Fewer minutes for key Flyers could pay dividends

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Friday, February 18, 2011
Posted: 2:36 p.m.

By Tim Panaccio
CSNPhilly.com

RALEIGH, N.C.If it seems the Flyers are skating with more pep in their step, more hip in their dip, and more glide in their stride, well, its true.

They are.

The depth on this club is so good this season, ice times are down all around, especially among core players, who in years past, were gassed when the playoffs rolled around.

Mike Richards average ice time is down 1:30 to his current level of 20:22; Kimmo Timonen is down only 30 seconds a game (22:22), but says it will help him come playoff time. Jeff Carter says he feels pretty good. His ice time is a minute less per game (18:03).

Chris Pronger? Hes down the most - 2:30to 22:20.

A minute a night might not seem like a lot, yet over the course of 82 games, it adds up. Richards predicts the Flyers are going to have fresher legs for the long playoff grind ahead this spring because coach Peter Laviolette has rolled four lines and played three sets on defense with regularity

I feel goodits nice to have that option to roll four lines, Richards said. Not playing over 20 minutes keeps you fresher in back-to-back games. Keeps the wear of tear off your body through a season.

Two minutes a game over 82 games is a lot of minutes on-ice. Theyre tough minutes, especially, this time of year. Its nice not having that pressure on you to play that many minutes. It gives you an opportunity to work out off the ice because youre not as tired. And you can rest more before games.

Some of the harder minutes Richards used to rack up on the penalty kill have been given out to Darroll Powe and Blair Betts now, again, saving Richards for the playoffs.

Carter didnt think his minute a night saving is a big deal, but said hes happy its worked out that way.

The time is spread out a little more now, Carter said. I think were down a minute for every person in here. But I also feel I play better when I play more minutes.

When last season ended, general manager Paul Holmgren said he wanted to add more bodies up front and on defense to lower ice times. He did just that in the offseason via trades and free agent signings.

The additions of Sean ODonnell and Andrej Meszaros give the Flyers more balance in minutes on the back end, resulting in less minutes for older players such as Timonen and Pronger.

Playing a minute to minute-and-a-half less a game makes a difference, Timonen said. Its going to help us down the road when it comes to playoff time. Less minutes will help a bit, but I dont feel any different now than last year.

Laviolette says its no accident.

You want to win every game but you can manage your bench and run your bench differently because of where were at in the standings and the depth of our lineup, he said.

As long as we continue to win, you can cut your bench down ... cut situations on the ice as you need to. Danny Briere was playing 22 minutes in the playoffsRichards was up and Prongs Pronger was up to 27-28. And right now, weve been able to manage that to keep everyones minutes low.

The more balanced the minutes, the more playing time for the entire bench, where no one is sitting on the bench so long that they fall out of the flow of the game.

Thats important as well because everybody gets back on the ice and no one is sitting. You get a really good roll of the bench sometimes, Laviolette said.

Leino back
Ville Leino skated well Friday morning and intends to play Friday night. He missed the game in Florida with a slight groin pull and a sore hip.

I feel pretty good but obviously, I got discuss it with the coach since he makes the decisions, Leino said. But I felt pretty good out there.

Laviolette would not confirm his presence in the lineup, because Leino is coming off an injury. When a player is injured, he defers all questions to Holmgren.

Loose pucks
Laviolette feels that Sergei Bobrovsky, who will be in net again tonight against Carolina, should be up there in the Calder Trophy voting. He should be in the conversation. If he's not then maybe I need to start rattling that cage.Oskars Bartulis, Jody Shelley and Nikolay Zherdev are the expected scratches tonight.

Related: BrindAmour links Flyers, Canes; ceremony FridayBuy Flyers gear

E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net

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