The always spicy matchup between Eric Lindros and Scott Stevens will be missing from the upcoming Eastern Conference finals.
Sidelined for the first two rounds of the playoffs, Lindros, the Flyers’ star center, will remain out with a string of concussions. But while his absence tarnishes the series’ drama, it might not damage the Flyers’ chances of beating the Devils.
“They’ve proved they can win without him,” Devils center Bobby Holik said yesterday after the club practiced at the Meadowlands. “It’s almost like they’re playing better. It’s a funny thing in hockey. When a great player is out, good teams become great teams and that’s what they are right now.”
Added defenseman Scott Niedermayer: “It seems without Eric that everybody on that team is playing their best hockey. We can’t take them any lighter because Eric’s not there.”
But Keith Primeau might not be there, either. The Flyers’ center suffered a head injury after a mid-ice collision with Penguins defenseman Bob Boughner in the opening minute of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semis Tuesday.
Primeau returned to Philadelphia yesterday after staying overnight in a Pittsburgh hospital following the Flyers’ 2-1, series-clinching victory. His status for Game 1 against the Devils Sunday afternoon is questionable.
“I’m feeling better,” Primeau said yesterday. “It’s too early to tell. We’ll take it on a day-to-day basis.”
Even without Lindros and Primeau, the Flyers are still loaded, led by John LeClair. With one of the hardest shots in hockey, the star left wing has six goals in the 11 playoff games.
“John LeClair may be the best forward in the league as far as I’m concerned,” defenseman Ken Daneyko said.
Added Niedermayer: “He loves getting around the net. With his big size, he’s difficult to move. So it’ll be a big challenge. We just have to try and keep him away from the net as best we can.”
Devils coach Larry Robinson said that defenseman Scott Stevens, the team’s current playoff MVP, likely will be matched against LeClair. But backliner Brian Rafalski probably also will see his share of him.
“[LeClair] shots the puck well and goes to the net well,” said Stevens, who is coming off a big-hitting series against the Maple Leafs. “He’s got the big reach. He’s playing with [Mark] Recchi, who’s a good disher. It’ll be a good challenge to stop them.”
Surely, though, nothing will equal the test of facing the Flyers’ top line in the ’95 Eastern Conference finals. The combination of Lindros, LeClair and Mikael Renberg was devastating. And yet, the Devils pulled out a 4-games-to-2 series victory before sweeping the Red Wings for the Stanley Cup.
“I know it was the toughest series that we played in ’95,” said goaltender Martin Brodeur, one of nine current Devils from that team. “It was one that was really exciting to be part of.”
Daneyko, who was also on the ’95 club, also reminisced when he said, “It was a great series. Very evenly played. So there’s some tradition there and some history there. It’s going to be a great series. There’s going to be a lot of interest, a lot of emotions, by both clubs and by the fans.”
Right wing Randy McKay didn’t attend practice yesterday as he was caring for a sick relative late Tuesday night.
The line of Holik, McKay and Claude Lemieux has one goal in the playoffs. Still, Robinson said he’s pleased with the trio, considering they’re assigned to the opponents’ top lines.