Let me just say this - Mike Rathje's a bitch and I can't explain why because I have a plane to catch. But before I go I have to say that, at least for this opening weekend, if I'm John Stevens I'm scratching Darroll Powe and putting Ian Laperriere on the third line with Claude Giroux and JVRer. I like Powe-r and I think he brings a great amount of energy to each shift, but I also think that Arron Asham needs to, and deserves to, be in the lineup this weekend.
At today's practice Blair Betts (great move) was centering the fourth line with Lappy and Daniel Carcillo on his wings. I'd have to say that might be the best fourth line in the league, save possibly the Red Wings. But even though it's a very decent line, the combination of needing Asham in the lineup and also wanting some grit on the wing with our two youngest players lands D Powe in the press box tomorrow night, in my book - which is called "Gold Mine or Gold Mind?" and is on sale at Amazon.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think that opposing players are just going to skate around taking runs at the Flyers Future (my unique and trademarked nickname for #28 and #21 together), and I know that they could very well be out there with Chris Pronger or Braydon "Probert" Coburn, but I want Lappy on their wing - right in the corners with them, right next to them when the whistle blows and defensemen start getting tough in front of the net. And don't kid yourself, while Lappy's no Mike Gartner he has some pretty decent wheels. He can keep up and he's defensively responsible and mature in a way Powe-r isn't yet, having only played one season in the NHL. ( I don't actually know this last point to be true at all, but it made my point stronger and writers are always saying that older players are better defensively so, I guess, suck it.)
I know Powe-r's a flare right out of the gun and Asham's already starting to fizzle but Arron Asham had 20 points and 17 fights for this team last year. Powe's development is important, but winning now is more important. And no matter how much some people don't think the physical aspect of the game can have that big of an effect on its outcome, this kind of stuff can't hurt:
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