Everybody expected Ian Laperriere to be fine. He caught a Paul Martin slap shot just above the eye during the third period of last Thursday's Game 5 with New Jersey, and while he obviously missed the remainder of the game, he was in good spirits afterward, albeit a bit shaken up after temporarily going blind in that eye.
The reports all said that Laperriere would be fine, and that he'd be ready to play by the time the semifinal round begins this coming weekend. But after several visits to various doctors over the last few days, "the optimism was lost," according to Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren.
The team announced late on Tuesday that Laperriere will be out indefinitely, likely for the rest of the season, with a brain contusion and a mild concussion. Delaware County Times beat writer Anthony SanFillippo informed SBN's Flyers blog, Broad Street Hockey, that he'll be out at least a month, and that the Flyers will likely replace him with young call-up Andreas Nodl.
BSH has more reaction on just how much losing Laperriere hurts the Flyers:
It's a crushing blow to this team. We wrote the other day how important blocking shots and playing solid team defense were in the Devils series. In that sense, losing Laperriere is one of the worse possible losses for the Flyers in these playoffs.
Is it the end of the road? No, it's not. We don't know exactly when Lappy will return, but if he's out for the entire second round or even the entire season, the Flyers can still beat whoever they face. But whether that team is the Caps or the Bruins, the Flyers are going to really have to cut down on the penalties now, considering Laperriere is the heart and soul of the penalty killing unit.
For more on the story, wade into the comments over at BSH, where fans are mourning the loss of the player affectionately known as Lappy. He's expected to speak with the media at some point on Tuesday night as well, so we'll have more on the story as it develops.
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