
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