by Bob Herpen
The Phanatic Magazine
Philadelphia Flyers forward Ian Laperriere will most likely be lost for the remainder of the playoffs, the club announced late Tuesday.
Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren revealed that Laperriere, who was spared surgery despite having a puck strike the bone above his right eye in last Thursday's Game 5 win over the Devils, did suffer a contusion of the brain and a mild concussion as a result of absorbing the shot.
Laperriere was seen by doctors in Philadelphia on Monday and was also examined earlier Tuesday by Dr. Joseph Maroon, chief neurosurgeon at the University of Pittsburgh.
"I think this is significant. They saw a spot right there (on his brain) initially, and I think they were hoping, like we all were, that it would dissipate a little bit," Holmgren said. "Right now, it's not safe for him to play. It's hard to replace Ian and what he does, particularly on the penalty kill. He's a heart-and-soul guy on our team."
Laperriere played in all 82 games this past regular-season, posting three goals and 20 points. He picked up one assist in the club's recently-completed five-game triumph over New Jersey in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
The Flyers await the winner of Wednesday's Game 7 between Washington and Montreal, which will decide who they will face in the Eastern semifinals.
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