‘Legion’ Lives When Lindros and LeClair Light Up the NHL

PHILADELPHIA —  For Eric Lindros and John LeClair, the name of the game is cycling.

Lindros corrals a puck behind the opposition goal and curls along the boards toward the corner. Harassed by a defenseman, he drops the puck behind the net for LeClair, who re-traces Lindros’ moves.

Since both men are gifted at controlling the puck and are strong and huge--Lindros, 6-4, 240 pounds; LeClair, 6-3, 226--they can keep it long enough to tire out defensemen.

Lindros or LeClair then passes from behind the net to the other, who’s now cruising in front of the net. From there, the puck often takes a short, quick trip past the goalie.

The two-man game has helped make Lindros and LeClair perhaps the most feared duo in the NHL and has helped give the Philadelphia Flyers one of the best records in the league.

“I’ve never seen a team that has two guys who could do that all day,” said coach Wayne Cashman, a player and coach in the league since 1968. “You have two guys who go out and physically take turns abusing people.”

A quarter of the way through the season, Lindros and LeClair each had 30 points, tops in the league. They’ve shown there is life after the breakup of the Legion of Doom.

That was the menacing nickname given to the line of Lindros, LeClair and Mikael Renberg, who combined for roughly 236 goals and 280 assists in the three seasons they were together.

Renberg is gone, traded to Tampa Bay in the offseason maneuvering that brought the Flyers free agent Chris Gratton.

Cashman has used three players in Renberg’s former slot, Danius Zubrus, Vinny Prospal and Trent Klatt, and he’s considering using others. One thing he’s not considering is separating Lindros from LeClair.

“They’re two proven guys who play great together,” Cashman said.

“It’s pretty hard for most teams to handle one big, strong guy. But to have two big, strong guys who can both score and go to the net, it makes it really tough. You just can’t handle them down low with two people. You need three or four people to handle those two guys.”

Just ask former Edmonton Oilers defenseman Luke Richardson. Before signing as a free agent with the Flyers this year, Richardson had to try to contain Lindros and LeClair. He’s grateful it’s somebody else’s job now.

“Basically, you’re just trying to bide time, wait for help from your teammates and hope they have an off night, because they’re going to create chances,” he said.

Richardson’s strategy was pre-emptive: get to Lindros and LeClair before they got to the front of the net. Once stationed in front, neither is moved easily, and both have the scorer’s touch.

“They score on their knees, on their butts, on their backs,” Richardson said. “I’ve seen them score from everywhere.”

LeClair, who had 18 goals after 22 games, owns one of the hardest shots in the league but scores most of his goals from in close. A 50-goal scorer in each of the last two seasons, he shrugs off the hot start that has him on a 67-goal pace this season.

“The puck has been finding the net for me,” he said.

“I’ve gotten quite a few breaks. I can think of a few goals where there’s a rebound, and the puck’s just lying there with a wide open net. Those all help get your confidence up, though, and it makes it easier for everything else.”

LeClair wasn’t a big scorer in college at Vermont, or when he started his pro career with the Montreal Canadiens. His trade to Philadelphia in 1995 and his subsequent teaming with Lindros helped him believe in his ability.

“At first, I was just satisfied being in the NHL and not contributing,” he said. “Now it’s more important for me to win.”

Lindros’ ability has been known since his midteens, when he was identified as hockey’s next great superstar. He also downplays the hot start in which he got 21 assists in 21 games.

“I’m always around that pace,” he said. “And John’s on fire putting the puck in the net. John’s going to the net really helps me. If you look at our goals, that’s where we score most of them. We’re not really going to dazzle you all the time on the rush. We’re keeping things basic.”