USA
Today - May 28, 1997
USA
Today - May 28, 1997
hiladelphia
Flyers center Rod Brind'Amour's best trait is his ability to wing
it.
Put him on the penalty-killing unit, and he responds in the first round with two short-handed goals on one shift.
Give him a checking assignment, and he will help shut down the opposition.
Move him to left wing and he won't like it, but he will work as hard as he does at center.
"He is an ultimate team player in that he will do anything for the team," coach Terry Murray says.
Especially score. Nine of his 10 playoff goals have tied the game, put the team ahead or put the team two goals ahead.
"Roddy is on fire," captain Eric Lindros says. "He's played so well. He's such a battler."
Brind'Amour battles in relative anonymity behind superstar Lindros. But nearly every trade rumor involving the Flyers had the opposition asking for Brind'Amour in return.
That's quite a difference from early in his career when St. Louis dealt him after two seasons. The Blues offered him and Curtis Joseph to New Jersey in 1991 as compensation for free agent Brendan Shanahan. The Devils held out for defenseman Scott Stevens.
The Blues then dealt Brind'Amour to Philadelphia for defenseman Murray Baron, a move that gave the Flyers one of the league's most consistent, hard-working players.
And most athletic.
"Rod made a decision a long time ago to become an athlete," Murray says. "He is tremendously powerful."
His offseason dedication to weightlifting has allowed him to play 320 consecutive regular-season games. But even he concedes the playoff grind wears on him.
"Everyone gets pretty tired right about now, myself included," Brind'Amour says. "But the way I always looked at conditioning was if you are in your best shape, that is not an excuse. You can look to other things for why your game maybe isn't working."
His game was off at the beginning of the season. He suffered through the World Cup slump and had to adjust to a new position, necessitated by the Flyers' acquisition of Dale Hawerchuk late in 1995-96.
"It was tough for me because I am not a real fan of playing the wing," he says.
But he stuck with it, had a strong finish and moved back to center because of injuries.
"He loves the center position," Murray says. "He feels he can skate a lot more free, and he can handle the puck a lot more. He has really responded with great play."