Leights Out & Lappy Feeling Wacky

Leights Out
Well what many had suspected has been confirmed.

When Paul Holmgren and Peter Laviolette gave the so-called prognosis on Michael Leighton of "He'll be out until Thursday," nearly every Flyers beat writer as well as me believed there was more to this injury that the Flyers originally led on.

It's nearly the same situation with how the Flyers disclosed the Ray Emery. Here's an article from Broad Street Hockey comparing the two.

They say Leighton is out a month, but it's up for debate as to how long that month ends up being. So right now, the Flyers goaltenders are Brian Boucher and Sergei Bobrovsky with Johan Backlund's recovery from offseason surgery just about over. Backlund may start one of the Flyers' preseason games this weekend.

So with the limited golies on the Flyers roster, should they pursue another man between the pipes? Well considering the Flyers cap situation and the lack of inexpensive goalies on the market, that's really not an option. Any netminder available (Manny Legace and José Théodore are a few names that pop up) will either be too expensive or too, well, crappy.

So by the time the season starts, the Flyers goalie situation should go like this: Boucher the starter, Backlund the backup and Bobrovsky starter with the Phantoms.

Obviously there will be people who want Bobrovsky to be the starter with the big club. But with the incredible amount of buzz surrounding Bobrovsky, the Flyers would be crazy to start him in the pros this early. He has played a total of five periods in an NHL-sized rink and has never played more than 40 games in a season. If the Flyers want Bobrovsky to be as good as they think he's going to be, they're going to give him all the work he needs down in the AHL for a season.

Lappy Feeling Wacky 
And then there's the Laperriere injury.

What can you really say, the guy had concussion symptoms and wanted to play in the Finals so bad that he decided to play through them to help his team win.

It's rarely understated how important Laperriere is to the Flyers penalty kill, but this does make a little more room for other players to make the Flyers roster.

Holmgren and Laviolette won't say it but this probably means Guerin will most definitely be on the team and Darroll Powe will take Laperriere's spot on the 4th line and more importantly, on the penalty kill.

I just hope this isn't a Keith Primeau-type situation, but we'll have to wait to find out.

Predictions and "Grade-ictions" Series

Ian Laperriere

2009/2010 Regular season stats: 3G 17A -1
2010 Playoff stats: 0G 1A -3
Grade: A

What more could anyone ask from Ian Laperriere in 09/10? Never in my hockey-watching life have I seen such a display of on-ice self-sacrifice than I saw in every game last season with Laperriere.

History was made when he blocked Paul Martin's power play slapshot in game five against the Devils. Video tributes were made and he was regarded as one of the toughest players in the NHL after that play. But those who don't watch (or listen to) the Flyers on a daily basis may have missed what he did October 27th against the Sabres. Lappy does whatever it takes on the penalty kill to prevent a point shot from getting to the Flyers goaltender. He blocks shots with his stick, legs, arms, midsection, and in multiple occasions this year, his face.

He played on the 4th line in 09/10 alongside Blair Betts and Darroll Powe, but it was his penalty kill presence that was indispensable to this Flyers team. I only hope that he blocks more shots this year with his shin pads rather than his right eye.


2010 Predictions: 3G 14A -2